Week ending 23rd March by Mason Norton

It was Non-League Day yesterday in English football, where supporters were encouraged to visit their local non-league club this weekend whilst the top two divisions were on an international break. It turned out to be a busy Saturday indeed, as all three division in the Everards Leicestershire Senior League crowned their champions. The League sends its congratulations accordingly to Allexton & New Parks, Anstey Town and to Loughborough Students Development. 


In the Everards Brewery Premier Division, Allexton & New Parks came through a tough game at Magna 73, who went in 2-1 up at half-time thanks to goals from Jake Smith and a long-range effort from Aidy Kilby. ANP though moved up a gear in the second half and turned the game around, eventually going on to win 4-2, strikes from Ryan Charles (2), Daryl Russell and Nathan Turner. ANP then had to wait for news to come through from Burbage & Huncote, who were at home to Desford & Caterpillar, the only team with a mathematical chance of catching them at the start of the day. It took a little while for the news to come through, but eventually it emerged that after a hard-fought game at Huncote, B&H came through as 3-2 winners, Carlton Beardmore (pen), Tyler McNally and Eddie Bown scoring for Burbage, with Scott Machin and Mac Parnell on the scoresheet for Desford, who needed to win to keep any hope of winning the title alive. 


The news eventually filtered through, sparking celebrations amongst the Allexton squad and supporters gathered at Countesthorpe. Ironically, it happened on March 23, exactly four years to the day of the first Covid lockdown which ultimately denied ANP the League title in 2019-20 which otherwise seemed at their mercy. ANP are therefore crowned champions with four games to go. They have applied for promotion to Step 6, and now just await confirmation that their New College ground meets the necessary ground requirements for the National League System and promotion to the United Counties League Division One. 


Meanwhile, back-to-back defeats for Desford, as well as Aylestone Park Reserves rapidly coming to the end of their season, means that the race for second has suddenly opened up. Hathern have now come into contention, winning 7-0 on Saturday at Cottesmore. Liam Walton scored twice early on for Hathern, and though Cottesmore tried to put a bit of pressure on, a break down the wing from Jack McLachlan resulted in a shot that the keeper could only parry and Walton knocked in the rebound for his hat-trick before the interval. That symbolised the end of the game as a contest, particuarly as Hathern were playing with the wind in the second period- Walton scored his fourth with a glancing header, McLachlan scored with a counter-attack, and sub Lewis Edwards scored twice in a very one-sided encounter. 


Fifth-placed Ellistown also remain in contention- Ellistown did not play on Saturday, whilst Aylestone Park Reserves, still second on goal difference ahead of third-placed Desford, finish their League season on Tuesday night at home to Burbage & Huncote. Cottesmore, for their part, became the first side in the Prem to finish their campaign- depending on how AFC North Kilworth fare in their final two games, they will finish either 9th or 10th. Despite all what was going on this weekend, the only changes to the morning table in the end were Cottesmore dropping a place with Burbage & Huncote going up a place in the opposite direction. 


At the other end of the Premier Division table, things were also sorted out on Saturday, with Barrow Town being relegated after a 5-0 defeat at home to Sileby Town in a Soar Valley Derby. Sileby took an early lead after just 45 seconds through Shaun Smith, but after that, Barrow dragged themselves into contention and actually dominated possession, but couldn't trouble the Sileby keeper often enough to break through and hit the back of the net. On 65 minutes, a heavy deflection off a Barrow defender's leg gave Sileby a 2-0 lead, and after that the hosts ran out of steam and folded, conceding a third shortly afterwards as Sileby proceeded to do a clinical demonstration of how to finish off a game in the final quarter, winning 5-0, further goals from Szymon Donnerstag (2), Lucas Geary and Chris Shaw, Barrow now without a win in their last 16 games in all competitions, ten points adrift with three games remaining. 


The only other teams with a mathematical chance of relegation at the start of the day were Friar Lane & Epworth, who did not play on Saturday, next being in action on Tuesday night at home to Allexton & New Parks, and FC Khalsa, who were virtually safe anyway, but made certain of their Prem berth next season as they won 2-0 at home to Thurnby Rangers, scorers not yet in. The only other game in the Prem was in mid-table, where Highfield Rangers won 3-1 at home to AFC North Kilworth, Seon Shippley (2) and Raijaun Morris-Laing the scorers for the hosts, Josh Wright in the second period for NK. 


There's two Premier Division games on Tuesday night as mentioned above, and then four games next Saturday in a reduced programme over the next week or so.