Week ending 17th February by Mason Norton

It was the quarter-finals of the City Goldsmiths President's Trophy on Saturday, and there was a shock in store as Div2 outfit Melton Town Academy defeated Div1 side Birstall United Reserves in a game at Meadow Lane. The two sides traded goals in the first half, Tye Robinson scoring for Birstall, Ajay Aplin for Melton. That took the tie to penalties, Melton winning 4-2 on spot-kicks. 


The form book was, however, a more reliable indicator for the other ties. The all-Div1 tie between Hinckley LR Reserves, the highest-ranked team in the competition, and Kirby Muxloe Reserves saw Road roll into the semis with an 8-0 win at Kirby, Stan Rossell and Harry Smith both bagging a brace apiece, with Sam Carroll, Brogan Greenwood, Harry Warner and sub Patrick Dugbo scoring the other goals, the scores 5-0 at half-time in a game that was all over bar the shouting, quite literally, by the oranges. Meanwhile, Loughborough Students Development kept their quadruple hopes alive with a 4-1 win at Holwell Sports Reserves, that stayed tight to begin with, scores goalless at the break, before the Students kicked away after the turnaround through goals from Sam Williams (2), Owain Edwards and Callum Hamilton, with sub A-J Faulkner scoring a late consolation for Holwell. Melton, Leicester Road, and Loughborough Students join Ingles Development in the hat for the semi-finals. 


The Chairman's Trophy saw the only postponement of the weekend, with Sileby Town Reserves at home to Barrow Town Reserves being called off on Saturday morning due to an unfit pitch in Group D. The game of death in the group of death lived up to its billing, as St Patricks welcomed Anstey Town to the Emerald Centre. The two sides played out a thrilling 4-4 draw, Patricks going in 3-2 up at the break, with scorers being Brady Doherty scoring a hat-trick and Jamie Bottomley for Pats, whilst Casey Richardson (2), James Merriman and Dan Page scoring for Town. The two sides finish level on points in Group A with that result, and its Patricks who go through to the quarter-finals by virtue of the better goal difference, with the Div1 leaders exiting the Chairman's Trophy in the group stages. 


In Group B, two goals in the second half gave Leicester Atletico a 2-0 win at home to Mountsorrel Amateurs, Kadir Fahie and Jowa Mbome both coming off the bench to score for the hosts, and finally in Group C, Ingles Development won 3-1 at home to Sutton Bonington, Jake Turner with a hat-trick for Ingles, Jack Crosland for Sutton, with Sutton's hopes of progressing out the group now over, leaving them to concentrate on the League after next weekend's game at Desford & Caterpillar Reserves. Both Desford Reserves and Ingles Development can book quarter-final spots with wins in their final group games next Saturday, but if Desford drop points, then both Ingles and Rothley Imperial will progress.


Next weekend sees the quarter-finals of the Everards Tiger League Cup, plus games in Groups C & D of the Chairman's Trophy. Ramble Round the Cups will be back to cover the action. See you then.