Lindley derby match coming up

Winter League

Preview of the Wednesday fixtures in Divisions 3 and 5

Denby Dale started the season with a 10-points penalty for declining promotion at the end of the 2024-25 season

The Lindley derby match is always important to both teams for local bragging rights but this time it could directly change matters at the top and bottom of the Division 3 table. The Lindley Lib B team sit in third place in the table and need to better Slaithwaite's result on Wednesday to move ahead of them and into the promotion places. The Lindley BC B side stand in their way but having lost all four matches to date may not offer the threat that would normally be associated with a derby match. However they have had a difficult start to the season against the top two teams along with the sleeping Denby Dale side who have overcome the 10-point 'declined promotion' penalty.

On present form it would be a surprise if Almondbury BC B didn't beat Thorpe Green C to confirm their top of the table position and similar for second-placed Slaithwaite as well who face Springwood A. Lockwood Con A have the difficult stance of facing a rampart Denby Dale team intent on gate-crashing the title race despite their penalty of -10 points.

Three teams all on the same 14 points mark after two rounds of fixtures in Division 5. Only 3 points difference in the Aggregate For column and all manage to avoid each other for another week. On paper Mirfield Old Bank has the most difficult opponent this Wednesday when they take on 4th placed Dalton. Based on results to date that shouldn't present much of an obstacle to the team top of the table. The same could be said of Mirfield A team who play Kirkheaton C&BC A whilst Jackson Bridge take on Paddock I&C. All three top teams look nailed on to extend their winning runs and can expect there to be no more than two points between any of them at the end of play.

That just leaves the bottom two teams who play each other with every chance of moving out of the drop zone. Thorpe Green B and Milnsbridge C are the two teams involved and this is an opportunity to rally around and look upwards with the teams immediately above them all pre-occupied with fending off top three opposition when they should have been looking over their shoulders at the emerging threat of being overtaken.