Veterans 10-Man League
Preview of matches to be played on Tuesday 17 August
A really good-looking fixture at the top of Section 5 this Tuesday when the leaders, the Rugby Club, take on second-placed New Mill 'B' with both teams in good form. Both sides have 11-4 win records with identical home and away stats, have only 4 aggregate points bewteen them and they are two league points apart with the Rugby Club's current 4-match unbeaten run only surpassed by New Mill's 6-game winning run. Neither side can afford to lose this one heavily if they are to maintain hopes of lifting this title.
Section 1 leaders, Lockwood Con 'A', will be aiming to end a two-match run of losses when they host struggling Crosland Moor this Tuesday. A two-match run isn't their worse run of the season as they lost four June fixtures on the bounce and recovered from that to go top of the table and will be aiming to do the same again. The 2nd and 3rd placed teams meet at Golcar Lib 'A' where Elland C&BC 'A' are the visitors and they offer the greatest threat to Lockwood Cons' aspirations to retain the title for a record 7th successive season. Crosland Moor's plight is beginning to be a worry as the two teams below them, Thongsbridge 'A' and Netherton Con 'A' both picked up good home wins last week and the gap to a relegation spot is now just 6 points as it is for Meltham 'A' who travel to play the team immediately above them Lindley Lib 'A'. The bottom two both have home fixtures again this week and will be aiming to build on last week's successes when entertaining Cowcliffe and Longwood.
New Mill 'A' are on a 7-match unbeaten run of games in Section 2 which has elevated them to equal second in the table and this week they have home advantage over Bradley & Colne who have gone off the boil in recent weeks and currently only have one win from their last 6 matches. Whatever else happens we know that Kirkheaton Con 'A' will still top the table after the latest round of fixtures with a 21-point lead over the chasing pack and a home game against Lockwood Con 'B' who need the points to avoid a return to the relegation battle. That chasing pack consists of 5 teams separated by 4 points so lots of interest in the second promotion place which seems to change hands weekly. Broad Oak currently hold that position but have to go to relegation-threatened Kirkheaton C&BC 'A' who ended a 9-match losing run last week and will need to build on that if they are to have any chance of survival. Thorpe Green, Milnsbridge 'A' and Lindley BC 'A' are also in that pack and all have away games this week at Paddock I&C, Brockholes 'A' and Almondbury BC 'A' respectively.
Six points between the top four teams in Section 3 and only the leaders Lowerhouses are at home this week and as they have won all 8 of their previous home fixtures we wouldn't expect much deviation from that path this week. Lindley Lib 'B' are the visitors and their away record will hardly send shivers down the backs of the leaders. Slaithwaite are level with the leaders on points having won more matches (12 out of 15) than any other team in that section and will need to maintain that record at Marsh United 'B' to keep in touch. Still very much in the promotion race are Holmfirth 'A' and Golcar Lib 'B' who have matches at Springwood and Almondbury Lib this Tuesday. Lots to be sorted at the foot of the table with two of the teams in the drop zone meeting this week when bottom team Outlane have to travel to Meltham 'B'.
The top two teams in Section 4 have opened up a growing gap to the other contenders which probably will be maintained with just the matter of who claims the title to sort out between themselves. Huddersfield Recretaion Club hold a one-point lead over Denby Dale having played a game more and both are on good unbeaten runs (seven matches for the leaders and four for the Dale) and that may still be the case when the two teams meet each other next month. Third-placed Milnsbridge BC could still disrupt the best laid plans as they are still to play both teams but before then have to take on Almondbury BC 'B' this week. Kirkheaton Con 'B' are 10 points adrift at the foot of the table but the next 6 teams have only 9 points between them so meetings between each other will add to the drama and this week there is just one such meeting this week when the 'B' teams from Elland C&BC and Thongsbridge face each other.
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