Week ending 19th October by Mason Norton

The first round of the Everards Tiger League Cup concluded this weekend with a big surprise in the all-Div2 tie, as Glen Villa thrashed previously unbeaten Div2 team Brookside Athletic 8-2. Seven different players scored for Glen; James Bonser, Ira Castor, Cameron Greiff, George Parker, James Parker, George Rawlings (2) and Sam Swift. Theo Baker and sub Jonathan Powell-Hayles scored for Brookside in the second half, after the game was already over with Glen Villa 5-0 up at half-time.

In Everards Brewery Division One, it's now 3 points covering the top 3, after Lutterworth's win over the Students in midweek, and Hinckley LRFC Development thrashing Sutton Bonington 6-0 at the weekend on their trip to Nottinghamshire. Dagnago Hismail (2), Rida Koultouma (2), Oliver Borland and Callum Sumner the scorers. Those three are now clear of everyone else, after Ingles Development dropped points in a 2-2 draw at Heather St John Development, Will Fox and Rory Hathaway for Heather, Vinni Bexon and an OG for Ingles, all the goals coming in the first half, and both teams finishing with 10 men in a fiery encounter.

Towards the bottom, Holwell Sports Reserves continue to prop up the table after losing 3-2 at Mountsorrel Amateurs, Tom Carlin, Austin Meynell and Oliver Rowley for Mountsorrel, Max Fisher (2) for Holwell, who are a point behind SB, both sides remaining in the drop zone. On the fringes of the drop zone, Birstall United Reserves got a vital 2-1 win in a six-pointer at Dunton & Broughton United, Ashley Jordan and Jackson Parkin for Birstall, Rohan Bamber for Dunton, who remain two points ahead of the trap door. Saffron Dynamo Development are also close by to the relegation battle, they were leading 1-0 at home to Sileby Town Reserves at half-time, but ended up slipping to a 3-2 defeat, Callum Glover, Isaac Hetterley and Leon Watson for Sileby, Viktor Antonov and Callum Briers for Saffron.

In the mid-table places, St Patricks beat Kirby Muxloe Reserves 6-2, Nikesh Godhania scoring four, with Jamie Bottomley and Rossa O'Donovan also scoring for Pats, Finlay Piper and Jack Shepherd for Kirby, whilst Loughborough Dynamo won 2-1 at Barrow Town, Roman Strong and Caylem Hart for Dynamo in the first half, sub Kieran Alleyne for Barrow in the second, but Dynamo held on for the points.

It was a reduced fixture list in Everards Brewery Division Two owing to cup action, and also Leicester Nirvana Reserves' game at home to Hinckley Borough being postponed due to a waterlogged pitch. Just four League games were played therefore in Div2. Community Football Academy drew level on points and games with leaders Brookside, after a 3-1 win at home to Rothley Imperial. Jaseem Khamkar (2) and Liam Taylor scored for Community, Bradley French for Rothley, but Brookside stay top by virtue of superior goal difference. Whetstone Athletic moved into third after a 6-1 win at Friar Lane & Epworth Reserves, Taylor Blatchford, Tom Bonser, Harvey Coulson, Lewis Halford, Jacob Makepeace and sub Ryan Richmond for Whetstone, Blake Bilby bagging one from the bench for Friar Lane.

Leicester United remain bottom and pointless, this week losing 5-2 at home to Loughborough FC. Nathan Smith scored a hat-trick for the Luffs, with Omari Simmons in the first half and replacement Lewis Wall rounding off the scoring, Jordan Brown and Corie-Andrew Moore for the home side. The Luffs have been the LSL whipping boys for a while, but this campaign, they sit in mid-table in Div2, and according to their Twitter account, Saturday was their first away win for 2,003 days, when they beat Anstey Nomads Reserves 4-1 on 27 April 2019 in Div1- though that figure discounts a walkover win a week after that at Holwell Reserves when the other side were unable to field a team. Finally for this week, Magna 73 Reserves won 5-2 at home to Barrow Town Reserves, Mason Brown (2), Jordan Creed (2) and Jack Horne for Magna, Kane Clarke and Michael Ohazurike from the bench for Barrow.

A couple of County Cup ties have been pencilled in for the next seven days, so next weekend will see a triple bill of Ramble Round the Premier, Ramble Round the Divisions, which sees another top-of-the-table clash, this time in Div1 where Lutterworth Athletic Reserves welcome Hinckley LRFC Development, and Ramble Round the County Cups. See you then.