FC Clacton played out a 2-2 draw at Leiston under-23s

The Seasiders were left to settle for a point on the road, a result that felt like a missed opportunity especially considering their dominance in the latter stages and two well-taken goals from Ben Sargeant.

Sargeant's shot was comfortably saved by the keeper early on while Idrees Namisi's effort went narrowly wide.

However, despite the promising start, it was Leiston who struck first.

A delivery into the box was turned goalwards and found its way into the back of the net, punishing FC Clacton for their missed chances.

Leiston almost doubled their lead just before the break, clipping the post from close range.

A yellow card for Luis capped off a frustrating first half for FC Clacton, who had started well but lost their rhythm after conceding.

As the second half got underway, Clacton came out with renewed intensity and were rewarded for their pressing.

The equaliser came when Leiston’s keeper struggled under pressure, trying to clear the ball only for Sargeant to block the attempt.

The ball ricocheted favourably and Sargeant calmly slotted it home to bring Clacton level.

However, the celebrations were cut short when Manny Ikwuegbu was forced off with what appeared to be a serious knee injury, suspected to be a dislocation, halting FC Clacton’s momentum and casting a shadow over proceedings.

A bizarre moment followed as Leiston were awarded a penalty only for the taker to comically strike the ball with his standing foot resulting in a foul penalty and a free-kick awarded to FC Clacton.

Despite that let off, FC Clacton were again punished from distance as Leiston regained the lead with a thunderous 30-yard strike that flew into the top corner, a moment of sheer quality in a match otherwise lacking it.

But FC Clacton kept pushing forward and nearly levelled when they got into the box, only to hesitate and fail to release a shot.

Eventually, it was Sargeant again who delivered a moment of brilliance.

Picking up the ball outside the area, he unleashed a low driven strike into the bottom right corner.

The visitors continued to probe, with Glory Longi whipping in a dangerous cross that was narrowly missed at the back post and Aron Jones surging down the right flank in search of a decisive contribution.

Jones opted to shoot rather than cross for Sargeant with the shot ending up easily gathered by the goalkeeper, a missed opportunity in a match where decision-making proved vital.

FC Clacton came agonisingly close to stealing victory, late on.

Jones' header floated just over while substitute Godfried Debrah also fired narrowly wide, as the spoils were shared.

Although the draw was fair on the balance of play, FC Clacton’s late surge and overall effort might have warranted more.

The performance showcased both promise and areas for improvement, particularly in terms of clinical execution and composure in the final third.