Week ending 2nd March by Mason Norton

The outstanding quarter-final of the Everards Tiger Bitter League Cup was played on Saturday, as the last Div2 side left in the competition, St Patricks, welcomed Premier Division leaders Allexton & New Parks to the Emerald Centre. There was to be no cup upset this weekend though, as ANP thumped Pats 6-1, Nathan Turner scoring a brace, with Liam Bloxham, Ayrton Carter-Fell, Ryan Charles and Lewis Hurst scoring as well. Niall McMahon scored a consolation for St Patricks in the second half. The semi-final draw took place after the game, and see ANP welcome Div1 team Leicester Atletico to New College on Wednesday April 3, whilst Aylestone Park Reserves will host Div1 leaders Anstey Town at the Linwood on Tuesday April 9.

The group stages of the Chairman's Trophy are now largely done. In Group B, Hinckley LR Reserves wrapped up a home quarter-final against St Patricks with a 4-0 win at Leicester Atletico, who seemed to be nursing a cup hangover from their win over Khalsa last weekend. Michah Rowe (2), Harry Warner and Brogan Greenwood all scored before half-time in a four-star performance at Beaumont Park. The other game in Group B was postponed, a waterlogged pitch at Mountsorrel Amateurs accounting for their game against Kirby Muxloe Reserves. That game has now been rescheduled for Tuesday night and reversed to the 3G surface at Kirby. The second-place spot in Group B is still up for grabs. Atletico are now in second, but will have to wait the outcomes of Mountsorrel's games at Kirby on Tuesday night and Birstall United Reserves on Saturday to learn if they have hung on- all of the last three sides can still qualify, but all three would need some impressive swings in goal difference to catch Atletico.

Group C saw Ingles Development miss out on winning the group after going down to a 3-0 defeat at already-eliminated Melton Town Academy, Oliver Borland, Kairo Edwards-John and Milton Tavares scoring- heaven might have been missing an angel, but Tavares wasn't missing the target this week, as Ingles finish second in the group, behind Rothley Imperial on goal difference.

Group D saw Sporting Markfield unable to raise a side at home to Holwell Sports Reserves, and so the Management Committee awarded Holwell a 2-0 victory by default. That secures a last-eight spot for Holwell, and they will be at home to Ingles Development in the quarters if they avoid defeat at home to Barrow Town Reserves next weekend. Sileby Town Reserves booked their spot in the last eight with a 6-0 win at home to Barrow Town Reserves, Isaac Hetterley scoring the only hat-trick this weekend in the LSL, with Callum Glover, Charlie Patel and Tom Carlin scoring the other goals, Sileby travelling to Rothley Imperial if Holwell don't slip up next Saturday. Markfield finish third in the group, with their resignation not affecting their Group D record.

Next week sees the last games to be resolved in the group stages of the Chairman's Trophy, as well as the semi-finals of the City Goldsmiths President's Trophy, with Hinckley LR Reserves hosting Ingles Development and Loughborough Students Development welcoming Melton Town Academy. The midweek Chairman's Trophy game at Kirby will have the result announced on the League's Facebook page, as Full-Time is going offline for three days next week for essential maintenance- if any club secretaries have outstanding referee marks and team sheets from this weekend, please upload these by Monday night.

Hopefully it will be back up and running next weekend, otherwise Ramble Round might have to take shelter on FB. Ramble Round the Premier and Ramble Round the Cups will be back next weekend. See you then.