Monday fixture programme previewed

Veterans League

Preview of the 6-Man League fixtures scheduled for Monday 11 August

Fourth-placed Skel Windmill A are in their best winning run of the season after winning their last five Division 1 fixtures in style. Now comes the biggest test of their newfound form with a trip to play second-placed Waterloo who are desperate for a win to reduce the gap to the leaders after narrowly losing to them last week. Clayton West need to end a run of losses in their last two away fixtures when they play away at mid-table Netherton Con A. Marsh United A are in that title-chasing mix as well and they face a difficult away match at 5th placed Shepley A where they have an unblemished home record of 7 wins from 7 matches.

At the other end of the table there is a bottom two clash as Brockholes A host New Mill A and a defeat for the bottom team could see them seriously adrift of safety. Golcar C&BC will be keen to put some daylight between themselves and the bottom two with a home match against Slaithwaite. However the Golcar C&BC home record is the worst in the Division with only 2 wins from 7 matches which is the reason they sit perilously close to the relegation places. Thongsbridge A are conscious of the threat of dropping into the relegation fight and an away match at Milnsbridge A this Monday will not help their cause at all.

Broad Oak A will lose their position at the top of the Division 2 table as they sit out this week's round of matches and have to see which of the two teams immediately behind them take the top spot from them. With that two-some of Holmfirth A and Lindley Lib A playing each other, the winner of that encounter will probably be top of the pile on Monday evening. The Lindley team are in a great run of 4 wins from their last 4 fixtures including beating the leaders on their own green last week. With home advantage they will be favourites to take over in the lead in the race for the title.

Hope is rapidly disappearing for Thongsbridge B in their fight to stay in Division 2 as they sit 16 points from safety and that could be even worse after this week's trip to play Brockholes B who are really one of the teams they should be looking to pass if they are intent on avoiding the drop. Longwood have a better chance of moving out of the dropzone but they face a trip to play at Marsh Lib B who still have hopes of joining in the promotion push.

Division 3 leaders Almondbury Lib lost their last home match for their first defeat anywhere this season and will be keen to address that setback when they return to home soil for a match against third-placed Denby Dale this Monday. Second-placed Milnsbridge B will be watching the outcome of that fixture with added interest. They are 14-points behind the leaders and may prefer to pin their hopes of promotion above any aspiration to win the title. With Denby Dale being the biggest threat to those promotion hopes their allegiance may be for a big Almondbury Lib win but thy need to top that up by gaining some points from their away match at Marsh Lib B.

Hemplow A don't have a match this week so allowing Holmfirth B a clear run to move out of their reach with a home fixture against Lindley Lib B who are still basking in the success of being the team to end the leaders' winning run. That achievement must have given them some confidence in improving their mid-table position which will not be welcomed at Holmfirth this week. The Holmfirth team will be looking upwards to the Elland C&BC points total, which has to be their next target if they harbour any hopes of escaping relegation this year.

There is a top versus bottom clash in Division 4 this Monday with the leaders, Hemplow B, at home to bottom team Thongsbridge C. With Hemplow B intent on swapping places with their Division 3 A team clubmates making it a mountain to climb for the Thongsbridge team who will have been heartened by their first win since April last Monday when they won away at Brockholes C. This week's opponents are unlikely to be so vulnerable to the hopes of the bottom team.

The 2nd from top team play the 2nd from bottom team as Marsh United B host Shepley B and anything other than a big home win would be a shock result. The Marsh outfit are under pressure to hang on to the second promotion place with four teams within range of overtaking them. Those four teams meet each other this week as Clayton West B host Netherton Con B and Skel Windmill B entertain Greenhead Park B. From this will emerge the main threat to Marsh Lib B's promotion hopes.