Week ending 5th October by Mason Norton

Outside of the County Cups, there were six games in the three divisions of the Everards Leicestershire Senior League, plus two rescheduled ties in the Everards Tiger League Cup. Six became five on Saturday morning though after Sutton Bonington's game in Div1 at home to Barrow Town was called off due to a waterlogged pitch.

In Everards Brewery Premier Division, there were some important results at the bottom. We're going to start in Rutland, as Cottesmore welcomed Aylestone Park Reserves. Report from the Cotts Facebook page:

"Cottesmore welcomed fourth-placed Aylestone Park to a sun-drenched Westray Park this afternoon as Cotts looked to make it back-to-back league wins for the first time this season. Cotts started well against a talented Aylestone side who liked to play out from the back. Both sides had a couple of half-chances with Aylestone having the lions share of the possession before the deadlock was broken on fifteen minutes when a shot from distance was saved by Colton Cropper but the ball fell to Dan Henfrey who stroked the ball into the goal to give the Leicester side the lead.

After this Cotts rallied and the Aylestone keeper made a good save from Leon Kavanagh as he stretched to get on the end of a Jordan Smith pass but it was the introduction of James Lewis in the 20th minute from the bench, on for the unlucky Charlie Richards
who picked up a hamstring injury, that was to be the telling moment of the game. Aylestone had another couple of chances that flashed wide of Cropper's post before Cotts equalised on the half-hour when an inch-perfect corner from Josh Clark was headed home
off the bar by Lewis for his first of the season. Aylestone then got their tails up and were the better side for the remainder of the half but couldn’t find the net and the sides went in level at the break.




Cotts came out for the second half with purpose and took the game to Aylestone and had another good opportunity when Kavanagh created space in the box for himself but the substitute keeper, who was on at half-time replacing his first half stablemate, was well
positioned for a routine save. Smith then burst through but his effort was saved and Aylestone had some good opportunities of their own that were shut down by brave Cotts defending. Aylestone then made a triple change, replacing three of their young players
with more experience and this paid off soon after as on 60 minutes Henfrey did well to ride two challenges before drilling a low cross into the box for Marley Spencer to blast past a stranded Cropper.



At this point Cotts could have rolled over but they knuckled down to work for an equaliser which came fifteen minutes later as a shot wasn’t cleared by the Aylestone back line and the ball fell to Lewis who tucked the ball into the net from 18 yards to equalise for a second time. Fifteen minutes to go. After dealing with a couple of dangerous Aylestone set pieces thanks to some confident handling by Cropper, the ball found its way to Lewis on 85 minutes who rode two challenges in the box, took his shot that was initially blocked but he persisted and he bundled the ball over the line to spark wild celebrations for the home supporters. Cotts saw out the remaining five minutes of the game to take a well deserved three points and jump to 9th in the LSL Premier Division."

That lifted Cottesmore away further from the bottom, whilst Aylestone dropped a place in the table to fifth, with Magna 73 moving up a place to fourth after grinding out a 3-2 win at Burbage & Huncote, Archie Allen (2) and Dan Jones for Magna, Carlton Beardmore and Ross Selby for B&H, who remain bottom on goal difference from Friar Lane, with Ellistown four points above both of them.

In Division One, the only fixture played saw Lutterworth Athletic Reserves move into second place in the in-running table after a 3-0 win at Dunton & Broughton United, Barnes Gladman and subs Oliver Whiting and Callum James scoring. In Division Two, Hinckley Borough moved up a place in the in-play table to second after an 8-2 win at Friar Lane & Epworth Reserves, Jake Tomlinson scoring five of the goals, Jack Spence, Lochlan Murray and Pele Molyneaux also scoring, Jasper Flude-Hackett and Coby Keeling for Lane. In mid-table, Glen Villa moved up a place after a 7-2 win at home to Magna 73 Reserves. The game looked quite close at half-time, Villa just in front 3-2, but four goals without reply after the oranges gave the Glen the points, George Parker (4), Cameron Greiff, James Parker and sub Jayson Frank-Nwaigwe scoring for the hosts, Louie Dawson and Jack Horne for Magna.