Veterans League
Review of the results from the 10-Man League Divisions 1&2 fixtures played on Tuesday
Following last week's shock defeat at Netherton Con A the Lowerhouses team needed to redeem themselves and did that in style with a 7-2 away win over their nearest rivals for the Division 1 title, Marsh United A. That result restored a 12-point lead for Lowerhouses and damaged Marsh United's hopes as they drop a place to third in the table. They were overtaken by Longwood who beat relegation-threatened Clayton West 7-2 and made it four wins on the bounce in the process.
That defeat for Clayton West leaves them very much in the drop zone and level on points with Lindley BC A who occupy the 2nd relegation place. A 3-6 loss at Cowcliffe means that the Lindley team have lost their last 9 fixtures which is the worse run in the division by any team this season and will ring out warning bells to the team that only came up from Division 2 last year. They are in danger of an immediate return along with the 2023 Division 2 Champions, Netherton Con A who went down 1-8 at a resurgent Rastrick team that has won 4 of their last 5 matches to recover from a rocky first half of the season.
Lockwood Con A beat Waterloo on their own lawn by 6-3 to clock up a second top four victim in their last two matches having previously disposed of Marsh United A. Waterloo are no longer a top-four team as they have been passed by Cowcliffe whose win over Lindley BC A was their 6th such win in their last 7 matches. Golcar Lib A drop a place to 8th, despite having a 6-3 home win over Kirkheaton Con, as they are passed by Rastrick.
The top four teams in Division 2 all had away fixtures this week and there was only one loser among them as Milnsbridge A went down 1-8 at Shepley but they hang on to their top four position for now. The leaders, Meltham, were pushed all the way at Almondbury BC A before running out 5-4 winners courtesy of a 123-115 better aggregate scoreline. Those 5 points took Meltham past the 100 points mark for the season, the first League team to do that this season. Lindley Lib A moved closer to the leader with a very good 7-2 away win at Thongsbridge A who were threatening to join in the promotion battle and this outcome has put an end to such talk for now.
Elland C&BC had a good 6-3 away win against bottom-of-the-table Almondbury Lib but dropped to third place, one point behind Lindley Lib A and increasingly it looks like the 2nd promotion place will go to one of these teams. They meet each other later this month in what should be a tasty encounter.
Only Meltham and Brockholes A have beaten Shepley on their own turf and this week it was the turn of Milnsbridge A to be on the wrong end of an 8-1 scoreline which leaves them 15 points off a promotion place. Linthwaite Hall's 6-3 home win over Golcar Lib B saw them leapfrog their opponents. Broad Oak's 7-2 home win over New Mill A wasn't enough to lift them out of the relegation places but as it was a third win in their last four matches it will give them a great urge to extend that run and put pressure on the others in the bottom half of the table.
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