Almondbury Lib on the cusp

Veterans League

Preview of the Divisions 3,4&5 fixtures for Tuesday 27 May

Almondbury Lib may be top of the Division 3 table but they have only played two away matches to date and the only one they won was against bottom-of-the-table Lockwood Con B. This Tuesday they play Paddock I&C and whilst the unique green there is always a challenge there are more difficult away games still awaiting them. But the message is that if they don't start beating teams away from home in the bottom half of the table, then their home form, no matter how good, will not carry them through to the title and promotion. The outcome of this match will be a good indicator of how strong and robust their title challenge is going to be.

The four teams behind the leaders are only separated by one point making any match involving two of those four teams all the more critical and we have one such confrontation this week. Second-placed Hemplow A have home advantage over Brockholes A (4th). Both teams have lost their last two fixtures after winning their first three, so will be keen to return to winning ways before losing becomes too much of a predictable outcome.

Holmfirth A sit in third place but have lost their two away matches this season which were against the teams currently top and bottom of the table. A trip to play Slaithwaite is hardly a dream fixture for them at this point. Slaithwaite, after losing their first three matches have turned things around and have beat two (Hemplow A and Brockholes A) of the top four in their last two fixtures.

Lindley Lib B are in that chasing pack of four and with an unbeaten home record will look to see off Springwood their Tuesday guests. The Springwood team have settled into their traditional mid-table position and predictably beat teams below them in the table but lose to those higher up. This will be a good time to reverse that trend and move into the promotion race.

Bottom of the table, Lockwood Con A, have only been beaten at home by the leaders but unfortunately they play away from home this week when taking on Thorpe Green who sit two places and four points above them in the table. Thorpe Green are defending an unbeaten home record this season so will expect to cash in against the division's bottom team.

Seven of the 12 teams in this division have Won-2 Lost-3 records to date and Marsh Lib A and Linthwaite Hall are amongst those teams who face each other this week. Linthwaite Hall has a 2-points 3-places advantage over their hosts but having lost both of their away fixtures to date have scope for improvement. However the Marsh Lib team have also lost 2 of their 3 home games but the one win was a good one against Hemplow A last week so will be in good heart in looking for a double.

Only 3 of the 60 teams in the Veterans 10-Man League have unbeaten records after 5 matches played this season. Division 4 leaders Skel Windmill being one of those. Their last League match two week's ago saw a clash of the two unbeaten records in this division. A great away win over Marsh United B extended Skel's record and their lead at the top of the table to 5 points. Since then they have eliminated Division 1 side Marsh United A from the Team KO so are in their best form of the season and it would be a major surprise if they didn't build on those latest successes to see off their Tuesday visitors from mid-table Thongsbridge B.

The Marsh United B side will be hoping to bounce back from that first defeat but have a difficult-looking encounter waiting for them away to third-placed Kirkheaton C&BC A. Their places could easily be reversed although a close scoreline could open the door to Huddersfield RUBC to move above both of them if they can get a good result away to Huddersfield Recreation Club.

At the foot of the table three teams are on the same 16-points total, and two of those teams play each other this Tuesday. Ravensknowle Park have home advantage over Meltham B with the threat of bottom spot awaiting the loser although they may have some competition for that position. The other 16-points team being Netherton Con B who will have to improve on recent results when going to play Milnsbridge B. David Brown Sports could propel themselves into the promotion race if they can clock up a big home win over Primrose Hill Lib whose only win to date has been at home to bottom-three team Meltham B.

The two teams at the foot of the Division 5 table are both looking for their first wins of the season and one of them will reach that milestone this week as the two teams go up against each other. Holmfirth B have home advantage over Kirkheaton C&BC and a big leap could be the reward for the winners with four teams above them all within winning range. The two teams most at risk of being overtaken are the two with away fixtures this week. Those being Marsh Lib B at 3rd placed Lindley BC B and Broad Oak B at 2nd placed Kirkheaton Con B. With Lindley BC B unbeaten after 5 fixtures but still only sitting third in the table they will be keen to produce a big win to make the table more firmly portray their real status.

Hemplow B will be pushed to improve on their present 4th place in the table with a trip to play at Brockholes B on their schedule, a team who are unbeaten at home to date with aspirations of their own of moving into the promotion race.

Dalton are the current leaders and have the most difficult task of the top three with a trip to play Almondbury BC B lined up. However Dalton have lost their previous two away matches and this is not the easiest venue to visit by a long chalk.

The New Mill B versus Greenhead Park fixture is interesting as it puts together two teams with very different outlooks on the future. Greenhead Park could push themselves right into the promotion race with a big away win, whilst the New Mill B team fear defeat could drop them into the bottom two. Last year New Mill B finished above Greenhead Park in the table so the present positions are a bit of a surprise. A home win would go some way to addressing that change.