Week ending 30th September by Mason Norton

We start the Ramble this week with a midweek game, which gave Ellistown the chance to extend their lead at the top of the Everards Brewery Premier Division at home to Sileby Town. They looked well set, leading 2-0 thanks to a brace from Luke Higgins, when a freak accident in the 57th minute saw Sileby's Matt Baker suffer a serious arm injury. Medical assessment determined that hospital treatment was required, leaving referee Mr Carr with no option but to abandon the game- which will be replayed in its entirety on November 1. The League and everyone else at Ramble Round wish Matt a speedy recovery, and perhaps also a change of luck for Sileby, who have now had five games halted because of injury in the last 18 months alone.

Saturday saw a top-of-the-table clash, as the last two unbeaten records went on the line, with leaders Ellistown welcoming second-placed Allexton & New Parks. Reporting for Ramble Round, it's Andy Grout:

"An Ellistown team forced into making key changes to the starting eleven took on the machine that is Allexton & New Parks and it was the machine who run out 3-1 winners with a professional streetwise performance that got the better of the young chargers. This match also proved why these teams are at the right end of the table as they went toe to toe for 90 minutes in a quality match. The start was even as both teams shadow-boxed, but on 13 minutes it was Allexton who landed the first blow as Kieran Gethins opened the scoring with a scruffy goal.

The goal knocked the stuffing out of Town but they kept at it and nearly equalised when with the keeper in no man's land, ANP's defence had to clear a looping header off the line. With Allexton's line led by the highly charged Zak Adams who has started the season on fire, it was key the hosts kept it tight at the back but you can't defend great play and on 30 minutes, a swift counter attack down our left resulted in a smart cross that gifted Adams with the simple task of tapping the ball into the net. Allexton sensed blood, and the hosts were hanging on the ropes, but two minutes from the break, a mistake from the ANP keeper saw Rhys Scargill pull one back for Ellistown.

The second half started with Ellistown on the front foot and only a tight offside call stopped Shea Bates equalising. At this point, Allexton's experience shone through and like all good teams do they stopped Town playing and cut off the space for the midfielders to play.

We continued to battle away but were out done by another piece of clinical play on 67 minutes that resulted in Zak Adams running through on goal and like all class strikers, he coolly finished to put the game to bed, with the rest of the game dawdling to a conclusion as both sides' substitutions cancelled each other out."

Allexton however were denied top spot, as Desford & Caterpillar took on a suspension-afflicted Thurnby Rangers and held on for a 3-2 win. Connor McGahan (2) and Mac Parnell put Desford in the box seat, before goals from Austin Enekwe and Farran Pope gave Thurnby a sniff of the points, Desford grinding out the win. Desford are two points clear of both ANP and Ellistown, but ANP have a game in hand on both. The top four is rounded off by Aylestone Park Reserves, four points behind Ellistown, albeit having had a fright after nearly seeing their lead at Friar Lane & Epworth slip away, having been 3-1 up at the break, it eventually finished 4-3 to Park, Marley Spencer (2), Aaron Preston and sub Lewis Turland scoring for the visitors, Ryan Rowley, Christian Smith and Gary Warren for FLAE.

At the bottom, Ashby Ivanhoe Knights remain propping up the division, but a dominant second half display at home to Highfield Rangers saw them win for the first time this campaign, recording a 4-1 victory, with Kieran Alleyne scoring a hat-trick along with Chris Nettel. Barrow stay in the drop zone- they did not play on Saturday, Friar Lane sit one point above of them after their defeat against Aylestone Park, but FC Khalsa moved up a place after getting a 1-1 draw away to AFC North Kilworth, Taylor Sharpe the NK scorer, Fin Topliss for Khalsa, with both goals coming in the second half. Khalsa are now two points clear of the bottom two, along with Highfield, who have been sucked backwards after four straight defeats.

The other two Premier games saw four teams in mid-table between 6th and 9th all stay in their morning positions after score draws. Sileby Town and Burbage & Huncote shared a 2-2 draw at Sileby, Isaac Hetterley and Shaun Smith scoring for the hosts, Cameron Atkinson and Ashley Mason for the visitors. Meanwhile, Magna 73 and Hathern played out a see-saw 3-3 draw at the Meadows in Countesthorpe. Henry Beeby gave the home team the lead with a screamer, but Hathern punched back, with Chris Davis (2) and Jamie Richardson putting Hathern in control, 3-1 up with half an hour to go. Hathern's midweek cup exploits caught up with them though, and fresh legs made the difference for Magna, Nic Smith coming on as a sub and scoring twice to make it 3-3 with ten minutes to go. Neither side though could find the knockout blow, so the spoils were shared.