Logjam in Division 3 promotion chase

Veterans League

Review of Tuesday's results from Divisions 3,4&5 of the Veterans 10-Man League

What a logjam we have in Division 3 with four teams fighting for the second promotion place and only separated by one point. Two of those four teams suffered unexpected 1-8 defeats

as Brockholes A and Linthwaite Hall tasted away defeats at Thorpe Green and Hemplow A, respectively, which damaged their chances of featuring more strongly in the promotion race. Hemplow A are also in that poised group of four and it was they who saw off Linthwaite Hall's challenge with such aplomb.

Springwood are also in that group of four contenders and they also lost their match this week going down 3-6 to Slaithwaite who really needed the points as well to keep them out of the two relegation places.

Holmfirth A will also consider themselves as a promotion challenger despite being on the wrong end of another 1-8 scoreline with Paddock I&C being the victors. They are now only 5 points from the second promotion place. The leaders, Almondbury Lib, watched all these results with a degree of disbelief and a lot of satisfaction, They clocked up a 7-2 away win over Lindley Lib B and then produced a 14-point lead at the top, an increase of 6 points from last week.

There was also some activity at the foot of the table as the bottom two went head-to-head. Marsh Lib A won the match by 7-2 to swap places with Lockwood Con B and the gap to safety is now a bigger 9-points difference.

Skel Windmill continue their relentless march to the Division 4 title with a 21-points lead over Kirkheaton C&BC A after a 7-2 home win over Primrose Hill Lib. The Kirkheaton side were pushed all the way by Thongsbridge B before collecting a 5-4 win to stay second.

Milnsbridge B had a setback to their promotion push when losing 3-6 at home to an unpredictable Huddersfield RUBC team. The Rugby Club move back into contention as a result and move level with Marsh United B who lost 4-5 at David Brown Sports, a loss that keeps them in the relegation places. Meltham B and Primrose Hill Lib both lost their fixtures and sit just above the bottom two but within range of David Brown Sports.

Hemplow were the only Division 5 top-three team to lose this week and that defeat saw their gap to the promotion places grow to 7-points. Big wins for the top two as Kirkheaton Con B won 9-0 for the first time this season when beating Kirkheaton C&BC B for the second time in 3 days after their Sub-Team KO success over the same opponents. Brockholes B stay on their heels after an 8-1 home win over Greenhead Park.