WHATEVER one’s opinion of the District League, there’s one thing that cannot be denied and that is the competitive nature of its matches.

Last week there were 36 League matches played and, of those, four were draws and 16 were settled by the odd goal – 56% still in doubt come the final whistle.

Goals were in abundance as well, with the most popular score of the week being 4-3 – six matches finished with that score.

Another match saw both sides share the points in a 5-5 draw, but that tally was equalled when Berry Brow A beat Holmbridge Reserves 6-4 in a Reserve Division III fixture.

These two teams met in the semi-final of the Gee Cup last season when the Brow raced into a 4-1 lead. Holmbridge fought back and eventually went through to the final on penalties.

With that history, a high-scoring game could have been expected, especially taking into account the underfoot conditions.

Wet to start with, fog and heavy rain during the match and the field resembling a battlefield by the end.

This win keeps alive the Brow’s chance of promotion – before last week’s game, they were in fourth place – five points and two positions behind their rivals Holmbridge Reserves.

A 6-4 victory leaves them just two points off a promotion place.

Just as in their semi-final, Brow started well and goals from Josh Tyndall and Johnny Lodge gave them a 2-0 lead. Holmbridge pulled one back through Craig Hill but the two-goal advantage was restored within a minute.

Paul Ellis collected the ball 30 yards out and set off on a run. He was dispossessed on the edge of the box but quickly won the ball back and fired home.

Holmbridge made it 3-2 when Joe Day converted a long throw. Then Holmbridge almost drew level. Dave Reed beat two defenders, rounded the keeper and rolled the ball towards the empty net. He wheeled about in celebration only to see his effort stick in the quagmire!

In the early minutes of the second half, Brow were back two in front again with another Lodge goal.

There was then a comparative lull in the scoring until Liam Walton increased the lead to 5-2.

But the game was far from over. Back came Holmbridge with two more goals from Reed and Chris Heywood and at 5-4 the game was still in the balance until Dave Atkinson scored Brow’s sixth to secure the points five minutes from time.

In Reserve Division IV, the top four played each other. Fourth placed Holmfirth Town Reserves beat second placed Scissett Reserves 5-0, but the other game was one of the 4-3 matches.

Before kick-off, Meltham B were third in the table two points adrift of AFC Lindley Reserves.

The goals came in twos. Firstly, Richard Lamb and Mark Greenwood gave Meltham a two-goal advantage but then Lindley replied with a couple from Adam Clay and Chris Riley.

Two goals from close range by Meltham’s Chris Murphy meant that his side led 4-2 with just 15 minutes still to play.

Lindley fought back for a second time but could only manage one with a Pete Howard effort. Overall it was a good competitive game for the bottom division and the points could easily have been shared, but Lindley were thwarted by both the upright and Meltham’s keeper Josh Hill.

Another of the 4-3 scorelines in this division saw Cumberworth B record their first win of the season just seven days after picking up their first point in Reserve Division II. Leaders Meltham Athletic A’s match was postponed and with the three sides below them all winning, Meltham drop to fourth.

Uppermill A go top followed by Shelley Reserves but the interesting fact is at this time, four of the top five all are ‘A’ teams.

None of these can be promoted as they cannot compete in a division on which their reserve team already play – Reserve Division I.

The League Rules then allow for promotion to fall to the next highest-placed club, which in the current table is sixth-placed Westend Reserves.

One of the odd goal differences in Division I concerned the “Jekyll and Hyde” team – Netherton.

Only seven days earlier, they had lost to Shepley, a team claiming their first win of the season, while last week, they became the first to inflict a League defeat on current champions Hepworth United.

They seem to have the habit of raising their game against the top clubs – they have also beaten Newsome – but when they face teams from below, it’s their opponents that do the “raising of their game”.

Coaches Alan Wadsworth and Owen Baines were without seven of the first-team squad due to injuries and work commitments so the bench was full of second teamers.

Andy Haigh scored a hat trick against Hepworth but that nearly wasn’t enough.

Leading 3-2 in the last minute, Netherton conceded a corner. It was played into the area where Hepworth’s keeper Adam Lawlor rose and headed towards goal only for it to be kneed over the bar.

Division II has had several different teams at the top lately and, bar the fog, there would have been another.

Shelley led 2-0 at Cumberworth but the game was abandoned after 59 minutes because of the fog.

Because of that, Heywood Irish retain the top spot despite dropping a couple of points in a 5-5 draw at Skelmanthorpe.

But there are changes below them – Heyside lost 4-3 to the inform Britannia Sports, so 2-1 wins for both Kirkheaton Rovers and Meltham Athletic see them move into second and third respectively.

Of the top five clubs in Division Four, one had their game postponed and three lost.

One of the losers was Hade Edge who went down 6-2 to the only winners in the top five, AFC Lindley. This win maintained Lindley’s 100% record, they are still six points behind Hade Edge but have played four fewer matches.

With Brighouse OB and Thornhill United losing the dangers to the top two as regards promotion seem likely to be Aimbry and possibly Moorside.