Heavy Woollen Cup Final: Opportunity knocks for Hanging Heaton and New Farnley to guarantee silverware

EXPECTANT: Hanging Heaton captain, Gary Fellows.

Granted, the former still have a fighting chance of the championship with two games to go, although leaders Pudsey St Lawrence are now favourites after last weekend’s win over Farnley, which extended their lead to 13 points.

Today, St Lawrence should prove far too strong for crisis club Scholes, with Farnley facing a tough game against fourth-placed visitors Methley – mindful that defeat would most likely hand the title to their Tofts Road rivals.

Attention on Sunday will switch to Spen Victoria where the rearranged Heavy Woollen Cup final will be staged (11.30am start) and it should be a cracker.

Hanging Heaton captain Gary Fellows, whose side are fighting for cup silverware on three fronts in September, said: “We have three finals over three weekends and there is still lots to play for.

“We are disappointed we are in the position we were are in the league. The two games we will look back on are the games at New Farnley and the loss at home to Pudsey.

“We definitely had opportunities to win both games which is a disappointing thing when we look back. We could have gone into the last three games of the season with everyone kind of chasing us, but it was not to be and we probably let ourselves down a bit in those two games.

“So we have lacked a bit of consistency in the league, which we had last year.

“But the flip side is we have three big games over the next three Sunday’s.”

Admitting that the likelihood that both finalists will miss out on the league front will give added importance to Sunday, Fellows, whose side are in third spot in the table, added: “Possibly, it has – although we will know more by Saturday night.

“But I guess that on Sunday morning Farnley especially will know where they are with the league.

“They have shown they are a professional outfit over the past few years and I am expecting a final between two good teams who know each other quite well. Hopefully, it will be a good game for everyone watching.”