Bath have been crowned champions of the Aldi Men’s Premier South with one game remaining, following an unbeaten season.
The team have only dropped points once in nine games on their way to the title, when they drew 1-1 away at East London in late October.
A November to remember
Following that result, Bath took no prisoners in November, winning all five games, conceding just four goals.
As well as a tight defence, their attack was firing on all cylinders, scoring 18 in the five November games. This included a 10-2 thrasing of the University of South Wales.
The side has played like champions in the Aldi Men’s Premier South, finding a way to come out on top in several tight games. Four of their eight wins have been decided by just a one goal margin.
Their excellent form throughout the season means they sit with an unassailable lead of four points over Hartpury, given there is just one game remaining.
It’s good, but it’s not quite Bath
Hartpury will feel somewhat aggrieved that the quality of their performances this season will only see them finish second.
The team from Gloucestershire have won seven out of their nine matches, albeit one less than Bath, and have scored an impressive 24 goals, albeit two less than Bath.
The fixture that will be looked back upon as deciding the Aldi Men’s Premier South season will be the first game in Bath’s incredible November run, when Hartpury made the 50 mile trip to the University of Bath Sports Training Village.
In a tight affair, Bath came out on top, earning a 2-1 victory that set the side on their way for the rest of the month.
The two teams face off again in late January, but Hartpury will only be playing for pride. A win would see them fall just one point short of Bath’s total.
Miles ahead of the rest of the pack
However, it is worth paying credit to the dominance in the Aldi Men’s Premier South that Hartpury and Bath have both enjoyed.
There is a nine point gap between second and third, where Exeter sit on 12 points. University of South Wales also sit on 12 points, but such is Bath’s impact on the league that their goal difference is much worse than Exeter’s, following their thrashing at the hands of the champions.
Exeter are in pole position for a third-placed finish, given they have a game in hand over their Welsh rivals. However, University of South Wales will put up a fight, especially given that they are the only team other than Bath to beat Hartpury.
Miracles needed at the bottom
There is still quite a sizable gap down to the bottom two team, with Swansea occupying fifth with just six points after just two wins in their nine games this season.
However, unless a miracle occurs, it seems that this is where the Welsh team will sit when the final Aldi Men’s Premier South standings are confirmed.
Sitting in the dreaded bottom place is East London, who are winless in all nine games, having picked up just the solitary point. What makes this incredible is the fact they are the only team to have taken a point off Bath.
However, despite this, eight of their nine performances this season have not been up to scratch, meaning they require their first two wins of the season if they are to leapfrog Swansea in the Aldi Men’s Premier South.
East London face Swansea in late January, but it might even prove that a win might not be enough. They would still need a victory against third-placed Exeter on 1st February to move above the Welsh side.
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