Winter League
Preview of the Divisions 1 and 2 fixture programmes for Wednesday 25 January
Big game in Division 1 this week with Lower Hopton and Thorpe Green 'A' separated by a single point at the top of the table and facing each other this Wednesday. Lower Hopton are the defending Champions but both teams dropped points last week in drawn matches when they would normally have expected to take the majority of the points.
Both teams are unbeaten in their last four matches but this is the big one as the remaining fixture list shows.
REMAINING FIXTURES
​ | LOWER HOPTON | THORPE GREEN |
25 Jan | Thorpe Green | Lower Hopton |
1 Feb | Kirkheaton Con | Lindley BC |
8 Feb | Lindley BC | Clayton West |
There is equal interest and tension at the foot of the table with Lindley BC 'A' all but destined for the bottom-of-the-table position and the relegation that goes with it. But who is going to go down with them? It could all come down to the better Aggregate For totals which is the deciding factor if point totals are level. The next four teams are all level on 44 points with some intriguing encounters lined up for this Wednesday.
Lindley BC 'A' take on Kirkheaton Con and Lindley Lib 'A' go up against the New Millers with every point crucial in this backs-to-the-wall stance which will culminate in two weeks' time on the final day of the season no doubt. Although Clayton West sit in third place in the table they are only 2 points away from a relegation place but 13 points from top spot. They are 2 points ahead of the pack of four and cannot afford to relax in their match this week against Meltham who themselves are desperate for points to avoid an immediate return to Division 2. When the two teams met earlier in the season they drew 4-4 and neither team would be happy with that outcome this week.
This is all building up to a grand finale climax when the four teams currently locked together on 44 points are scheduled to play each other on the last day of the season. Meltham v New Millers and Kirkheaton Con v Lindley Lib are final-day fixtures and none of the four will be wanting to be within range of the second relegation place at that time.
A win for Division 2 leaders Lindley BC 'A' over third-placed Milnsbridge 'A' would almost clinch promotion for them but neither side is in their best form of the season. Lindley BC have only won one of their last four, whilst Milnsbridge have won just two of their last six. Not promotion form for either of the candidates. Lowerhouses 'A' are tucked in between these two teams and just 4 points off the leaders with their last 3 matches against teams in the bottom four and set up for a strong finish.
Lowerhouses play 3rd from bottom Denby Dale this week who need the points for a different reason as they are within range of the fast-finishing Jackson Bridge team who are unbeaten in their last 6 matches and now just 4 points behind them and safety. This week Jackson Bridge play bottom of the table Rastrick 'A' and the last match of the season between Jackson Bridge and Denby Dale increasingly looks like a relegation decider. Picking up points before then will be very important to both teams so the pressure is really on already.
A defeat this week for Springwood 'A' against Lockwood Con this week could leave them right in the relegation mire but not having won any of their last 5 matches leaves them fearing the worse.
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