With the advent of 2026, the new year ushers in wintery weather, disruption to the league fixtures and managerial changes. With the last home game against AFC Sudbury being called off, the Poppies have not played since the away 4-2 defeat to Harborough Town. Happy New Year KTFC Fans as we travel, weather permitting, to the east coast to our hosts Leiston FC for the first game of 2026 kick off 15:00.

The Blues, who also suffered a postponement last Saturday, lost their last game in 2025 at home to local rivals Needham Market 0-1. However, they have been in relatively good form with three wins (1-2 away at Halesowen Town; 1-0 at home against Real Bedford and 1-3 away at St Ives) and two losses (0-1 Needham Market and 4-1 away at Spalding United) in their previous five matches. Leiston have scored seven and conceded seven goals in their last five games. However, they secured four wins and a single draw in their previous ten games. The Blues reside in tenth place in the Southern Premier with thirty-four points, only five points adrift of the playoff places with a game in hand on fifth placed Needham Market.

In terms of the form table, Leiston are in fifth place taking nine points from five games. However, this is in contrast to their home form, where the Blues are in fifteenth overall with sixteen points achieved from eleven games.

As for the Poppies, with fourteen goals scored in the last five games, the Poppies are still on a good run with only one loss in our last five following our 4-2 defeat against the Bees, two draws (3-3 at home to Bury Town and away at Halesowen 1-1) together with two wins (3-0 Royston Town and 5-0 at home vs. Stourbridge). With twenty-three games played, KTFC are in eleventh place, seven points from the play-off places with a game in hand on Redditch although Real Bedford in seventh have three games in hand on the Poppies.

Form-wise, the Poppies are now in sixth place with eight points from our last five games but in twelfth place in the away form table overall with fourteen points from their last twelve away games.

Subject to the weather gods, matchday 26 could produce some interesting ties with the standout fixture being league leaders Spalding United entertaining Harborough Town in a first versus second clash. Quorn, in third, travel to nineteenth placed Stourbridge, Halesowen visit Barwell and Needham Market have a tough tie away at Real Bedford.

The Poppies have always done well against Leiston winning five of the last seven encounters. However, Leiston are having a good season and weather dependent, the game embodies two clubs seeking to secure a play off place. The impact of not playing competitively since the turn of the year and the need to rely on depleted squads, with Eddie Oppong leaving the Poppies and James Clifton’s deal possibly coming to a conclusion at the end of the month, January could be defining moment in our season given possible fixture congestion. Nevertheless, irrespective of what the weather has in store, we are all looking forward to the home game versus Alvechurch on 17th January, with special guests marking the 50th anniversary for our pioneering shirt sponsorship deal.

Enjoy the game.

COYP!

                                                                        LEISTON

Season        V        Comp           F-A     Att:    Poppies Scorers

2018-19        H        ESLSPC       1-2     749     Solkhon (p)

          A        ESLSPC       1-0     328     O’Connor

2023-24        H        PISLPC        2-2     507     Yussuf, Andrade

                     A        PISLPC        2-0     173     Bennett, Lewthwaite

2024-25        H        PISLPC        2-1     881     Edwards, Noel-Williams

                     A        PISLPC        2-0     310     Noel-Williams.2

2025-26        H        PISLPC        3-0     1368   Ranger, Lewis, Fifield

POPPIES WINS:              5                             GOALS FOR:                     13

THE BLUES WINS:           1                             GOALS AGAINST:               5

DRAWS                           1

Most goals in a game for the Poppies v Leiston (2)

Isiah Noel-Williams (2024-25)

Most goals in career Poppies v Leiston (3)

Isiah Noel-Williams

Played for both clubs (5)

Goalkeepers

Sam Banya, Claude Stephane Seanla, Billy Johnson, Jamar Loza, Ismael Fatadjo,

League debuts (2)

Fin Corrigan            2025-26 (h)

Leon Clarke             2023-24 (a)

Poppies players who have scored against Kettering Town for Leiston (1)

Jamar Loza             2023-24 (h)

Leiston players sent off v Kettering Town (1)

Noel Aitkens            2018-19 (a)

Poppies players who made their 100^th Club appearance against Leiston (1)

Rhys Hoenes           30:03:19 (a)

LEISTON

Manager                           Chris Wigger

Ground                             Victory Road

Nickname                         The Blues

Position in League           10^th – 34pts from 23 games

Top League scorer           6 – Joao Soares, Rangel, Adam Mills, Ben Fowkes

THE BLUES SO FAR…

FORM – LAST 5

POPPIES                WDDWL       8pts

BLUES                   WWLWL      9pts