Week ending 31st August by Mason Norton

There was a Town versus Gown derby at Nanpantan Sports Ground in Everards Brewery Division One, as Loughborough Dynamo hosted Loughborough Students Development. With the exception of Leicester Atletico and Anstey Town, whose pitches at Beaumont Park are a few metres apart, this is possibly the shortest trip of the season in the LSL- just 600 yards separate the two grounds as the crow flies. There's also some shared history, as when the University first entered the Pyramid, delays to their ground at Holywell Park meant that they spent several years ground-sharing at Dynamo before that loophole was tightened up and the university stadium was completed in 2012. It was similarly close in the first half, which finished goalless, but these days, the sorcerer and the apprentice have traded places in Loughborough football, and the Students kicked on after the break, as goals from Hussein Bacha Issa (2), Anthony Pinto and sub Luke Abdy gave the Students a 4-0 win.


The Gown have a 100% record, as do Hinckley LRFC Development, who made it five from five on Saturday, Casmir Umeh (2), Tom Bennett and Josh King scoring for Road, Tallen Burt and Boyd Wilkinson replying for visitors Holwell Sports Reserves, Road winning 4-2. Kirby Muxloe Reserves stay third but lost their unbeaten record as they lost 3-1 at home to Sileby Town Reserves, Taffy Pariva (2) and Callum Glover scoring for Sileby, Simon Humphrys for Kirby. Lutterworth Athletic Reserves kept touch with the leaders, as they came from behind at St Patricks, second half strikes from Alex Rhodes and Dylan McGuire giving the visitors a 2-1 win after Jamie Bottomley handed Pats the lead in the first half. 


At the other end of the table, Sutton Bonington stay bottom after losing 3-1 at Ingles Development, Luke Allard, Louis Clarke and sub Lucas Turrell scoring for Ingles, Alex Ford replying for SB. Barrow Town, meanwhile, finally ended their drought, and ended it with a spectacular comeback. They were 2-1 down at Mountsorrel Amateurs, Tommy Hill and Liam Turner scoring for Mountsorrel, but smashed five without reply after the turnround to record their first win since early November, winning 6-2. The appropriately-named Michael Joy scored a brace, and Logan Clarke, Max Geary, Dean Hopewell and Mohamed Sesay scored the others. 


That win lifts Barrow out of the drop zone, with Birstall United Reserves taking their place, as they lost 4-2 at Heather St Johns Reserves in a game that was all over before the oranges were peeled, Freddie Brooks, Jimmy Chandler, Sam Hankin and Alfie Donnelly all scoring before half-time for Heather, Niall Stafford scoring a brace for Birstall which was scant consolation, Birstall also searching their maiden win of the campaign. Alfie Jameson and Harry Wells scored to give Saffron Dynamo Development a 2-1 win at Dunton & Broughton United, Charlie Galley scoring for DBU.


To Everards Brewery Division Two, and Brookside Athletic and Community Football Academy both have 100% records at the end of August. Doubles for Leo Lightbown and Jonathan Powell-Hayles gave Brookside a 4-2 win at home to Glen Villa, Ira Castor and Cameron Greiff replying for Glen, whilst Community won 5-3 at Magna 73 Reserves, Jaseem Khamkar (2) and Zak Yusuf (2) leading the way, Adam Modan also scoring, with Jamie Simons (2) and Mason Brown replying for Magna. Hinckley Borough lost a bit of ground as they threw away a two-goal lead at home to Friar Lane & Epworth Reserves, final score 4-4, which was the only draw of the weekend in the LSL across the three divisions. Acer Szilak (2), Cameron Faxon and Louie Johnson scored for Borough, Blaine Keeber scored a hat-trick for Lane, Coby Keeling also scoring. Whetstone Athletic moved into third after a 5-3 win at Barrow Town Reserves, Harvey Coulson (2), Lewis Johnson, Jacob Makepeace and an OG for Whetstone, Adam Ward (2) and Saul Chaplin for Barrow.


Down at the bottom, and there was further punishment for Leicester United. This weekend was their worst ordeal yet, as they welcomed Rothley Imperial to South Wigston and found themselves 7-0 down at half-time. Rothley eased off the gas in the second half, but still ran out 10-0 winners, Shane Underwood scoring a hat-trick, brace of braces for Leighton Barley and sub Mitchell Harris, Stephen Allen, Luke Denham and Harry Toon also scoring. The home side remain without either a win or a point. Loughborough FC are one place ahead of them, but do have at least a win to their name. They narrowly missed out on points on Saturday, losing 1-0 at Leicester Nirvana Reserves, Charvin Ambhire scoring in the second half. 


That's it for Ramble Round this week. A spot of housekeeping- please check kick-off times carefully on Saturday, as some teams may be moving kick-off forward due to the England game in Dublin kicking off at 5pm. Clubs are advised that any change to kick-off that they wish to make should be agreed by both teams and the match referee, and for the League to be notified accordingly in advance. Unless advertised differently on Full-Time and the League Facebook page, then all games will kick off at 3pm on Saturday as normal. 


Ramble Round is back next week. See you then.