Veterans League
Preview of the fixtures in the 6-Man League to be played on Monday 24 June
After last week's resounding elimination from the Julie Fuller Trophy, more pressure begins to mount on the Division 1 leaders, Marsh United A, with two teams hot on their heels. Netherton Con and Waterloo both have home matches this week whilst the leaders travel to play bottom-of-the-table Lockwood Con. The Marsh United side are on a run of 6 consecutive wins and whilst they are expected to win this week's fixture will they pick up enough points to preserve their 4 points lead?
Waterloo and Netherton Con are locked together on 49 points, just 4 behind the leaders. Waterloo have won their last 8 matches but they play a Shepley A side that is in its best form of the season on a run of 5 straight wins. If Netherton Con can reproduce the form that saw them beat the previous leaders, Skel Windmill A, with a whitewash scoreline then they are going to be a serious threat for the title if they can see off Milnsbridge A this Monday.
But it is not just a three-horse race as Skel Windmill A have bounced back from the setback of being knocked off the top of the table and Shepley A also remain a serious threat to the leading bunch. However both have difficult away fixtures this week which will test their resolve.
At the other end of the table, only Paddock I&C have a home fixture of the bottom four teams. They play fourth from bottom Thongsbridge A and a big win could see them swap places however neither side is in great form at present.
With a difficult match away at Lindley Lib A for a struggling Crosland Moor side this Monday, they could find themselves seriously entrenched in the relegation places if they don't pick up a few points this week.
In Division 2 Golcar Lib got a real drubbing last week going down 0-7 away at Marsh Lib A and that cost them a share of the leadership as Clayton West extended their season-long winning record to 11 matches. The top two meet this week at Golcar Lib and this is a match the home side has to win if they are to retain any hopes of winning the title this season.
Third-placed Bradley & Colne are poised to take advantage of any slip-up by Golcar Lib and could move into the second promotion place if results go their way. Although they play a Linthwaite Hall side on its best run of results of the season winning their last three matches but they remain on the fringe of the relegation battle and will be keen to keep that momentum going. That risk could deepen as two of the teams below them go up against each other this Monday. Hemplow and Almondbury Lib are locked together on 27 points, three behind Linthwaite Hall, in the knowledge that the losers of this week's fixture will probably be left sitting in the second relegation place.
Holmfirth B's hopes of joining in the Division 3 promotion picture rest entirely on their match this week at home to the leaders Denby Dale. Along with Brockholes B they are on the same 52 points mark despite winning all 10 of their fixtures this season. There is a 13 points gap between the leading pair and third place and failure to reduce that this week could almost hand the promotion places over to the top two.
The two Thongsbridge teams sit in 4th and 5th positions and go up against each other this week. One point separates them at present but only the winner will be set to take advantage of any inroads that Holmfirth make into the Denby Dale record. Should Holmfirth not win that match then they will expect to be overtaken for third place by the winners of the Thongsbridge derby match. Shepley B are bottom of the table at present, five points behind a Meltham team that they entertain this week and probably their best chance of shortening that gap they are likely to get.
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