Week ending 9th September by Mason Norton

In the Everards Brewery Premier Division, Desford & Caterpillar stay top and made it six wins out of six after a 2-1 victory at home to Highfield Rangers thanks to first-half goals from Connor McGahan and Jared Rydquist, with Seon Shippley scoring for Highfield. Hot on their heels on the warmest day of 2023 are Allexton & New Parks and Ellistown. Allexton won 3-0 away to bottom side Ashby Ivanhoe Knights, with goals from Zak Adams, Lewis Hurst and sub Elhakim Opoku, whilst Ellistown won by the same scoreline at home to Aylestone Park Reserves thanks to a Hashim Bakar hat-trick. 


Those three teams increased their lead over the chasing pack after fourth-placed AFC North Kilworth dropped points away to Cottesmore. Mark Tinsley gave Cottesmore an early lead, but North Kilworth equalised from the penalty spot, and then took the lead with a well-worked move to send them in 2-1 up at half-time. The lead however evaporated early in the half after a defensive mix-up resulted in an own goal, before the second penalty of the afternoon, this time for Cottesmore, which Jake Culverwell converted to put Cottesmore in the lead. The Rutland side looked like they were going to win, but deep into injury time, NK grabbed an equaliser, final score 3-3, North Kilworth's scorers being Ellis Haines, Reece Hookway and Ellis Weston.


At the bottom of the table, Knights remain at the foot of the table, the only side without a point, whilst Barrow stay in the drop zone after losing the six-pointer at home to FC Khalsa, with first-half goals from Tamar Clayton and Kenan Muganda giving the visitors a 2-0 win. The mercurial Thurnby Rangers kicked away from the dogfight with a 3-0 win at home to Burbage & Huncote, with Colby White giving Thurnby an early lead, and Caleb Okoro doubling the advantage on the edge of half-time. Thurnby then absorbed the Burbage pressure in the second half, with Burbage unable to break through, and the hosts added a third in injury time thanks to sub Joshua Gwekwewere. Friar Lane & Epworth hover above the drop zone on goal difference alone after losing 2-1 at home to Hathern. Gary Warren scored for FLAE in the first half, as did Liam Walton for Hathern. Both sides had chances in the second period, before Jake Maden settled it for Hathern. 


The other game was a high-scoring affair at Southfield Avenue, where Sileby Town hosted Magna 73, and sounds like it could have been worth an edition of Ramble Round just on its own, with the lead changing hands several times, before Sileby eventually came up on top 5-4. For Sileby, Szymon Donnerstag provided the thunder with a hat-trick, with Stan Logan and Conner Packwood also scoring for Sileby, whilst Arjuna Govia scored a hat-trick for Magna, Jamie Hoyland scoring the other goal, Magna trying as hard as possible to get another equaliser in the final stages but coming up short, with both sides saying afterwards that it was a good game for the neutral.