Amateur Focus - Part 5

Amateur Focus - Part 5

Over the next few weekends we’ll see all the National Conference League clubs completing their regular season.  Celebrations have begun already in the lower leagues whilst Siddal rounded off another fantastic campaign last weekend.

Premier Division

As I said above it’s been another successful year for Siddal who will go into the Play-offs as NCL Minor Premiers for the second consecutive season.  They will aim to go all the way and make a third successive appearance in the Premier Division Grand Final and keep hold of the trophy they won against Leigh Miners Rangers last October.

Having finished their league fixtures alongside Rochdale Mayfield at the weekend they’ll have a couple of weeks off now before they return to the field in pursuit of that goal.

Joining them in the Playoffs are second placed Thatto Heath Crusaders, third placed Mayfield, Wath Brow Hornets who are fourth, and the 2014 NCL champions West Hull.

Kells lie sixth with a game in hand on Egremeont Rangers and Myton Warriors so they will be favourites to claim that final Play-off spot.

At the bottom end of the table, Leigh Miners claimed only their third win of the season after succumbing to relegation the previous weekend, and it’s a three-way battle between Wigan St Patricks, Pilkington Recs and Skirlaugh for the final two relegation spots.  St Pats have a point advantage going into the final round of fixtures.

Division One

Moving into the second tier there are still a couple of weekends of fixtures remaining but Underbank Rangers and Hunslet Club Parkside sit nine points clear of the chasing pack and have claimed the two automatic promotion spots.

Milford Marlins are the only team to have claimed a Play-off spot so far whilst four teams will battle it out for the three other places over the next couple of weekends.  York Acorn are in pole position, a point ahead of both Lock Lane and Normanton Knights.  Seventh placed Ince Rose Bridge are a further three points behind but still mathematically have a chance of sneaking into the top six.

Shaw Cross Sharks can rest easy for another season as, even though they cannot make the Play-offs, they are safe from relegation.

Any three of the current bottom four cold still go down.  Bottom the of the league Blackbrook won at the weekend to move them six points behind safety, and with a game in hand can still mathematically remain in the division.

But safety should go the way of Hull Dockers who are three points above the drop zone.  Hunslet Warriors and Featherstone Lions are the two other teams still fighting for survival.

Division Two

Three teams are still in contention of claiming one of the two automatic promotion spots in Division Two with one round left to play.  Oulton Raiders are top as it stands – a point ahead of Thornhill Trojans and four ahead of third placed Wigan St Judes.

Because of St Judes’ game in hand they could still claim top spot and effectively drop Oulton into the Play-offs if Thornhill also win their last game but with such a far superior points difference the Raiders are all but there.

Bradford Dudley Hill are also guaranteed a Play-off place for the end of the year.  Fifth placed East Leeds and sixth placed Askam are level on points and both four points above Crosfields.  Askam and Crossfields do have a game in hand so East Leeds will be watching their results closely if this weekend goes against them.

At the bottom, Millom will join Salford City Roosters in the bottom tier in 2018 after their home defeat to St Judes put them five points behind Leigh East with one game to play.  Also safe are Saddleworth Rangers and Drighlington.

Division Three

Because Elland and Rylands Sharks resigned mid-way through the season, there are still three weekends of fixtures to play in this division.  However, West Bowling made sure of their automatic promotion with victory at the weekend but can still be caught for the title by Stanningley who lie four points behind in second.

As they have played a game less than Desbury Moor Maroons above them, Eastmoor Dragons can still claim not only automatic promotion, but also the league title as they are six points behind Wests with three games to play.  Moor Maroons are level on points with Eastmoor but have played a game more and sit a place above them on points’ difference.

Moor Maroons can still claim the second automatic promotion spot though, as can fifth placed Woolston Rovers and are both guaranteed at least a Play-off spot.

Sixth placed Gateshead Storm can’t finish higher than fifth but can still be caught by any of Oldham St Annes, Clock Face Miners and Barrow Island for that final top six position – so it’s all to play for as we go into the final three weeks.

Dewsbury Celtic and Stanley Rangers are nine points behind the Islanders but both should avoid finishing bottom as Waterhead Warriors have only two points to their name thanks to a four point deduction received earlier in the campaign.

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