Veterans League
Preview of fixtures for Tuesday 25 July in Divisions 1 & 2 of the 10-Man League
Above the bottom two places in the Division 1 table is a group of 5 teams separated by just 3 points and if the League go ahead with their published intent to balance out the divisions for next season then there is every chance that 3 teams will be relegated and that third place is likely to be reserved for one of this group of five.
Four of those five teams face each other this week. Marsh United 'A' host Lockwood Con 'A' after halting a run of 6 straight defeats with two good wins although relying on the aggregate scores to edge the result in both cases. Elland C&BC have home advantage over Meltham 'A' in that other key encounter with both teams struggling for their best form recently. Elland have lost their last three fixtures whilst Meltham have only won one away game all season.
The second-placed team in Division 1, Rastrick, lost their 100% home record last week to Longwood and this week have to take on the last unbeaten home record in the division at Kirkheaton Con 'A' who sit one place and five points behind them in the table. This Tuesday it is the turn of leaders Golcar Lib 'A' to meet Longwood at their Dodlee Lane green. If the home team can reproduce their form from last week then the leaders could be in for a shock but with a 17-points lead could stand that.
The teams in 4th and 5th places also meet up this week when Clayton West travel to play a faltering Cowcliffe team who have lost their last 5 fixtures and are fast slipping out of table top contention. The final fixture is between the two teams that may be settling for mid-table (ob)security as Lowerhouses welcome Waterloo with revived interest for the winners and worry for the losers as they edge towards the lower reaches and come within the range of the 5 teams scrambling away from the third-place drop.
The top three teams in Division 2 all have away matches this Tuesday with 2nd-placed Shepley 'A' having the most difficult-looking challenge away at Broad Oak 'A' who have won all 8 of their home fixtures to date. The leaders, Lindley Lib 'A' have lost their last 5 away games and go to play lowly Linthwaite Hall whilst Netherton Con 'A' have to play bottom-of-the-table Bradley & Colne who have only won one of their last nine fixtures. All this could develop into a good day for 4th-placed Lindley BC 'A' who are at home to New Mill 'A' although the visitors come only experiencing defeat once in their last six matches.
There is a key encounter at the foot of the table with the threat of four teams being relegated means that Hemplow 'A' and Holmfirth 'A' occupy two of those places and so their meeting this week is important to both of them. Almondbury BC 'A' and Thorpe Green are on the edge of that drop zone so both could do with the points from their match on Tuesday to put some daylight between the teams.
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