Week ending 9th November by Mason Norton

We start this week with a top of the table clash at Peckleton Lane, where Desford welcomed Anstey Town. A keenly-contested game in the first half saw the teams level at the interval, but the visitors kicked away afterwards, and Anstey won 3-1, goals from Casey Richardson (2) and Josh Burniston, Tom Vyce scoring for Desford. Desford remain top, but now lead Anstey Town by just three points, with Anstey having two games in hand, though Desford have the better goal difference. The form book looks to be with Anstey, who have now won eight League games on the trot.

AFC North Kilworth moved into third spot after grinding out a 1-0 win at Sileby Town, Jack Toon scoring the only goal of the game midway through the second half. Magna 73 round off the top four, but were given a scare by visitors Friar Lane & Epworth, Magna winning 2-1 thanks to Carlton Beardmore's first half brace, Gary Warren scoring for Lane.

If there was a big game at the top of the table, there was just as big as one at the bottom, as Burbage & Huncote welcomed Cottesmore AFC for a six-pointer. The first half saw the hosts come out with a point to prove, and goals from Cameron Atkinson and Harry Wileman put them 2-0 up at half-time, with Cottesmore having their keeper to thank for not being totally out of the contest. Cottesmore came out determined to make a fist of it, and James Lewis pulled one back, only for B&H to hit back soon afterwards with Atkinson scoring his second after he picked up out wide, cut in and smashed home. With 15 minutes to go and a long drive back to Rutland awaiting, a Cottesmore fan might have been forgiven for climbing into the car and wanting to get home.

Instead, Cottesmore staged the comeback of the day. Leon Kavanagh pounced on the home keeper's parry to make it 3-2, before Cottesmore equalised two minutes later when Brima Daramy scored the equaliser. That set up a tough and tense finale, with tackles going in. The game looked set for a draw, until in injury time, Robbie Dance was slipped in by a pass in the box that somehow found his feet, and Dance buried the ball in the back of the net to give Cottesmore a 4-3 win. Burbage remain bottom, two points behind Friar Lane, Cottesmore move up a place in the table to 11th and are nine points clear of the drop to ease their relegation concerns.

The relegation battle now seems to be between three teams- Burbage & Huncote, Friar Lane & Epworth, and Ellistown, who are a point ahead of Lane. Ellistown had a game to forget on Saturday, Kareem Abouraia giving visitors FC Khalsa the lead, before Devonte Khan's double, which included a penalty, finished the game as a contest, and Raj Palit scored early in the second half, as the game threatened to turn into a rout. The game instead petered out, and Ellistown stemmed things, and got on the scoreboard with a Jack Bonell penalty 10 minutes from time, though that was scant consolation, Khalsa winning 4-1 to ease their own relegation worries, as they too move up a place to 10th. Five points above of Ellistown in 12th are Thurnby Rangers, who went down to a 4-0 defeat at home to Highfield Rangers, Tyrell Brady, Raijaun Morris-Laing, Ashley Varnham and an OG the scorers as Highfield cruised to victory.

The other game saw Aylestone Park Reserves take advantage of Leicester Atletico's cup hangover, racing into a 3-0 lead at the break thanks to Billy Loomes, Bayem Onelum and Gerard Pami, and that was also the final score at Beaumont Park.