Week ending Dec21st by Mason Norton

Having looked at the bottom of the Prem, we now turn our attention to the top. Desford are the leaders at Christmas, five points clear in running. They had a tricky trip to Sileby on Saturday, Southfield Avenue being neither the easiest nor the warmest place to go on the day of the Winter Solstice, but that tricky fence was vaulted like a doll's house by the visitors, as the game was all over bar the shouting within 25 minutes of kick-off after the spectators were treated to the Tom Vyce show, Vyce scoring four goals, a hat-trick within the first 15 minutes, and enough to give Desford a 4-0 win.

Magna 73 started the morning in second, but they dropped points at home to Thurnby as we saw in Part 1, so they were leap-frogged by North Kilworth, who made short work of Cottesmore in their 4-0 win. North Kilworth are second at Christmas, five points behind Desford on the same number of games, Magna third, a point behind having played a game more, and now very much the outsiders in the title race. Anstey Town sit fourth, eight points behind leaders Desford after their 8-0 thrashing of Khalsa, but with three games in hand on both Desford and AFC North Kilworth, and very much in title contention if they put those games to their advantage. Aylestone Park Reserves sit fifth- they did not play on Saturday, but are 13 points behind Desford.

The only other changes to the morning table came from the mid-table game, where goals in the first half gave Highfield Rangers a 3-1 win at home to Leicester Atletico, Tariq Mahmood, Raijaun Morris-Laing and Ashley Varnham for Rangers, Kosi Ezeja with a late consolation for Atletico, Rangers returning to the top half of the table and climbing two places to seventh, Atletico and Sileby each dropping a place.

Unusually, there's a full programme in the Prem next weekend, the final Saturday of 2024. "Betwixmas" might consist of cold cuts and cheesy straws at home, but our programme looks hot and spicy. At the top of the table, the two chasers take each other on, as AFC North Kilworth welcome Anstey Town. Desford will finish 2024 as leaders, but they finish with a tricky trip to Aylestone Park Reserves next Saturday. At the bottom of the table, the tension is prolonged at Terrace Road, as Ellistown have another relegation six-pointer at home, this time hosting Friar Lane & Epworth. Meanwhile, Burbage & Huncote have another six-pointer on the road- a win for them on Saturday could suck hosts Thurnby Rangers back towards the dogfight. Of the other relegation battlers, Khalsa host a Magna 73 side who will be looking to return to winning ways, and Cottesmore welcome Highfield Rangers to Rutland, whilst in mid-table, Sileby Town and Leicester Atletico will be trying to see who finishes 2024 in the top half of the table.