Midweek ending 10th February for Everards teams in the County Cups by Mason Norton

There's a focus on the Cups this midweek, all the more so after the only League game in this midweek, Aylestone Park Reserves against Magna 73, was postponed late on Tuesday after heavy rain in the day left standing water on the pitch. The weather also claimed a Senior Cup semi-final, which has now been rescheduled for next Tuesday and reversed, with Ingles travelling to Kirby Muxloe next week in an all Step 6 tie.


The two games pencilled in for Wednesday night went ahead, including the Senior Cup semi-final between AFC North Kilworth and Hathern. Hathern attacked the clubhouse end in the first half, and took an early lead with a counter-attack and a long ball down the field putting in Jake Davies who held his nerve and calmly finished from out wide in the 10th minute. North Kilworth edged possession, but couldn't cut through and were vulnerable when Hathern hit on the break, which is what happened again just after the half-hour when Josh Cross flew down the right wing, just kept the ball in, crossed into the box, the ball going over the top of the keeper, and landing on Liam Walton who had an unmarked header in the middle of the six-yard box that made it 2-0, which was the score at half-time.


That said, the score belied a Hathern who weren't quite at their sharpest, and in the second half, with North Kilworth going downhill, the visitors began to shift onto the back foot. That allowed NK to become more dangerous, and what followed turned the tie on its head. Firstly, North Kilworth got round the Hathern defence down the right, the pass into the box could only be parried by the Hathern keeper, and the ball went into the path of Taylor Sharpe who rolled the ball home. That was on 56 minutes. The restart from Hathern was atrocious, immediately gave possession back to North Kilworth, who attacked, and were about to go into the area when Joe Williams was pulled down. The referee My Heywood awarded a free-kick, which Williams lined up, swung over the wall, towards the far post where the Hathern keeper had it covered, only for the ball to land on the turf a few yards in front of him and take a bounce of the kind last seen during a Christmas TV repeat of The Dam Busters, and promptly fly over the diving keeper and into the net. 


From 2-0 to 2-2 in two minutes, the ground and the crowd transformed from a quiet rural ground on a cold February night to a hostile and loud place, with Hathern in utter disarray and NK smelling blood. They nearly took the lead within five minutes of being on level terms when a long-range shot from 25 yards out went towards the top corner, and hit the woodwork with the keeper beaten. Another similar shot forced a desperate fingertip save from the Hathern custodian, and NK really should have taken the lead midway through the half when a goalmouth scramble ensued after a corner, with the ball blocked twice in the six-yard area, and no-one quite able to turn on the heavy mud and steer the ball either in or away. 


But from the frenzy of the storm, Hathern somehow weathered it and rang the changes. North Kilworth began to drop off their own pace, and gaps began to open up, which Hathern started to exploit, with the last ten minutes finishing in similar manner to the opening 20 or 30, as the visitors put pressure on the full-backs and began to create chances again. 87 minutes were on the clock when Jack McLachlan cut down the right wing, his cross went out to Walton on the left, who passed into the box, NK failed to fully clear, Hathern skipper Jake Maden shot back into the box, and the ball found the feet of sub Lewis Edwards, who stabbed the ball home to send the Hathern bench into rapture. 


That sent up a grandstand finish, with Hathern having chances to win it as NK left gaps open at the back, McLachlan and sub Niall Henry both missing shots on an open goal, NK then having a chance late on thwarted by a last-ditch tackle on Williams by the recovering Maden, and a feisty injury time. Hathern having to hang on through seven minutes of injury time before Mr Heywood eventually blew for full-time with both sets of players out on their feet, Hathern emerging 3-2 winners to secure their first County Cup final since 2005, and becoming the first LSL side to reach the final of the Senior Cup since Ashby Ivanhoe in 2013. They will face either Kirby Muxloe or Ingles, both of Step 6, in the final at Holmes Park on 14 May.


In other County Cup news, Hinckley LRFC Reserves will face Community Football Academy in the final of the Saturday Intermediate Cup at Holmes Park on 11 April, whilst Loughborough Students Development will play in the final of the Saturday Trophy on 7 May, but still await the identity of their opponents. The other semi-final was called off because Wymeswold were under investigation for a breach of competition rules. They have been found guilty this week, and been removed from the competition, with Stoneygate FC of the County League being reinstated- Stoneygate will host Mountsorrel Amateurs Reserves in their semi-final on 24 February. 


 There was one other cup game on Wednesday night, a re-arranged game in the Chairman's Trophy caused by County Cup commitments last weekend, but it was one-way traffic in Group B, as Hinckley LRFC Reserves defeated Mountsorrel Amateurs 9-0 at Leicester Road, Micah Rowe leading the way with four goals, Chris Jones a brace, Brogan Greenwood, Stan Rossell and sub Sam Carroll with the other goals, four goals in the first half and five in the second making for a more serene cup outing for Road than in the County Cup last Saturday when they scraped past Grace Dieu. 


 Taking a quick check on the scorers competitions whilst we have time, and this season, the Everards Brewery Premier Division Golden Boot looks foregone, Aaron Preston of Aylestone Park Reserves leading the way with 33 goals, 9 clear of nearest challenger Ryan Charles of Allexton & New Parks. For Div1, Callum Key, still holds top spot with 16 whilst at Kirby Muxloe Reserves before his transfer to Barrow Town, 2 ahead of Jordan Small of Anstey Town on 14. For Div2, Jack Hickey of St Patricks leads the way with 16 goals, 1 ahead of Owen James of Loughborough Students Development with 15 goals.
The Everards' Senior league Golden Boots are awarded for goals scored on league and league cup business only.


That's it for this Midweek Special of Ramble Round- normal service resumed at the weekend. See you then.