Preview of games on 21 & 22 May

 

League leaders Wakefield Thornes make the short trip down the M1 to Shaw Lane for a ‘top against bottom’ encounter with Barnsley Woolley Miners. Last years’ games between the two both went the way of the visiting sides. Second-placed Tickhill are at home to a Whiston side that have lost their last four games; whilst Appleby Frodingham in third will hope to get quickly back to winning ways at home to bottom-four side Cawthorne. The joint-fifth and seventh-placed sides meet at Abbeydale; Sheffield Collegiate, with three wins in their last four, hosting a Doncaster side who have won their last three - the Abbeydale side won both encounters last year, but this could be a close game. The other joint-fifth side, Whitley Hall, who have won their last two, host the side immediately above them, Cleethorpes, who will want to bounce back after their defeat at home to Collegiate last week and maintain their top four position. Finally, Treeton, who ended a three-match losing run with last week’s home win over Barnsley, visit an Elsecar side that has won only once so far, also against Barnsley, in a fixture won comfortably by the home side last year. 

 

 

There will be a very interesting game in the Championship at Moor Road tomorrow, when leaders Hallam visit third-placed Wath. The home side may be inconsistent, but can be expected to provide a stern test of Hallam’s promotion credentials. Aston Hall remain second, despite losing to Shiregreen last week, and will hope to return to winning ways against bottom side Sheffield Collegiate 2nds; and Wickersley will be looking for a third consecutive win, to add momentum to their promotion challenge, when they host eleventh-placed Rockingham. Houghton Main, just two points behind Wickersley, go to Sprotbrough, just two places below them, hoping to repeat last season’s comfortable win there, thus keeping their own hopes very much alive. Shiregreen, level with Houghton Main, are at home to Conisbrough, who have won their last two games, and the sides are separated by just eight points in a congested mid-table – only ten points separating fourth and eighth. Finally, Barnsley Woolley Miners 2nds, so narrowly beaten by Houghton Main last week, pay their first visit to Green Moor, who have struggled in recent weeks after a promising start. 

 

 

The top two teams in Division 1, Doncaster Town 2nds and Darfield, both have home games this weekend. Town currently top the table by eight points and face bottom side Oughtibridge, who are yet to win a game. Darfield also host a team towards the bottom, but Sheffield Collegiate 3rds do have two victories to their name. There is a gap to third place, where Coal Aston are ten points below the front-runners, and they also have a home game, against Whitley Hall 2nds, and will hope to keep up the pace. Elsewhere, fourth-placed Sheffield United play host to strugglers South Kirkby; Upper Haugh go to Wakefield Thornes 2nds with the clubs separated just by two points in fifth and sixth respectively; and Warmsworth entertain a Rotherham Town four points above them. 

 

 

Wickersley Old Village 2nds sit top of Division 2 by 10 points after continuing their winning start to the season last weekend, and their game this week comes away at mid-table Hatfield Town. The two chasing teams are Ackworth and Norton Woodseats - they face-off at Graves Park in what promises to be an intriguing fixture. At the opposite end of the table, Caribbean are still looking for their first win, and are at home to fourth-placed Norton Oakes. To cap off the weekend’s games, mid-table Hallam 2nds play host to Monk Bretton, who are just one place off the bottom; Penistone go to Thorpe Hesley & High Green in a bottom-four tussle; and fifth-placed Treeton 2nds welcome mid-table Aston Hall 2nds. 

 

 

It’s bottom versus top in Division 3 as unbeaten Elsecar 2nds travel to Oughtibridge 2nds. Knowing that the latter side are likely to drop points, joint-bottom Thorncliffe & Wentworth will hope to pull away when they host Kexborough. Tickhill 2nds sit in second, behind the league leaders by ten points, and with an away game at tenth-placed Whiston Parish Church 2nds to contend with. Just two points behind Tickhill are Parkhead, who entertain Sprotbrough 2nds in sixth. The other fixtures are at Worsbrough Bridge, who entertain fifth-placed Wath 2nds; and at Frecheville, where the home side, in fourth place, play Bradfield Village Fellowship in ninth. 

 

 

Unbeaten Division 4 leaders Millhouses Works face a tough test this weekend as they travel to play Rockingham Colliery 2nds, who have won three of their five games this season. Cawthorne 2nds and Sheffield Collegiate 4ths are level on points, twelve points behind the league leaders, and they host tenth-placed Whiston Forge and Maltby Miners Welfare in eighth, respectively. Bottom side Silkstone United are the only team in the division without a win, and need to win their game at home to second-bottom Shiregreen 2nds, in orderf to avoid being cut adrift from the rest of the division. Elsewhere, Barnsley Woolley Miners 3rds in fourth will host seventh-placed Handsworth and ninth club Stocksbridge will entertain Higham, three places and four points above them. 

 

 

There’s a tight race at the top of Division 5, with Wombwell Main, Doncaster Town 3rds and Upper Haugh 2nds all separated by just two points. Wombwell and Upper Haugh both have home games, against Hallam 3rds in ninth and eighth-placed Sheffield University Staff, respectively, while Town have a trip to seventh team Conisbrough 2nds to contend with. Norton Oakes 2nds are the only team in the league to have not won a game, and they are at home to Coal Aston 2nds in sixth. To wrap up the weekend’s games, next-to-bottom Mexborough host Darfield 2nds, one place and four points above them; and the clubs in joint-fourth, Fishlake and Rotherham Town 2nds, meet at Clifton Lane. 

 

 

Last week, leaders Thorpe Hesley & High Green 2nds continued their unbeaten start to the season, and their next test comes away at fifth-placed Penistone 2nds. At the opposite end of the table, Caribbean 2nds remain the only team without a win with their latest fixture coming at Sprotbrough 2nds in joint-seventh. Joint-third Sheffield United 2nds will have the chance to move above Wickersley Old Village 3rds into second when they play their game in hand at ninth-placed Whitley Hall 3rds. The other two fixtures of the weekend see the other two joint-third clubs, Green Moor 2nds and Bradfield Village Fellowship 2nds, meet at Bradfield; and joint-seventh Handsworth 2nds host next-to-bottom Barnsley Woolley Miners 4ths. 

 

 

Joint-second Brookhouse and Ackworth 2nds will be looking to keep up their pressure on top side Higham 2nds in Division 7, knowing they both have a game in hand. The former travel to Eden Grove Parklands in eighth while the latter host Mexborough 2nds in joint-sixth. Higham’s lead at the top is twelve points and they will be hoping to keep up the pressure on the teams below them when they travel to joint-fourth Warmsworth 2nds. Elsewhere in the division, Millhouses Works 2nds, in ninth, entertain joint-sixth Frecheville Community 2nds; and the bottom two meet at the Castle Ground, where Thorncliffe & Wentworth 2nds play bottom side Monk Bretton 2nds. 

 

 

Hatfield Town 2nds top Division 8 by ten points and will look to continue their strong start to the season at Fishlake 2nds, down in eighth place. If the leaders drop points, Houghton Main 2nds will hope to be able to close the gap when they host Wath 3rds, who are second bottom. Doncaster Town 4ths, in joint-fourth, will also be eyeing 12 points when they host bottom club Silkstone United 2nds. Level with Doncaster 4ths are Stocksbridge 2nds, who face a trip to Scholes. Elsewhere, Rockingham Colliery 3rds inn ninth are at home to sixth club Worsbrough Bridge 2nds. 

 

 

Whiston Forge 2nds will seek to keep up their 100% record at the top of Division 9 with a home game against second-bottom Rockingham Colliery 4ths. Adwick-le-Street are second, twelve points behind, and they travel to Kexborough 2nds in sixth. Saturday’s other two games are at Rose Lane, where seventh-placed Brookhouse 2nds host Eden Grove Parklands 2nds, a place below them; and in a third versus fourth clash, Hampole & Skelbrooke playing Upper Haugh 3rds. On Sunday, Sheffield United 3rds, the bottom and only winless team, are at home to mid-table Wombwell Main 2nds. 

 

 

Sunday sees the first matchday for the YCSPL t20 Blast competition, with games at Cleethorpes (where the visitors are last year’s finalists Barnsley Woolley Miners, and Tickhill), Treeton (the visitors there being champions Appleby Frodingham, and Elsecar), Wakefield Thornes (visitors Doncaster Town and Sheffield Collegiate) and Whitley Hall (visitors Cawthorne and Whiston Parish Church). Games start at 10.00, 13.15 and 16.30. Two points are awarded for a win and one for a tie or no result – all points go into a combined table of all 12 Premier Division clubs. The top four will play off in the finals day at Elsecar on Sunday 14 August. 

 

 

The second round of the President’s Trophy will be played on Sunday, and there are seven games, at Kexborough, Oughtibridge, Sprotbrough, Stocksbridge, Upper Haugh, Wath and Whiston Parish Church. The outstanding Billy Oates Memorial Cup second round game also takes place at Caribbean Sports. 

 

Full fixtures and league tables