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Haverhill Rovers are heading for one of their biggest games of the season on Tuesday at Portman Road, hoping it will not be cancelled because it is the same day as the Queen Mother’s funeral.

Haverhill are due to play Kirkiey in the final of the Suffolk Senior Cup, which they won six years ago after beating Ipswich Wanderers at Portman Road, home of Premiership Ipswich Town.

A spokesman for the Suffolk FA said (at the time of going to press) that the game was still due to go ahead at 7.3Opm and there had been no suggestion so far that it would be cancelled.

Terry McGerty, president of Haverhill Rovers, said they were hoping plenty of supporters from the town would go to Ipswich to spur them on. Although he would understand if the game had to be cancelled, he hoped a decision would be made quickly.

Despite a 1-0 defeat by Wisbech reserves on Saturday, Haverhill Rovers still have a chance of achieving promotion to the Jewson - League Premier Division this season.

The recently returned Trevor David is thought to be the only player still at the club who played in the previous winning Suffolk Cup side.

“Last time we had between 1,000 and 1,500 people there, who were very vocal, and it did make a difference,” said McGerty

“This time we would like to see even more, and there are places on the coaches going.
“I think the players are really up for it. This will be like our Wembley and it will be the biggest game of their careers so far.

“I think it is the venue that makes it really. It is quite daunting when you have only played on local pitches to have a stadium capable of taking 26,000.

“We don’t know much about Kirkley, as they don’t play in our league, but I think they are doing very well.”

Tickets will be on sale at Portman Road, £3 for adults and £2 children.

Coach tickets can be bought at Hamlet Croft on match days or at Suffolk Insurance in Haverhill High Street.

Meanwhile, Rovers must win their last five matches, according to manager Paul Goodman, to stand a chance of going up from Division One of the Jewson League after a shock 1-0 home defeat by Wisbech reserves on Saturday.

Despite putting on a good display on a difficult Hamlet Croft pitch, Rovers had an off-day in front of goal with the division’s leading scorer Paul Jenkin ruled out with a bad ankle.

Wisbech scored the only goal on the counter attack around the hour mark.
Goodman said: “We settled down and put them under immense pressure and created some good chances, but we didn’t test the keeper at all.”

In the same division, Somersham pulled off a fine 3-1 victory at home to Cambridge City reserves, who had conceded only two goals in their previous 10 games.

City dominated the first half and went ahead through an own goal when the knee of a Somersham defender deflected a corner into his own net.

But after a half-time roasting from manager Bob Barnett, the hosts levelled three minutes into the second half through Mike Kaye who added a second on 65 minutes, both following good moves down the right.

City were reduced to nine men late on with Lawrence Church and J Warren Taylor both receiving their marching orders as the visitors lost I their discipline.
A Carl Osborne header from a corner rounded it off five minutes later.