Week ending 16th December by Mason Norton

Game of the day this week in the Everards Leicestershire Senior League comes from Terrace Road, where Ellistown welcomed FC Khalsa, with the title race and the relegation race both being turned upside down on their heads- as well as much else besides. For Ramble Round, Andy Grout reports:


"This was an unbelievable crazy game of football that had the stats team running for cover. The game had 12 goals of which 2 players scored 11 of them, 4 penalties but it was not a dirty game and Ellistown leading 3 times and FC Khalsa scoring 3 goals while down to 10 men. Credit must go to Ellistown's Tom Vyce who scored 4 goals and FC Khalsa's Shaun Ruzvidzo who dropped down from Shepshed Dynamo to score all of Khalsa goals. Yes, all seven. After 14 mins when by then Ellistown had raced into 2-0 lead through goals from Gio Stylianou (3 mins) and Tom Vyce and with Khalsa down to 10 means through a sin bin, you thought town were on target to score the 12 goals. What happened in the next 10 minutes was crazy as Ellistown collapsed against the 10 men or rather Shaun Ruzvidzo who scored 3 times that included 2 penalties. If you were keeping up with the score after 30 minutes it was Ellistown 2 Shaun Ruzvidzo 3.  With the stunned Ellistown faithful looking on in disbelief, Tom Vyce scored his 2nd with a superb 25 yard curling shot, and it was 3-3 at half-time.


In the second half, Ellistown took the lead again after 51 minutes, with Vyce getting his hat-trick. However, on 62 minutes, Ruzvidzo waltzed through the defence to make it 4-4. On 70 minutes, Vyce scored his fourth, and Ellistown's fifth, with a superb free-kick. Ellistown led until 5 minutes from time, when their legs gave way, allowing Rudvidzo to score three more times in the space of four minutes, his sixth goal being a goal reminiscent of George Best against Benfica, resulting in a final score of 7-5 to FC Khalsa."


Meanwhile at Peckleton Lane, fellow title-chaser Desford & Caterpillar also slipped up, losing 3-2 at home to Hathern. Lewis Edwards gave the visitors an early lead, but pressure from the hosts eventually saw them equalise, as Scott Machin scored a screamer. Desford could, and maybe should, have been comfortably in the lead by the break, but were wasteful in front of goal. They were made to pay in the second half, as Edwards scored his second shortly after the restart, which restored Hathern's lead. Jamie York then equalised for Desford on the hour mark, which set up an intriguing final third, but into injury time, with virtually the last kick of the game, Jack McLachlan popped up for Hathern to turn in the winner. 


All of that allowed leaders Allexton & New Parks to further consolidate their advantage at the top of the table. Goals from Ryan Charles, Ash Jones and Jake Wain gave ANP a 3-0 win away to Sileby Town, another team in the top 6 who lost on Saturday. Aylestone Park Reserves remain second, two points behind ANP, but having played four games more. It was tight between them and AFC North Kilworth on Saturday, but a second-half riot on the pitch turned a 1-1 HT score into 7-2 at the final whistle, Aaron Preston (4), Cory Pinchbeck, Marley Spencer and Lewis Turland for Park, Tyler Garrard and Harry Wells for North Kilworth.


At the bottom, things got more desperate for the teams in the relegation zone. Barrow Town lost 4-2 at home to Magna 73. Ben White gave the visitors an early lead, and further goals from Jack Bonell, Reegan Lawrence and Matt Richmond rounded off the scoring, Dean Hopewell and Callum Key scoring for Barrow, as Magna pull further away from the drop zone. Bottom side Ashby Ivanhoe Knights were thumped 5-0 at Highfield Rangers, Yankuba Camara's hat-trick, Elie Oliver and Shawn Richards doing the damage. After wins for Khalsa and Magna, Knights are now eight point adrift of safety, and Barrow five points adrift. Thurnby Rangers also picked up a point on Saturday as they drew 1-1 at home to Cottesmore, Caleb Okoro scoring for the hosts in the first half as the ball squirmed under the Cottesmore keeper, but sub Charlie Baker scored an equaliser for the Rutland side in the second period, Cottesmore arresting their bad run, Thurnby picking up a point that nudges them further towards safety. 


The day's other fixture saw Burbage & Huncote win 3-0 at home to Friar Lane & Epworth, with Cam Atkinson running through the defence, Harry Wileman scoring with a cheeky 25-ayrd lob, and a fluke own goal from a Friar Lane defender the goals in the second period, after FLAE were reduced to 10 men early in the second half.