A tricky Tuesday trip for table-toppers

Veterans League

A preview of the Tuesday fixtures in Divisions 1 & 2 of the Veterans 10-Man League

Division 1 leaders, Longwood, have a tricky trip to play Marsh United A this Tuesday and the biggest threat yet to their unbeaten start to the season. Last year Marsh United A won this fixture 6-3 and a number of teams in the division will be hoping for a similar outcome this week to rein in the leaders before the current 5 points gap widens to become unmanageable.

Golcar Lib A and Clayton West being 2 of those teams looking for some help in pulling the leaders back into range as they currently sit in 2nd and 4th places respectively. They go head-to-head this Tuesday with Clayton West having the home green advantage to pull back the one-point difference between the teams.

Only Longwood and Kirkheaton Con A are protecting unbeaten records and the Cons will look to extend that run when hosting Cowcliffe Lib this week. The reigning Division 1 Champions are Lowerhouses and they will be keen to address their failure to win their previous away match this season with two such challenges in the next two weeks as they travel to play Lockwood Con A this Tuesday and Longwood lined up for the following week

The Lockwood team sit uncharacteristically third from the foot of the table and the two teams below them meet up at Meltham where Waterloo are the visitors. Both teams have lost all three of their opening matches, as have Lockwood Con A, and are in danger of being left adrift with the points gap widening every week so far. One of the teams will break that duck record this week and that could sow the seeds of a change in fortunes which could be all-important for their survival chances whereas defeat could be the start of a season-long battle

to get out of the drop zone.

Rastrick made an awful start to the season with a 0-9 defeat at Longwood but have since recovered to clock up two good wins which includes the scalp of the Champions. A home match against Lindley Lib A should be within the scope of their recent form and anything other would be a surprise.

The Division 2 Match of the Day sees the leaders, Elland C&BC at home to third-placed New Mill A although the two-place difference is actually a more important 7 points gap between the teams. New Mill A will be aiming to eat into that difference and will need to be at their best to have any strong hopes of doing so. The Elland C&BC team will be spurred on by the presence of neighbours Elland WMC sitting just one point behind them and a home match against Lindley BC A this week.

Two teams sit on the same 11-points mark as Lindley BC A in the bottom half of the table and they are Almondbury BC A and Netherton Con A and they both have top half opponents this Tuesday. The Almondbury side host a Milnsbridge A team with the same Won-1 Lost-2 record as themselves but that equates to a two-point difference which the visitors will be keen to preserve. Fourth-placed Shepley are the visitors at Netherton Con where they hope to record their first away win of the season to improve their chances of figuring in the promotion chase.

Denby Dale sit at the foot of the table and will be keen to take something away from their journey to play Broad Oak A which they hope will reduce the gap to Golcar Lib B who sit one place and one point above them in the table and who have a home fixture with Thongsbridge A.