Week ending 13th January by Mason Norton

Everards Brewery Divisions One & Two continues to take a break, so we shall look at the cup action. Rounding off the County Cup quarter-finals, and in the Saturday Intermediate Cup, Hinckley LRFC Reserves joined Anstey Town in the last four as the LSL's representatives, after winning 3-1 at home to County League team Brookside Athletic. Brookside had looked like they might cause an upset when they took the lead, but Stan Rossell equalised just before the break, Brogan Greenwood gave Road the lead early in the second half, and despite Brookside fighting all the way and bravely giving fight, as they threw everything forward in search of the equaliser in injury time, Road hit back and sub Josh King rounded off the scoring and booked the semi-final ticket with a goal at the death. 


In the Saturday Trophy, Mountsorrel Amateurs travelled to the famous double-slope of Woodhouse Imperial and nearly came undone, but three goals in 15 minutes midway through the half, from Jacob Collinson (2) and Stanley Crooks were enough to give Amateurs a 3-1 win. They join Loughborough Students Development in the final four as the LSL's representatives- with Mountsorrel also having their reserves in the semis of the same competition. The draw will be made at Holmes Park this week, and semi-final ties will be played on the weekend of 3 February, with the Senior Cup Semi-Final between AFC North KIlworth and Hathern following in midweek on Wednesday 7 February. 


In the Chairman's Trophy Group A, Loughborough Students Development and St Patricks played out a dress rehearsal for next month's Div2 title decider, the Students coming out 2-1 winners at the Emerald Centre, Sam Williams and sub Tom Speake scoring for the Students, Jack Hickey for Pats. The two Div1 teams also played each other, Anstey Town defeating Dunton & Broughton United 2-0 thanks to a Jordan Small brace which ends DBU's chances of progressing to the knockout stages. 


Group B saw an upset, as Tye Robinson's first-half effort was enough to give Birstall United Reserves a 1-0 win at home to Leicester Atletico, whilst there were also upsets in Group C, as Desford & Caterpillar Reserves defeated Melton Town Academy 2-1, Harry Jarvis and Yaro Phillips for Desford, LUke Walker for the Academy, and Div2 side Rothley Imperial came from behind to beat Div1 outfit Sutton Bonington 2-1, Ben Hetterley and Connor Stevens scoring for Rothley in the second period after Jordan Crosland had scored in the first half for SB. 


Finally, Group D got underway after the weather had caused put paid to last week's games, with Sporting Markfield continuing Barrow Town Reserves' miserable season, Markfield winning 7-1 at the Riverside, Keiron Tompkins (2), Andrew Culver, Connor Helps, Jude Robinson, Josh Scott and Josh Woolman for Markfield, David Demarcsek for Barrow in a one-sided encounter, and Holwell Sports Reserves got past Sileby Town Reserves 3-1 after two late goals. Brook Isherwood scored for Holwell and Sam Wilson for Sileby, and the match looked like it might finish as a draw, before two goals in the final three minutes from A-J Faulkner and sub Patrick Piechowicz got Holwell over the line. 


A big thank you to Dave Lumley for sitting in last week whilst I was enjoying the sunshine in Gran Canaria. I might be wishing I was still there this week with the forecast being for a very cold week indeed, although there are no midweek fixtures, and the forecast currently suggests a rise in temperatures in time for next Saturday's games. That sees the return of fixtures in Div1 and Div2, along with a smattering of Chairman's Trophy games. Most notably is at the bottom of Div1, where Sporting Markfield and Barrow Town Reserves take each other on in a relegation six-pointer, and in the Chairman's Trophy, two unbeaten sides go head-to-head, as Anstey Town of Div1 welcome Loughborough Students Development of Div2 in an intriguing fixture that gives the Students the chance to test themselves against higher-level opponents. Ramble Round will be back to check in on the action. See you then.