Only 2 unbeaten records left in 6-Man League
- Veterans League
- 7 hours ago
- 3 min read
Veterans League
Review of the Veterans 6-Man League results from matches played on Monday 1 June
With the two favourites in the semi-finals of the Julie Fuller Trophy meeting each other in this Division 1 fixture there was added interest in the outcome. If this was a rehearsal of the potential JFT Final then it does not augur well for Slaithwaite. Playing with home advantage, they still went down 2-5 to the Division 1 leaders Clayton West A. However, the close aggregate difference of 87-90, which counts in the JFT, plus the different match format of three pairs may be their lifesaver; time will tell.
Despite losing this match, Slaithwaite still moved up a place in the table to go fourth, but that was mainly down to a bad day for Milnsbridge A who went down 0-7 at Lindley Lib A. That enabled the Lindley team to move 8-points clear of the dropzone, whereas Milnsbridge dropped two places to sixth, having also been overtaken by Golcar C&BC who also had a 7-0 win when overwhelming the winless Thongsbridge A.
Marsh United kept the pressure on the leaders by winning away at Shepley A by 6-1 and Broad Oak A remain in the title-chasing mix after a good 99-95 away aggregate win (4-3 points win) at Waterloo. Skel Windmill A remain in the relegation places after a 1-6 loss at Netherton Con A who retain 8th place.
The key fixture in Division 2 this week saw the teams in 2nd and 3rd places meeting up with a 5-2 win for the home team New Mill A, who move up to take the second promotion place whilst Brockholes A drop two places to 4th spot, behind a Lockwood Con team that had a 6-1 away win at Milnsbridge B. Holmfirth A consolidated their lead at the top with a 5-2 away win at Denby Dale.
Longwood won for the first time this season with an encouraging 5-2 away win over Paddock I&C. That wasn't enough to lift them off the foot of the table but with a home fixture against a Milnsbridge B team that has lost its last three matches, there is a chance of a shake-up in the relegation battle looming.
There were big wins for the top three teams in Division 3, resulting in no change to the running order at the top of the table. All three teams had impressive results, with two of those teams winning away from home. Hemplow A winning 7-0 at Thorpe Green, the home of the Greenhead Park teams nowadays, to stay clear at the top. Crosland Moor won 6-1 away at Elland C&BC and Thongsbridge B stay 2ndafter a 7-0 home win over Lindley Lib B.
It is worth noting that there are only two unbeaten teams in the Six-Man League and they both reside in Division 3 with Hemplow A and Thongsbridge B looking forward to facing each other in two weeks' time.
With only 5 points separating the bottom 7 teams, things are very tight and fixtures between teams in that bunch become especially critical. There was only one such meeting this week when Linthwaite Hall won 5-2 away at Broad Oak B.
Marsh United were at the top of the Division 4 table before this Monday's fixtures but they ended the day in 4th place after a 2-5 home defeat at the hands of a struggling Shepley B side who were winning for only the second time this season. As the Marsh United side have played more matches than any of the other 11 teams in the Division it is difficult to see a way back into the promotion chase for them.
That win deservedly lifted the Shepley team off the bottom of the table dumping Brockholes D there instead after they went down 1-6 at home to the Division's top team Thongsbridge C. They are level on points with New Mill B but have a much better Aggregate For total whilst Meltham sit one point and one place behind the top pair after their 5-2 home win over Greenhead Park B.
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