Division 4 title race hots up

Winter League

Preview of Monday's fixtures in Divisions 4 & 10

Three more Monday fixture programmes for the Division 4 teams playing at Primrose Hill Lib and two of those days are catch-up fixtures postponed on days in December when the green was unplayable. Realistically only three teams remain in the fight for promotion and the Division's Champions title. There are just 6 points between the home team of Primrose Hill Lib, Netherton Con A and Elland WMC.

The Elland team has featured in the top two positions almost all season but they haven't matched the recent results of their two prime rivals Primrose HIll Lib and Netherton Con A who have both won their last four fixtures to claim the two promotion places. On paper the Elland team has the easiest of fixtures this week when they take on bottom-of-the-table Huddersfield Recreation Club A.

The most difficult looking run-in to the end of the season seems to rest with Netherton Con A who have to play their two main rivals for honours in their final two matches. That of course works both wins as if they win both of those matches then the title looks to be a formality. Yet the host team enjoy a 4-points lead which is a great start to the race to take the title.

At the other end of the table the relegation fight features three teams separated by seven points and all three will carry hopes of climbing out of danger. Two of those teams meet each other this Monday when Brockholes A (36pts) take on Lindley Lib C (33pts) and certainly the Lindley team cannot afford to let the Badgers extend that lead any further. When the two teams met earlier in the season it was Brockholes that took the honours in a 6-2 win, how they would love to repeat that result again this Monday.

Division 10 features eight new teams to the league and the top two look nailed on to take the two promotion places although with 5 matches still to play lots can still happen. Rastrick and Thongsbridge have opend up an eleven points lead over the chasing pack although only one point separates the teams from each other. Maybe things will stay that way until the final day of the season when they play each other. Meanwhile they will chip away at the other teams to try and extend the gap between them starting this week when both teams will expect to notch up good wins to support their title aspirations.

The bottom two teams are Outlane B and Holmfirth B who are locked together on 22 points and this Monday they face each other whilst the team immediately above them in the table have to play the leaders, Thongsbridge. A real opportunity for one of the teams to close in on that precious third from the bottom and safe from relegation place.