Veterans League
Review of the 10-Man League Divisions 1&2 results from Tuesday 13 August
Sometimes when a team has suffered a surprise defeat it signals the start of the 'rot setting in' and other times it triggers a hardy response to a perceived blip in fortunes. There is no doubt what the reaction has been to the Division 1 leaders Lowerhouses shock defeat at bottom team Netherton Con A two weeks ago. Since then they have beaten their nearest rivals Marsh United A 7-2 on their own green and then this week they have claimed their first 9-0 whitewash win of the season and that was against a resurgent Rastrick team. At the end of that exercise they now sit 16 points clear and back on course for a first-ever Championship title win in the League.
Marsh United A have recovered their runner-up position after beating Longwood 6-3 this week and swapping places with them. Lockwood Con A are on a good run of three straight wins all against teams higher up the table than them with Cowcliffe being the latest team to be on the wrong end of a 7-2 scoreline. Waterloo's hopes of a top three position took a hammering this Tuesday when they were beaten at bottom team Netherton Con A by 3-6 and slip to 6th as a result.
Home defeats for Lindley BC A (4-5 to Golcar Lib A) and Clayton West (2-7 to Kirkheaton Con A) keep both teams in the relegation mix with the Netherton team creeping up on both of them. Just looking at the points tally for the three relegation-threatened teams over the last three league matches shows the momentum that Netherton are gathering. Clayton West and Lindley BC A have both managed to collect 9 points in total from their last three matches whilst Netherton Con have secured 13 points from the same 3-match run.
In Division 2 there was a big setback to Elland C&BC's hopes of a quick return to the top division when they went down 3-6 away at leaders Meltham A on Tuesday. That enabled Lindley Lib A to create a 6-points gap between the themselves in the 2nd promotion place and the Elland side.
This is all leading up to a great climax as Lindley Lib A have to play at Elland next Tuesday in a real crunch match. Lindley are in good form as can be seen by their 8-1 demolition of bottom team Almondbury Lib this week which leaves their opponents 16 points short of safety. Above them it is a very tight affair in the fight to avoid the 2nd relegation place with 3 points separating the next 4 teams. Three of those 4 teams won their matches this week to indicate that none of them will be going down without a fight. The odd one out being Almondbury BC A who lost at rivals Linthwaite Hall by 4-5.
With Golcar Lib B beating Shepley 6-3 at home and Broad Oak A having a great 6-3 away win over Milnsbridge A to rekindle hopes of moving right away from the relegation mix. That defeat for Milnsbridge almost signals them dropping out of the promotion race after only one win in their last 5 fixtures. New Mill A move into the top half of the table after a resounding 8-1 home win over Thongsbridge who become one of two teams they overtake as they move up the table.
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