Week ending 17th August by Mason Norton

Thriller of the day this weekend in the Everards Brewery Premier Division came in Rutland, where Cottesmore AFC took on Magna 73. Report taken from the Cottesmore Facebook page:


"In a fantastic game for the neutrals, Cotts were left to rue missed chances and poor individual errors that cost them dear in this high-scoring affair at Westray Park.


Cotts changed their side around and looked much the more threatening side in the first 25 minutes and they took the lead when Josh Clarke hit a post and the ball was played back into the box and eventually Jordan Smith headed Cotts into the lead. Then on 35 minutes Magna were level when the ball ended up in the net from a corner and somehow Cotts then found themselves behind just before the half when they lost the ball in midfield and Magna broke to score with a well-placed effort.


The second half was only five minutes old when Magna extended their lead with a quick counter attack and a near post finish and when Magna hit a fourth from a free kick that wasn’t dealt with it looked like game over. Cotts then went down to 10 men as a player was sin binned for his protests over the free kick but during this time Harry Stannard reduced the arrears with a well placed finish into the far corner. A hint of a comeback was made into a serious possibility when Charlie Richards was brought down for a penalty and Kadeem Price duly dispatched but Cotts then shot themselves in the foot when a speculative ball dropped in behind the defence and the Magna forward got on the end of it to roll the ball past the keeper. Robbie Dance scored with five minutes left on the clock but two further sin bins for Cotts and a late goal mouth scramble that was not converted lead to them leaving with nothing." Magna won 5-4, their scorers being Fin Thomas (2), Archie Allen, Dean Copson and Reegan Lawrence.


Desford made it three wins from three, the last side left in the Prem with a 100% record, as they won 2-0 at Friar Lane & Epworth, Tom Vyce opening the scoring for Desford, Louis Rood coming off the bench and scoring in the second period. Tanatswa Maffion gave FC Khalsa a 1-0 win at home to Aylestone Park Reserves in the day's surprise result, whilst Tremain Batanwi and Taylor Sharpe gave AFC North Kilworth a 2-1 win at Highfield Rangers, Tyrell Brady scoring for Highfield.


Meanwhile, Leicester Atletico recorded their maiden win in the Premier Division, as goals from Hamdi Barreh, Kosisochukwu Ezeja and Malcolm Onochie saw them cruise to a 3-0 win at home to Thurnby Rangers. At Pasture Lane, Dolton Taylor's early penalty and Jake Davies' second half strike were enough to give Hathern a 2-0 win at home to Burbage & Huncote without too many alarms in the end, whilst the Premier's only draw came at Sileby Town, where Tom Pope gave the hosts the lead in the first half, only for Bradley Cockerill-Mollett to equalise in the second half for visitors Anstey Town, 1-1 the final score as the two sides shared the points.