Veterans League
Preview of the 6-Man League fixtures scheduled for Monday 8 July
The top 6 teams in Division 1 face each other this Monday with a closer look revealing that the top three teams play those in positions 4 to 6. So is this a chance for the top three to breakaway and form their own title hunt or will the chasing trio strike back and cencertina the positions to provide a spectacular second half of the season?
Marsh United are the leaders with a 5-point lead over the rest of the teams. That lead over Monday's opponents, fourth-placed Netherton Con, is stretched to 7 points. When the two teams met on the opening day of the season Netherton inflicted the biggest defeat, 1-6, that the leaders have suffered this season so revenge is very much on the minds of the home team.
Waterloo travel to play a Golcar C&BC team that has only beaten one of their top 6 rivals, Shepley A, this season and with only one defeat in their last 10 fixtures they will be confident of extending the pain for the Golcar team. Third-placed Shepley A are the form team of the division having won their last 7 matches, the last two of those were against top 6 opponents. They host a Skel Windmill A side that beat them 5-2 on the opening day of the season and on current form you would expect them to reverse that result.
Crosland Moor and Paddock I&C go head-to-head this week trying to avoid the second relegation place with just one point between the teams. All Crosland Moor's three wins have come in home matches whilst Paddock haven't won an away match to date. Couple that with Crosland Moor's home win over Lockwood Con last week suggests that they are better placed to take full advantage over their relegation rivals.
The two teams holding down 2nd and 3rd positions in Division 2 go up against each other this week as Bradley & Colne host Golcar Lib. Just two points separate the two teams. Bradley & Colne have won their last 6 matches and with the added incentive of wanting to avenge an opening day 0-7 drubbing at Golcar will be favourites to complete that.
Meanwhile the leaders, Clayton West, will be aiming to extend their unbeaten season-long run of results to 14 matches as they have already beaten every team in the division. It is a mid-table Longwood's turn to produce the unexpected but that is a big ask against the Champions in waiting. Marsh Lib cannot be written off as a promotion contender as they are only 4 points adrift of the second promotion place, have won 6 of their last 7 fixtures and have a home match against a Greenhead Park A side that hasn't won an away match since the second week of April.
Five points separate the five teams above bottom-of-the-table Elland C&BC who already seem resigned to relegation. Two of those five teams meet up this week as Milnsbridge B travel to play Almondbury Lib. Neither side being in good form as Milnsbridge have lost their last 5 matches whilst Almondbury Lib ended a run of 6 straight defeats with a surprise 7-0 home win over New Mill last week.
It will be interesting to see how Denby Dale react to their first Division 3 defeat of the season when they surprisingly went down 1-6 at home to Thongsbridge B last Monday. That loss left them 7 points behind leaders, Brockholes B. Denby Dale do not play until Friday when they go to play Thongsbridge C (1 win in their last 6 matches) and by then Brockholes could have opened up a season-defining lead as they host Marsh Lib B and wont expect to see their unbeaten home record threatened this week.
Thongsbridge B will be looking to follow up on their great win at Denby Dale with another happy away day this time at a less threatening Brockholes C and they will be aiming to chip another few points off Denby's 6-point lead over them. Meltham have won their last three matches and could lever themselves out of the bottom two places with a big home win over third-from-bottom Marsh United B.
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