Pile-up in bid for Division 3 promotion

Veterans League

Review of the Division 3,4&5 results from Tuesday 16 September in the 10-Man League

Almondbury Lib finally clinched promotion and the Division 3 title after heading the table almost all season. A 7-2 home win over Marsh Lib A finally completed the business. However it has left one hell of a mess to sort out, which one of the next 4 teams is to be promoted alongside them. It was a bad day for Springwood after losing at home to Hemplow A by 4-5 they slipped two places to 4th position but that still leaves them in contention being only one point off the second promotion place.

Hemplow A move into 3rd place level on points with Linthwaite Hall in second place after that win, with Brockholes A still in contention in 5th place and two points off the second promotion spot. Brockholes won 5-4 at Holmfirth A which finally (if not mathematically) eliminated the losers from the promotion chase. There are just too many teams between them and 2nd place to make it happen and surely all four will not falter at the final hurdle?

Things are much more straightforward at the foot of the table as 2-7 defeats for Marsh Lib A and Lockwood Con B finally sealed their fates and sent them down into Division 4.

After Skel Windmill clinched the Division 4 title last week it was the turn of Kirkheaton C&BC A to claim the second promotion place after a 6-3 away win at David Brown Sports on Tuesday. They were done a favour by Skel Windmill who beat third-placed Milnsbridge B by 7-2 to enable the Yetton Boys to finally shake their rivals off and can now cruise to the end of the season knowing that the job has been done.

Despite an excellent 6-1 home win over Meltham B, Netherton Con B ran out of time and are relegated back down to Division 4 after their promotion last year. Joining them will be either Primrose Hill Lib or David Brown Sports and ironically, both teams were also promoted from Division 5 last season. With David Brown Sports losing to the Champions it was left to the Pip Hill team to falter and go down heavily 1-6 to Ravensknowle Park. The last day fixture programme will determine the outcome with the two on the verge both having to travel to play the teams in 2nd and 3rd places with the 3-point gap between them looking increasingly like a lot to recover from, making DB Sports the more likely benefactors of the day.

It is a very close climax to the Division 5 season with Brockholes B and Kirkheaton Con B level on 128 points, both needing one point from their final fixtures to secure promotion. The Badgers are in poll position for the title with the better Aggregate For total (2723-2663) which may still come in as the decisive factor come next Tuesday.