Week ending 17th February by Mason Norton

Shortly after Ramble Round went to press last weekend, the League received the resignation of Ashby Ivanhoe Knights from the Everards Brewery Premier Division. Knights were bottom of the table with just six points to their name at the time of their resignation, and the reason for their resignation was principally due to pitch issues, which have left the club unable to use the main pitch at the NFU Ground, and have forced Ashby's first team to announce this week a temporary ground-share with Quorn FC. The Knights are the League's fourth resignation this season, after Kibworth Town, Bottesford and GNG Development all dropped out of Everards Division Two. With Knights having played less than 75% of their fixtures, their record has been expunged, and only one team will be relegated from the Premier Division at the end of the season.


The table only required a relatively minor adjustment, as all of the teams lost three points each apart from FC Khalsa, who lost to Knights earlier in the season, and Thurnby Rangers, who were the only side yet to play Knights. Thurnby moved up a place at the expense of Friar Lane & Epworth, whilst Khalsa moved an extra three points clear of Barrow Town, now the bottom side and now ten points adrift of safety- that worsening of Barrow's situation being the biggest impact of Knights' resignation.


Moving back to the on-pitch events, and all of the games on a full fixture list beat the weather this weekend, and the story of the week came at Pasture Lane. At the 21st time of asking this season, someone has finally beaten leaders Allexton & New Parks in the League, with Hathern being the team to bring ANP's streak to an end after a 1-0 win. The game was played on a heavy pitch that narrowly passed a morning inspection, and both teams seemed to play a largely cautious game in the first half, most notable for a dreadful Hail Mary pass at the back for ANP putting in Hathern's Liam Walton who was one-on-one with the visiting keeper- and somehow managed to put his shot wide. 


The second half saw the tempo go up a bit, with some more serious chances for either side, and the game then came alive in the last 20 minutes, when the referee Mr Anderson awarded Hathern a penalty for handball in the penalty area which prompted furious protests from ANP. Lee Ward's penalty was well-saved by Allexton keeper Freddie Young who dived low to his right, but he could only parry the ball wide, ANP didn't react, Young didn't gather in time as he went scrambling across the mud, and Ward swooped like a kestrel on a fieldmouse, beat Young to the ball, and steered it past the keeper and into the net. Allexton now upped the ante, but their cause wasn't helped when they were reduced to 10 men shortly afterwards for violent conduct. 


Walton had a chance to make it 2-0 which would have settled things, but he was denied by Young. Allexton then had a penalty shout waved away in the last minute of regulation time, the game going end-to-end as ANP threw everything forward and Hathern countered to exploit the gaps left open at the back, with the game getting quite feisty, Hathern holding on for the three points.


Third-placed Desford & Caterpillar reduced the gap to ANP to twelve points, after a 1-0 win at home to Ellistown. For Ramble Round, Andy Grout reports:


 "In a typical blood and thunder local derby well refereed by Tom Hollidge and his assistants, Kevin French and Lee Smart it was Desford who took the spoils with a 1-0 victory. In a game with few chances, Ellistown had the best of the first 30 minutes but could not break down a resolute Desford defence. Desford then bossed the 15 minutes before half-time, and should have gone in 1-0 up but for the centre forward spurning a one-on-one chance. The second half was a game of attrition, and it was Desford who won it after Madison Murrell was left unmarked in the box to score. Ellistown had a final chance in injury time but couldn't quite poke it home, Desford cleared, and the final whistle went soon afterwards giving Desford the bragging rights." 


Aylestone Park Reserves stay second, nine points adrift of ANP, after a 2-0 win at home to Friar Lane and Epworth, Aaron Preston scoring twice, a goal in each half. However, Park have played four games more then both Desford and Allexton, so it's Desford who now look clear favourites to get the runners-up spot, with Allexton still looking well-set to take the title.