NPL excitement builds with just three weeks to go

With the top three split by 33 points it’s make or break for title hopes, while at the ‘wrong end’, the bottom four are just eight points apart.

Clifton Village v Mansfield Hosiery Mills

Despite being abandoned last weekend, the home side moved up one place in the standings to ninth, but sit a mere eight points above the bottom side.

Visitors MHM have won their last three away matches, but are yet to secure their status as a top half of the table side.


Kimberley Institute v Hucknall

Kimberley’s long run without a win continued last week, their abandonment stretching the run of futility to 12 weeks.

Hucknall secured enough bonus points last week to close the gap up at the bottom of the table such that the bottom three teams are only two points apart.

Plumtree v Nottinghamshire CCC Academy

Plumtree secured a big win over Radcliffe last weekend, which enabled them to close the gap on leaders Cuckney to 11 points, and having won both of their last two home matches will be confident of keeping the pressure on this weekend. The Academy have surged to fourth place in the table over the last few weeks, and will be keen to secure that position for season’s end.

Radcliffe-on-Trent v Cuckney

The home side have just one win in the last 10 games played on their own ground, and with the leaders coming to visit and a margin of only 19 points between them and second from bottom, they will know an upturn in fortune is required.

For Cuckney, it’s 15 weeks since they last lost a match, so despite seeing their lead eaten into last weekend, they know that keeping that run going should be enough to get them over the line.

Welbeck v Ordsall Bridon

This might be the biggest game of the weekend, with these sides sitting in 11th and 10th places respectively, split by just a single point.

Defeat for either could be terminal.

Although both sides have just one win from their last 10, Welbeck’s record at home is good, just one defeat, while Bridon have just one win on their travels.

With the knowledge that the loser is likely to find themselves bottom come the end of the day this will be about who handles that pressure best.

West Indian Cavaliers v Caythorpe

Having their match at MHM cancelled without a ball bowled last week, meant Cavs lost more ground on the top two, so they will know they will have to win all of their remaining matches to stand any chance of over hauling the sides above them.

It has been 13 weeks since their last defeat, and with six wins out of nine games at Birchover Park, they will believe they can get the job done here.

Caythorpe come off a valuable win last week which leaves them needing to find 23 points over the last three matches to secure NPL status.