2014-2015 SEASON SUMMARY
CHAMPIONS: GREENWOOD
After 19 weeks and 55 games, the 2014-15 Barnet League was decided on shots difference with Greenwood being crowned champions by just 3 shots following their win in the last game of the season. The welcome addition of Letchworth and a second team from Northiam saw the league expand to 11 teams. Cuffley B began as favourites having taken the league title in the two previous years.
Greenwood started the season well with two wins before receiving a fright in their third match when they scraped a single shot victory over newcomers Northiam B. Their fifth game was the head to head clash with Cuffley B and their first loss of the season which looked as though it could be decisive. After this setback, Greenwood recommenced their winning streak and, following a three week break, they went into their last fixture needing to win by 19 shots. The big last day win over Harpenden B saw them pass their target and secure the championship.
Cuffley B started their title defence with two big wins and match 4 was the clash of the top two teams. Because of the way the fixtures fell, despite their win over Greenwood, Cuffley B were a match behind for most of the season. They remained unbeaten until their penultimate game when their title chase was put in doubt following defeat to St Margarets 1. Their final game win left Cuffley B 18 shots ahead of Greenwood but that proved not to be enough.
St Margaret's 2 recovered from their opening day loss to Cuffley B, going unbeaten for the rest of 2014. In match 6 they lost to Greenwood but the second half of their season was a mirror image of the earlier games, the Greenwood loss being followed by four wins.
Harpenden A won four of their first five games and remained close to the front runners. But their next tgames were against the top three teams and narrow defeats in each ended their chance of winning the league. They finished off with a couple of comfortable wins.
Cuffley C won three of their first five fixtures and in the first match week in January came close to beating Cuffley B, losing out by just 2 shots. The second half of the season was mixed and in their last match they lost to eventual champions, Greenwood
St Margaret's 1 scored their first point in match 3. Their first win followed and they finished the season strongly with three wins out of four, the only loss being on the final day against bottom team Northiam B.
Letchworth were caught out by the unfamiliar mat on their first game in the Barnet League but they won their second game. They had two further wins in their debut season.
Cuffley A started full of hope with an opening game win but they finished the campaign having beaten both Northiam teams and suffering defeats in their other games.
Newcomers Northiam B nearly pulled off a surprise win over Greenwood in their second game, losing by a single shot. The rest of the season was a learning experience for them and everyone was delighted when they ended the season with a last day win over St Margarets 1.
There are no easy games in the Barnet League. The competitive nature of the competition is borne out by some of the statistics. The title was not won until the last match of the season and then only by a minor shots difference. Both of the top two teams finished having conceded 115 shots. No team went through the season unbeaten and all teams scored at least one win. The team that finished seventh in the league had a shots difference of only minus 4.