THE closing weeks of the Craven & District Football League season are sure to produce a hectic finale in all four divisions and it is a shame that so much has to be crowded into such a short time through the variations of our weather.

The Silentnight Premier Division is nicely balanced, with leaders Skipton LMS having five matches left and holding a four-point lead over Oxenhope Recreation, who have two matches in hand. Skipton Bulldogs have three matches in hand on the leaders and are five points adrift.

Next week LMS are hosts first to Bulldogs (Thursday) and then to Oxenhope Recreation (Saturday) in a three-day span which could well be decisive in the title race.

All three clubs face a hectic run in, the current leaders having five league matches and three semi-finals - which could mean three finals - still to resolve, while Oxenhope have seven league games and one semi-final. Bulldogs have eight league matches and two semi-finals so somewhere along the way, something has to give.

Division One is equally tight, with three clubs realistically contesting the title and promotion places, although mistakes by the leaders could let in some of the others. Intake currently lead with four matches to play, three of which are against teams in the promotion frame - Bronte Wanderers Reserves, Cononley Sports and Cowling - so victories in these three matches are a must.

Bronte Wanderers Reserves are favourites on paper, but they have to play catch-up, with seven matches left and among them matches against Cononley Sports, Intake and Barnoldswick United. Cononley Sports are the dark horses.

They are late arrivals on the promotion scene and they probably hold the key with four matches left, two of which are local derbies against Cowling and Lothersdale and the aforementioned visits to Bronte and Intake.

Division Two will also go to the wire, with long-time leaders Oxenhope Recreation Reserves enjoying a 10-point lead over Horton.

With two matches left, the leaders should be title favourites, but one match is vital to Oxenhope - Waddington at home - because Waddington are still unbeaten in the league and have eight matches left. If they were to win them all, they could pip Oxenhope for the title, a tall order, but anything is possible.

Horton have four matches left and must win them all and hope both Waddington and Oxenhope drop points on the run-in.

Division Three has been full of twists and turns in the last weeks. Long-time leaders McBrides have hit a blip recently and when the title looked to be in their pockets, bad results have upset them.

However, they can still take the title should they win their two remaining matches against Carleton Reserves at home and Hellifield Reserves away.

Earby, likewise, have played excellent football all season, but injuries have caused problems and they have dropped vital points. Three away victories from as many games is now the requirement if they are to salvage anything.

Intake Reserves have come into the reckoning with a late run and depending on other results, coupled with their own, could see them even steal the title.

Three tough away matches at Cononley Reserves, Cowling Reserves and Skipton Town Reserves is the challenge facing them, but the way they are playing, anything is possible.

It all adds up to a tense and interesting finale, with so many permutations set to take the uncertainty even closer to the proverbial wire.

This week's fixtures include:

Tomorrow

Devonshire Carpets Premier Cup semi-finals: Keighley Lifts v Oxenhope Rec, Skipton LMS v Skipton Bulldogs.

Silentnight Premier Division: Carleton v Grassington Un, Cross Hills v Grindleton, Skipton Town v Embsay.

Division One: Cononley Sp v Barnoldswick Un, Embsay Res v Bronte Wanderers Res, Hellifield Sp v Colne Shepherds, Intake v Cowling, Lothersdale Ath v Bradley.

Division Two: Grindleton v Waddington, Horton v Barrowford Un, Oxenhope Rec Res v Silsden Ath, Skipton Bulldogs Res v Bradley Res, Sutton v Ingleton.

Division Three: Cowling Res v Intake Res, Grassington Un Res v Earby, Pendle Ath v Cononley Sp Res.

Monday

Silentnight Premier Division: Carleton v Embsay, Cross Hills v Skipton Town, Grassington Un v Skipton Bulldogs, Skipton LMS v Grindleton.

Division Three: Skipton Town Res v Carleton Res.

Tuesday

Division One: Cononley Sp v Bronte Wanderers Res, Cowling v Bradley.

Wednesday

Division Two: Bradley Res v Sutton, Skipton Bulldogs Res v Waddington.

Division Three: Grassington Un Res v Pendle Ath, Hellifield Sp v Earby.

Thursday

Silentnight Premier Division: Cross Hills v Bronte Wanderers, Grassington Un v Embsay, Skipton LMS v Skipton Bulldogs