AS far as the top three clubs in the Premiership are concerned it’s all to play for with just three games left and two points separating leaders Kirkburton, Honley and Delph & Dobcross.

Long-time leaders Delph – who were deposed last week – probably have the edge although they are now two points back, as they finish the season with three consecutive home games against Scholes (today), Shelley tomorrow and Broad Oak next week.

Leaders Kirkburton visit Slaithwaite today, followed by home games against Marsden and then Scholes, while Honley have a very difficult game today at Golcar, followed by a home tie with Elland, finally ending the season on the road at Slaithwaite.

So take your pick. My money’s staying in my pocket, but if I was gambling with somebody else’s I would probably put it solidly on Kirkburton!

At the wrong end of the table, Barkisland are all-but down, and it’s a toss-up between Slaithwaite, Shelley and Marsden as to who will join them, although Broad Oak are by no means safe and they do have a tough run-in with three away games against Shepley, Scholes and Delph.

Marsden are also away for the three-game finish, at Hoylandswaine, Kirkburton and Shepley.

Slaithwaite do have three home games to conclude a strange fixture set-up, but two of them are against title-chasing Kirkburton and Honley, so the feeling at Hill Top is that they need to beat Skelmanthorpe to have a chance of avoiding slipping into the Frank Platt Championship.

Which brings us nicely round to the point of ‘who exactly wants to go up?’

Leaders Clayton West, Hall Bower and Meltham all managed to pull off a defeat last week, and although in fourth place and trailing by nine points maybe even Lepton Highlanders are not out of it yet, although the Championship and Conference clubs have only two games remaining.

The bottom of the table is also tight with Paddock and Holmfirth separated by just two points, and the latter scrapping for all their worth after losing a total of 24 points during the season for playing an ineligible player (without which stricture they would have been joint top).

Almondbury are also very much in the relegation mix and there will be a few anxious brows at Fernside as they close with home games against Clayton West and Lepton.

In the Conference, Armitage Bridge will attempt to pull off a unique achievement by not losing a League match all season (they have been deprived a 100 per cent winning record by the rain when they lost out to the weather at Micklehurst).

Thongsbridge are destined to join them in the Championship next season, with League newcomers Cawthorne finishing a brave third in their first-ever season.