They face Suffolk and Ipswich League Grundisburgh, who were beaten finalists last season, at Portman Road (7pm).

Hadleigh lost their final Ridgeons League division one game of the season 2-1 to fellow promotion contenders Diss Town at the Millfield on Saturday.

Whitton United took the third promotion slot, behind Tiptree United and Ely City, with a 5-0 thrashing of struggling Godmanchester Rovers.

Saturday's result saw Hadleigh drop from third to fifth, level on points with Diss, but with an inferior goal difference.

Halstead Town, relegated from the premier division last season, finished on the same number of points, 63, in sixth place.

Hadleigh manager Steve Jay, who played in two Senior Cup finals, took his players out on Saturday night after the defeat, and the squad was due to go ten-pin bowling last night.

"You want to get them relaxed. We are being shown round Portman Road at lunchtime on Thursday, and then it's back to our ground for a spot of light training. After that we'll go for pasta and salad, before we get on the coach."

Jay was deeply disappointed with Saturday's defeat. "We went for a players' night out. It was planned, and everyone seemed positive. But a lot of us felt we choked on the day.

"We didn't really perform. We haven't really played well for a few weeks. But we kept getting results and other results went for us.

"Four teams went into Saturday with the incentive to take that third promotion slot. But over the last few games we have gone a little bit flat," he said.

"You have to dust yourself down and get on with it. We'll have to really go for promotion next season."

Hadleigh were gracious in defeat on Saturday, applauding Diss off the pitch. "To be honest I expected more from them," said Jay. "But you can't take away the fact that they won.

"I thought they would be the team to go up, which is why we applauded them at the end."

Jay, who joined Dean Skinner as joint manager last season, took sole charge this season after pressure of work saw Skinner step down.

Working with a limited budget, to get his side challenging for promotion right to the last day has been a terrific achievement.

He has produced a side capable of playing some fine, flowing football, as the players have shown in the league and on their way to Portman Road.

l Hadleigh have beaten two SIL teams en route to the final, Coplestonians 7-2 in the first round, and Brantham Athletic 2-0 in the semi-final.

Fellow Ridgeons first division side Long Melford were beaten 2-0 at Stoneylands in the quarter-final.

Grundisburgh, who lost 2-1 to Stowmarket Town in the final last year, beat Leiston St Margarets 2-0 in the semi-final.

On Tuesday the SIL premier division runners-up beat Woodbridge Athletic 3-2 to win the Omnico Cup.

Hadleigh, relegated from the premier division 11 years ago, attracted a crowd of 324, the biggest for 12 years, to the Millfield on Saturday.