Placings being decided at business end of SLKPA season

 

It was a big week at the top of Tier Three with Cue-ologists looking to bounce back after their first defeat of the season and 7 Ups and Downham Tavern Terrors playing catch up with their game in hand and Eltham Terrace Tigers and The Con Men finishing strong. 

 

Starting with the game in hand between Terrors and 7 Ups and when this fixture was due to be played these teams were third and second, but Terrors have dropped a place, although there were only three points between them going into this match. 

 

7 Ups got their grip on the game early, taking the first two frames, before Tommy Bowden put one on the board for Terrors. 

 

However, that would be it for them in the set, as Lionel White and Charlie Mehmet won the next two frames to give 7 Ups the first set, 4-1. 

 

The second set was much closer, swinging one way then the other ending up in a deciding frame, which Mehmet won to give his side the set and the match. 

 

Nirman Bogati won his third frame of the night to give 7 Ups the bonus point, but there was still a point for the set up for grabs. 

 

Terrors hadn’t given up on this and Gary Ryan and Kevin Dempsey won the next two frames to edge them into the lead, 2-1 in the set. 

 

Then Bowden recorded his hat-trick to win his team the set and a point, before Mehmet took the last frame, for his hat-trick to make the final score, 2-1 & 9-6. 

 

This puts 7 Ups four points behind the league leaders, Cue-Ologists going into the regular fixtures, whereas Terrors have gone into third by one point, and five points behind their opponents however, Terrors host the league leaders and 7 Ups go to sixth placed Plough & Harrow. 

 

It was another tough game for both Terrors and Cue-ologists and this was reflected in the, 2-1 & 8-7 score line in the top team’s favour. 

 

On the other hand, 7 Ups were a lot more comfortable against Plough and picked up their second victory in two days to close the gap on Cue-Ologists to three points. 

 

Nirman Bogati and Shelton D’Costa got 7 Ups off to a great start with the opening two frames, before Lynn Mather pulled one back for Plough. 

 

Louis Minerve and Charlie Mehmet won the last two frames of the set to give it to 7 Ups, 4-1. 

 

Plough fought back in the second set with Rob Crashaw and Simon Caddick taking frames six and seven to bring them back to within a frame however, 7 Ups took the last three frames of the set to win it and the match. 

 

7 Ups were on the hill for the bonus point but had to wait until frame thirteen to secure it, after Plough took the first two frames of the set. 

 

Plough were still fighting hard for the set point, but Lionel White levelled the set and Mehmet won it for 7 Ups giving them maximum points with a, 3-0 & 10-5 victory. 

 

7 Ups are gunning for the promotion places and none more so then D’Costa and Mehmet, who both won all three of their frames and they were backed up by White, with an unbeaten brace. 

 

Cue-Ologists have secured promotion, as they are nine points ahead of third with two games to play, but they are still battling for the title with 7 Ups, who are three points behind. 

 

With two defeats in two days, Terrors drop to fifth however, they are sixteen points ahead of Plough. 

 

After jumping into third last week, Eltham Terrace Tigers hold on to it this week with a walk over win against Bexleyheath Raiders. 

 

Tigers are one point ahead of The Con Men, who also had quite an easy night against Downham Tavern A Team, winning 3-0 & 13-2 to leapfrog Downham’s sister side, Terrors into fourth. 

 

There are now just two points between the A Team and Raiders at the bottom and another two points between Raiders and Plough. 

 

In SLKPA Tier Two East, after going winless all season, Hurricanes Reborn have been relegated, as they are now fourteen points adrift at the bottom with twelve to play for. 

 

This week they travelled to their nearest rivals, New Eltham New Boys, and it started well for them, with Ben Walsh winning a solid frame and Michelle Brown a nervy one to put Hurricanes, 2-0 up. 

 

Greg Fothergill played a fantastic yellow down the rail to help him pull one back for New Boys, then Charles French had a great opportunity to win the set for Hurricanes, but rattled his last yellow, allowing New Boys to take advantage and go on to win the fifth frame to take the first set, 3-2. 

 

The rattled yellow hit the Hurricanes hard and there was a second set hangover, with New Boys capitalising to whitewash it, winning the set, the match, and the bonus point in the process.

 

Hurricanes were looking for a response and were looking good for frame eleven, but Jonny Allen potted an amazing red, landed on his next ball, and went on to win the frame for New Boys. 

 

New Boys took the next frame too, making it ten in a row, needing one more frame for maximum points. 

 

Hurricanes were not lying down though and continued to battle, with Phoebe French playing a fine frame, finishing off with a doubled black to pull one back. 

 

Then Luke Knight took out a composed finish to give him three wins out of four frames played over the last two weeks, and level the set, taking it to a deciding frame. 

 

Unfortunately for Hurricanes, New Boys took the last frame for maximum points with a, 3-0 & 11-4 triumph. 

 

Hopefully Hurricanes can pick up a win in the next few weeks, as they look to build for the winter season.

 

Bell Ya Later were seven points ahead of New Boys and hosted the team one place and five points above them, Falconwood Club this week. 

 

Falconwood’s great end of season form and push for promotion continued with a, 3-0 & 11-4 triumph to keep the pressure on Bellegrove Flyers above them. 

 

Rugrats were playing their nearest rivals, Flyers looking to uphold their unbeaten record and extend their nine-point lead at the top. 

 

The first two frames were shared, but Rugrats were eager to stay unbeaten and won the next three frames to take the first set, 4-1. 

 

Jason Brunton got the second set off to a good start for Flyers however, Shane O’Reilly, Steve Gibson and Jimmy Maloney took the next three frames to give them the set, the match and put them on the hill for the bonus point. 

 

Jay Arnold and Peter Gray won the next two frames for Flyers to bring it back to, 7-4 before Liam Firth secured the bonus point for Rugrats. 

 

With three frames left in the set there was still the set point to play for and Mark Porter edged Flyers closer to it by winning frame thirteen. 

 

Maloney levelled the set with his hat-trick frame, sending it to a deciding frame, which Brunton won to give his side a point after a, 2-1 & 9-6 defeat. 

 

Flyers and Falconwood are now both on 30 points, with Flyers ahead by just two more frames won. 

 

As Rugrats are only eleven points clear of them both with twelve to play for, their promotion or champion status is not confirmed, but could be next week. 

 

The top of the Elite League is still wide open with three points separating the top four however, the bottom two, Bears and Eltham Terrace Nuthouse have had their relegation fears confirmed. 

 

Both teams were thrashed this week by teams in the top four, with Bears going down, 3-0 & 12-3 to Bellegrove and Nuthouse losing, 3-0 & 13-2 to Terry’s Allstars. 

 

Duke of Northumberland were on the same points as their relegation rivals and played Pickwick, the team one place and seven points ahead of them. 

 

With Duke winning, 2-1 in sets but Pickwick scoring more frames, 8-7 the points were shared, so although Duke pulled two points away from their relegation rivals, they still have a lot to do, seven points away from Pickwick with eight to play for. 

 

With just three games to go the top two of the top division, Hotshots and Sharks played each other, both sitting on 33 points, so the winner would top the table with just two games to play. 

 

It was the second placed team, Sharks who had the brighter start, with Vu Son and Rahat Munim winning the first two frames. 

 

Tony Wilson pulled one back for Hotshots, but Bruno Silva won the next frame to give Sharks the set, before Richard Chapman brought Hotshots back to within a frame.

 

Ryan Francis, Tony Wilson, and George Taylor won the first three frames of the second set, making it four in a row giving them the set and putting them, 5-3 ahead in frames. 

 

Silva prevented the set whitewash, but Chapman won his second of the night to put his team, 6-4 ahead. 

 

Wilson and Francis won the first two frames of the last set to give their team the bonus point and put them on the brink of winning the match. 

 

Sharks had other ideas though, as Son and Silva with his hat-trick frame sent the set into a deciding frame, which Chapman won with his third of the night to give his team the 2-1 & 9-6 triumph to keep them top of the table. 

 

Wilson joined Chapman and Silva on three out of three for the night. 

 

Hotshots are now two points clear at the top of the table, but Bellegrove have overtaken Sharks in second place, although they are on the same points with Bellegrove ahead by winning two more matches. 

 

Allstars are just one point behind these, but thirteen points ahead of Pickwick in fifth, so the top four are guaranteed to finish in the top four however, we must wait two weeks until the end of the season to see who finishes where. 

 

In SLKPA Tier Two West it is still virtually all to play for, as nothing is decided, but we are close. 

 

The other unique thing about this division is that all three matches ended with the same, 3-0 & 11-4 score. 

 

At the top of the table third placed Academicals hosted league leaders New Eltham New Stars, with 20 points between them and this went true to form, with New Stars winning to stay nine points clear at the top. 

 

Academicals did drop one place to fourth as Eltham Terrace Rack Pack beat Farmhouse this week. 

 

Bottom of Tier Two West, Farmhouse hosted Rack Pack, two places and twelve points above them and the bottom team got off to the better start, with John Denahy and Nick Brown winning two of the first three frames. 

 

Liju Thomas got Rack Pack’s frame and Chris Parlett tied the set before Alison Cable won the set for Rack Pack. 

 

John Denahy levelled the match again with the first frame of the second set however, Rack Pack took the next four frames to give them the match and put them on the hill for the bonus point at, 7-3. 

 

Roy Mason secured the bonus point for Rack Pack with frame eleven and Dylan Savani put them a frame closer to maximum points. 

 

Lacey Denahy joined her dad John and Brown in the Farmhouse winner’s circle, but it wasn’t enough to prevent Rack Pack from bagging maximum points, as Tomas and Parlett won the last two frames. 

 

It was a great team performance from Rack Pack, with Thomas and Parlett scoring hat-tricks and they were backed up by Cable and Savani who both won two of their three frames. 

 

Academicals were one point ahead of Rack Pack however, Rack Pack are now three points ahead of them. 

 

Nothing has changed at the bottom, as Farmhouse are still two points behind Fox & Hounds, as they were beaten by Bellegrove A. 

 

Second placed Bellegrove A were looking to stay in touch with New Stars at the top and they had an ideal opportunity this week against 22 points below them and second bottom, Fox & Hounds. 

 

Joe Hills, Alfie Southby and Jack Taylor got Bellegrove off to a great start, winning the first three frames to take the first set. 

 

The ever-dependable Kerry Wyatt prevented the set whitewash, before Sean Hennessey made it, 4-1 with frame five. 

 

The second set didn’t get any better for Fox, as Bellegrove won the first four frames to not only take the set and the match, but also the bonus point before the end of the second set. 

 

Once again Wyatt prevented the set whitewash to send her team into the final set, 2-0 & 8-2 down. 

 

Taylor made it even worse for Fox by winning frame eleven, but Clive Forrest and Glen Ward gave Fox some hope for the set point by taking the next two frames. 

 

Hills levelled the set sending it into a deciding frame between Wyatt and Peter Moult, who had lost his previous frame however, Wyatt couldn’t work her magic again and Moult gave his side maximum points. 

 

Hills and Taylor were the inspiration behind Bellegrove’s victory, winning all three of their frames. 

 

Relegation will be between Fox and Farmhouse as Academicals are too far away and with only two points between them, it could go down to the wire when the two teams play each other. 

 

At the top of the table, New Stars will definitely finish in the top two, but more than likely champions, as they are nine points clear with twelve to play for, and it looks like Bellegrove will claim the play-off spot, as they are twelve points ahead of Rack Pack. 

 

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.