It’s a new season for the South London & Kent Pool Alliance and not only do we have six new teams, but the governing body have decided to totally change the playing rules, so we have new rules to contend with too. 

 

Most of the new teams are in the bottom division, Tier Three, so we’ll start there and it was an amazing start to the season for brand new team, 7 Ups going more than seven up against Bexleyheath Raiders, whitewashing the first two sets,5-0 to win the bonus point before the final set. 

 

John O’Neil put Raiders first frame on the board with frame eleven and it looked like they might steal a point when James Rickner took the next frame. 

 

However, Simon Webb, Shelton D’Costa and Niman Bogati won the last three frames to remain unbeaten and take maximum points with a, 3-0 & 13-2 victory. 

 

It was a fantastic all-round team performance, but Bogati was man of the match with an unbeaten hat-trick and he was backed up by, Webb, D’Costa, Nigel Bullen and Lionel White, who all scored an unbeaten brace. 

 

Another new team that started with winning ways was Cue-Ologists, who beat fellow debutants Eltham Terrace Tigers. 

 

Simon Platt kicked off the Cue-Ologists debut season with a perfect start; a break and dish in the first frame. 

 

Stephen Maeers and Jon Sayers won the next two frames to give Cue-Ologists the set, before Lee Gladdish put Tigers first SLKPA frame on the board to prevent the set whitewash. 

 

The second set was closer but Cue-Ologists still took it, 3-2 to win the match, but there was still two more points to play for. 

 

At 7-3 ahead overall, the Cue-Ologists only needed one more frame for the bonus point, but they had to wait until the penultimate frame to achieve this, as Tigers won the first three frames of the set, to put their first point on the board. 

 

Cue-Ologists Captain Maeers picked up the last frame to give his side an overall, 2-1 & 9-6 triumph. 

 

Rachel Howard joined Platt, Maeers and Sayers in winning both of their frames. 

 

The Con Men, who only joined the league last winter season beat another of our debutants, Plough & Harrow 3-0 & 11-4 to take maximum points. 

 

The other game in the division saw a Downham derby, as the Downham Tavern A Team played hosts to the Downham Tavern Terrors. 

 

The Terrors terrorised the A Team in a very close match which ended, 2-1 & 8–7. 

 

In SLKPA Tier Two East none of the teams secured maximum points in what turned out to be some very cagey affairs. 

 

Rugrats kicked off the season with a win against New Eltham New Boys, with Ashley Hewson winning all three of his frames, including a brilliant clearance in frame two. 

 

This was a really tight game, going right down to the wire and somehow Steve Gibson managed to win the last frame to give his team a, 2-1 & 8-7 victory. 

 

The Rugrats pulled together, with Mark Knevett playing some quality pool after missing a few weeks. 

 

Another match that finished, 2-1 & 8-7 was the one between Hurricanes Reborn and Bell Ya Later, with the latter just edging it. 

 

Bellegrove Flyers travelled to Falconwood Club and got off to a Flyer, taking a, 3-0 lead before Jamie White prevented the set whitewash. 

 

Flyers took a,4-1 lead intro the second set however, Falconwood didn’t have the run of the balls, but man of the match, Jamie White won his second of three frames to pull one back for Falconwood. 

 

This kickstarted Flyers into action and Mark Knevett, out of nowhere played a marvellous long double on his final colour before  repeating that on the black to extend their lead to, 5-2. 

 

They went on to win the final three frames of the set to win the match and earn the bonus point before the end of the set.  

 

The final set was much closer, going to a deciding frame, which Falconwood Captain, Paul Baker won to give his side a point in the, 2-1 & 10-5 defeat.

 

White was the only unbeaten player for Falconwood, winning all three frames. but Jason Brunton and Richard Marsh achieved the same for Flyers, with their Captain Jay Arnold also unbeaten with two frame wins. 

 

The games in SLKPA Tier Two West were more of a foregone conclusion, with the three winning teams taking maximum points. 

 

The biggest winners were New Eltham New Stars who played hosts to Fox & Hounds. 

 

Fox wanted to put their poor winter season behind them and they started well with Alan Dolan winning the opening frame, but New Stars won the next four frames of the set for a, 4-1 lead. 

 

Steve Pearce and Dave Jandu made it six in a row for New Stars, before Mel Barnes put another frame on the board for Fox. 

 

New Stars went on to take not only the second but also the third set, 4-1 for an overall, 3-0 & 12-3 triumph. 

 

It was an excellent all-round team performance with four players, Jandu, Pearce, Len McCullough and Sam Baker all scoring hat-tricks. 

 

The other two games in the division both ended, 3-0 & 11-4 with Bellegrove A beating Farmhouse and Eltham Terrace Rack Pack defeating Academicals. 

 

Two of the fancied teams for the Elite League title, Hotshots and Terry’s Allstars didn’t start well, after going the whole winter season unbeaten, they both lost their opening game of the summer season. 

 

Hotshots went to Bellegrove and it was a much closer game than the score line suggests, with each set being won by the odd frame, 3-2. 

 

Ryan Francis won the opening frame for Hotshots, but Nikki Steadman and Adam Coppen put Bellegrove in front, only for Tony Wilson to level the score. 

 

Dan Foley held his nerve to give Bellegrove a, 3-2 first set lead. 

 

Bellegrove went on to win the first two frames of the second set, to extend their lead to, 5-2.

 

Coppen secured the set and the win with frame nine and Bellegrove went into the final set, 6-4 ahead in frames, looking for the bonus point. 

 

They didn’t have to wait long as Steadman and Coppen won frames eleven and twelve to give them an unassailable, 8-4 lead. 

 

Danny Kelliher and Tony Wilson levelled the final set, sending it into a deciding frame, which Foley won again to give his team maximum points with a, 3-0 & 9-6 triumph. 

 

Wilson was the shining light for Hotshots, winning his three frames, with Coppen matching that for Bellegrove, and he was backed up by Foley, who won both of his set deciding frames. 

 

Terry’s Allstars hosted Pickwick and it was the away side who had an incredible start to the season, with the first set stunning Allstars, as Jamie Davis, Louis Wilbourne and Martin Storey all recorded perfect, break & dish frames, to help give them a, 4-1 first set lead.

 

That soon became, 4-3 overall with Allstars taking the first two frames of the second, but Pickwick restored their three frame advantage, with the next two, to send the set into a deciding frame. 

 

Phil O’Kane held his nerve to tie the match at one set all and reduce Pickwick’s overall lead to just two frames. 

 

Tony Halpin made that one frame with the eleventh, but uncharacteristically that would be Allstars last frame of the night , as Pickwick went on to win the last four frames for an impressive, 2-1 & 10-5 triumph. 

 

Allstars were out of sorts, but Halpin still managed to score a hat-trick, with Louis Wilbourne also winning all three frames on his Pickwick debut. 

 

The other top tip for the title, Sharks got off to a good start, visiting Eltham Terrace Nuthouse and winning, 3-0 & 9-6. 

 

Also recording a,9-6 victory were Bears, who also won, 2-1 in sets against another newly promoted side, Duke of Northumberland. 

 

For more information on the SLKPA including league tables visit our website at www.slkpa.com or contact our Secretary, Paul Gafa on 07443 456662 or secretary@slkpa.com with any queries.

 

The league is looking at potential sponsors; any interested parties can also contact Paul Gafa.