Roundup of the league cups for week ending 21st October by Mason Norton

This weekend was supposed to be the return of the Everards Tiger League Cup, but it ended up being much more low-key than anticipated. Firstly, there were less ties in the first round than in previous seasons, as the reduced number of clubs in the LSL this year has resulted in seven byes to the second round. Then came Storm Babeth, which caused chaos up and down the country, and widespread flooding in Leicestershire and Rutland. 

Initially Games were lost at Desford & Caterpillar against Dunton & Broughton United and Sutton Bonington against Ashby Ivanhoe Knights in the Tiger Cup, as well as Desford Reserves against Loughborough Students Development in the sole outstanding City Goldsmith President's Trophy first round tie- the latter game having now been re-arranged for next Saturday.
Further postponements accounted for three more Tiger Cup ties- Aylestone Park Reserves at home to Cottesmore, the pick of the round, holders Burbage & Huncote against league leaders Allexton & New Parks, and last season's runners-up Magna 73 at home to Friar Lane & Epworth.
Four ties did beat the weather, although FC Khalsa were forced to move their game against Div1 strugglers Sporting Markfield to the 3G pitch at Beauchamp College. Balveer Heer and Ross Jones scored for Khalsa, a goal either side of the break, to give them a 2-0 win, and passage through to the next round. There was one all-Premier tie that beat the weather, with Highfield Rangers' excellent drainage standing up to let their game against Hathern go ahead. The two sides played out an end-to-end game that could have gone either way, Highfield eventually coming out on top 3-2, Elie Oliver, Shawn Richards and Seon Shippley for Highfield, Tom Insley and Liam Walton for Hathern. 
Sileby Town's ground has the twin benefits of having good drainage and sitting high above the village of Sileby, well away from the flooding of the Soar Valley down below. They took on Division Two side Rothley Imperial in a local derby, and came through pretty much unscathed, winning 4-1 as Callum Chetwynd scored a brace, with Harry Bradley and Lewis Weston also scoring, Jake Inskip getting Rothley on the scoreboard. Finally for this week, there was an all-Div2 tie at the Emerald Centre, as St Patricks hosted Loughborough FC, with this one going the way of the form book, the Pats winning 4-1, Daniel Higgins (2), Jamie Bottomley and Niall McMahon for the Pats, Cyrus Brierley scoring in the first period for Luffs. All in all though, a busy weekend for the Pools Panel, and probably for ducks and anglers too...
Alternative dates for the other five ties will be arranged in due course and will be announced shortly. Meanwhile, with some news from the Management Committee, Ellistown's game against Sileby, which was abandoned due to a serious injury to a Sileby player a few weeks ago, will be replayed in full on November 1. Weather pending, normal League action resumes next Saturday, with full programmes in the Premier and Div1, and fixtures in Div2 and the President's Trophy. Ramble Round will bring you the best- and the driest- of the action. See you then.