Week ending 30th November by Mason Norton

With four cup competitions making demands of LSL teams this weekend, it was another reduced programme across all three divisions.

Starting with Everards Brewery Premier Division, and Desford stay top after grinding out a 1-0 win at home to bottom side Friar Lane & Epworth, Tom Vyce scoring the only goal of the game after 10 minutes. Second-placed Anstey Town were on cup duty, so actually ended up slipping down to fifth on Saturday as everyone around them won.

AFC North Kilworth won 3-1 at home to Highfield Rangers, with Taylor Sharpe, Reece Hookway and sub Jake Smith scoring, Yankuba Camara for Highfield Rangers. Magna 73 won 4-2 at home to Cottesmore, Carlton Beardmore with a hat-trick and Luis Corcoran also scoring after Cottesmore had taken the lead twice in the first period through James Lewis and Ewan Simmons. Aylestone Park Reserves walloped FC Khalsa 6-1, Evan Kane scoring a hat-trick, Bayem Onelum, Stan Rossell and Charlie Woollard also scoring, Clayton Nhau with a consolation from Khalsa in the second half. However, Anstey do have a number of games in hand on all of the above winners, so their position is perhaps a false one at the end of the weekend.

At the bottom of the table, Burbage & Huncote grabbed a vital three points as they came back from the dead to win 3-2 at home to Thurnby Rangers. Alfie Mansell's brace put Thurnby 2-0 up with half hour remaining, but B&H kept on, Connor O'Grady fired home to put them on the scoreboard, a Mitch Fairhurst header put them back on level terms, and on 87 minutes, Cameron Atkinson beat the Thurnby keeper to the ball and lobbed him to score the winner. That takes Burbage up another place to 13th, four points clear of bottom-placed Friar Lane, with the next team to Lane being Ellistown, who did not play on Saturday, two points in front of FLAE.

In Everards Brewery Division One, Max Fisher's 33rd minute goal was enough to give Holwell Sports Reserves a 1-0 win at Birstall United Reserves in the Div1 relegation six-pointer. Birstall stay bottom, two points adrift of safety, Holwell now five points clear of the drop zone. Heather St John Reserves moved into the top half of the table with a 5-0 win at home to Saffron Dynamo Development, Kye Wooldridge, Jack Coles, Freddie Beniston, sub Jack Cowley and David Roberts all scored. The only score draw besides Mountsorrel Amateurs and St Patricks in the cup came at Riverside Park, as Barrow Town and Ingles Development played out a 3-3 draw, Joshua Allen (2) and Max Geary for Barrow, Louis Clarke, Micah Onyekwelu-Udoka and Henry Westmacott for Ingles.

Everards Brewery Division Two, where the coupon was already-reduced due to the County Cup, was reduced further still as three fixtures became one. Leicester United at home to Leicester Nirvana Reserves was postponed because of the pitch, and Whetstone Athletic, who could have gone top of the in-running table in Div2 with a win, were frustrated as their game at home to Friar Lane & Epworth Reserves was postponed when the latter were unable to raise a side, with the League's Management Committee to consider the outcome in due course. Consequently, the only Div2 game played saw Highfield Rangers Reserves win 2-1 at home to Barrow Town Reserves, Raisharnie Morris-Laing and Brogan Woodham for Rangers, Nicholas Dale for Barrow, all the goals coming in the second half. There were no changes to the morning table in Div2, Highfield and Barrow 11th and 12th respectively.

Normal service is resumed next weekend, with no Cup games scheduled at present, so we'll have a Ramble Round the Premier as well as Ramble Round the Divisions. Standout game is at the top of the Premier, where Desford host AFC North Kilworth, a must-win game for NK to keep their outside hopes of the title alive. We'll be back next week. See you then.