Week ending 2nd December by Mason Norton

In the Everards Brewery Premier Division, Allexton & New Parks continue at the top of the table after a 3-1 win away to Highfield Rangers, Ryan Charles, Daryl Russell and sub Josh Gough the scorers for ANP, Seon Shippley for Rangers, all the goals coming in the second half. Aylestone Park Reserves remain third after Aaron Preston and Marley Spencer gave them a 2-1 win away to Magna 73, Jack Bonell scoring for Magna, whilst Sileby Town moved into the top four of the in-running table after a comfortable 4-0 win at home to Thurnby Rangers, Isaac Hetterley, Conner Packwood, Leon Watson and Mitch Woodbine the scorers. That came at the expense of Ellistown, whose trip to Cottesmore was called off because of a frozen pitch.

Things remain unchanged at the bottom of the Premier. Ashby Ivanhoe Knights thought that they were in with a chance of a win after Will Groocock gave them the lead at Friar Lane & Epworth, but a second-half fightback saw FLAE triumph 5-2, Eduardo de Oliveira coming off the bench to score a hat-trick and Christian Smith and Curtis Wheat also scoring. Barrow Town nursed hopes of climbing out of the relegation zone at home to Burbage & Huncote, and had kept the deficit down to one goal going into the last 20 minutes, but ran out of steam and ended up losing 4-0, Liam Pescott, Scott Stevenson plus subs Cam Atkinson and Richard Durose the B&H scorers. Khalsa remain just two points above the drop zone after Joe Williams (2) and Josh Wright gave AFC North Kilworth a 3-0 win at Khalsa.

The programme in Everards Brewery Divisions One & Two was much-reduced owing to the County Cups, and Holwell Sports Reserves' game at home to Birstall United Reserves was called off due to a frozen pitch, leaving just one game in each division. In Div1, Dunton & Broughton United continued to reel in towards the top two and keep their title hunt alive after a 3-2 win away at Kirby Muxloe Reserves, James Lewis, Connor Randall and sub Noel Gilbert for DBU, Joe Kerins (2) for Kirby, who mounted a second half comeback after having been two goals down at the break.

The Div2 game saw one of the surprises of the week, as second-placed St Patricks found themselves 2-0 down at the break at home to Rothley Imperial. Pats fought back, and the game eventually finished 2-2, Niall McMahon and Jamie Pelos for St Patricks, Stephen Allen & Daniel Morris for Rothley. That meant that St Patricks missed out on the chance to go top- they are now level on points with Loughborough Students Development, but have a far inferior goal difference and have played a game more, which leaves the Students' title hopes in their own hands, as Div2 draws into its final stages.

In other news this week, the draw was done not only for the next round of the Tiger Cup and the President's Trophy, but also for the group stages of the Chairman's Trophy, a competition designed to give teams in Divisions One & Two more games between the festive period and the end of the season. The teams have been divided into four groups, with the top two in each group then progressing to the quarter-finals, with fixtures beginning on January 6.

That's it for a rather chilly and wintry ramble this week. We'll be back in seven days with the best of the action, including Ramble Round the Premier with a relegation six-pointer at Dakyn Road as Thurnby Rangers take on Barrow Town, and a spicy top-four clash as leaders Allexton & New Parks welcome Ellistown, a Ramble Round the Divisions which sees a big weekend in the Div1 promotion race, with all four of leaders Anstey Town's nearest rivals playing each other, as Dunton & Broughton United welcome Hinckley LR Reserves and Leicester Atletico take on Kirby Muxloe Reserves, plus a Div2 card that sees Desford Reserves and Sileby Town Reserves play out the second part of their 'back-to-back', and the Loughborough derby, as leaders Loughborough Students Development host bottom side Loughborough FC. See you then.