Clayton West edge key Division 1 match

Veterans League

Review of the 6-Man League fixtures played on Monday 4 August

The top of the Division 1 clash lived up to its billing with a tense affair and a 92-91 aggregate end score determining the winners. Clayton West retained and stretched their lead over Waterloo with a 4-3 home success which enabled third-placed Marsh United A to move closer and draw level in second place. That was as a result of their 5-2 home win over Golcar C&BC. That was a double whammy for the Golcar team as the only two teams below them in the table both won their home fixtures on Monday.

New Mill A had a resounding 6-1 home success over Shepley A whilst Brockholes A beat Milnsbridge A 5-2 to reopen the fight to avoid relegation. Thongsbridge A are becoming very much involved in that after a 7th consecutive defeat this time 1-6 at home to Netherton Con A, which saw the teams swap positions.

A 6-1 home win for Skel Windmill over Slaithwaite made it 5 wins on the bounce and in the kind of form which could force them into the promotion race. Next week they are at Waterloo which could be a big match for both teams.

The 3-points gap between the top three Division 2 teams has shrunk and is now only two points after Monday's fixture programme. It is still the same three teams and in the same order with Broad Oak continuing to set the pace. However a first home defeat of the season for the leaders was compounded by being inflicted by one of their main rivals.. A 4-3 win for Lindley Lib A was unwelcome to the leaders but not to second-placed Holmfirth A who had a 5-2 home win over Crosland Moor. A 5-2 home win for Marsh Lib A over Golcar Lib left them on the fringe of joining in that top tussle.

A 7-0 whitewash home win for Paddock I&C over relegation rivals Thongsbridge B saw them leave the losers firmly occupying bottom spot and now fatally 16 points from safety and showing few signs of recovering from that. That win also saw Paddock move out of the relegation places condemning Longwood to that fate. Brockholes B also seem to have selected reverse gear losing for a 4th consecutive time when going down 3-4 at Lockwood Con to totter on the edge of joining in the relegation scrap.

Almondbury Lib bounced back from a first Division 3 defeat of the season to take it out on bottom of the table Hemplow A with a 5-2 away win to maintain their 14 points lead at the top. Second-placed Milnsbridge B also won 5-2 this time at home to Primrose Hill Lib which saw the losers drop a place to fourth and seemingly out of the promotion race for now. The same may be said of Denby Dale despite their 5-2 home win over Marsh Lib B as they failed to reduce the 7 points gap to the promotion places.

Elland C&BC had an important 5-2 home win over fellow strugglers Holmfirth B to introduce a 5 point safety gap to the relegation places and halve the gap to the team immediately above them, Greenhead Park A, who went down 1-6 at Lindley Lib B who move above them as a result.

It is becoming rather congested in the race for the second promotion place in Division 4 with only 4 points separating the 5 teams with aspirations on that promotion slot. Hemplow B continue to show title-winning form making it 5 wins on the bounce by beating Netherton Con B 5-2 on their green who remain in that chasing pack of five teams.

Greenhead Park B and Clayton West B both pushed themselves into contention with good wins this week. Only the Division 4 leaders have beaten Greenhead Park B in their last 7 matches and they added a 4-3 home win to that record when beating second-placed Marsh United B who hang on to second place for now. A good away win for Clayton West B by 6-1 away at Meltham B announced their arrival in the promotion-chasing pack with lots to look forward to.

The bottom four teams had their own competition this week and it was the bottom two teams that came out on top. Thongsbridge C clocking up a league double over Brockholes C after an identical 5-2 success at Brockholes this week. Shepley B had a comforting 4-3 home win (78-77 aggregate) over New Mill B to keep things interesting near the foot of the table.