The South London & Kent Pool Alliance winter league season has come to a close and it's been a wonderful season for the Bellegrove Club, as two of their sides have won their respective divisions.

A few weeks ago less than five points separated the top four teams in the Premier Division but Bellegrove have remained consistent in the final weeks and continued to win while others around them faltered and they have ended up winning the league by eight points.

This week they played Pickwick, who have been in amazing form this calendar year but Bellegrove were just too strong and finished 9-6 victors and ended Pickwick's unbeaten 2016.

It was a real topsy-turvy match with Bellegrove winning the first set, 4-1 but Pickwick reversed that score in the second set to tie the match before the victors took the final set by the same score.

In SLKPA Division Two Bellegrove Social Club had already won the the division but had to enter the controversial play-off eliminator, as top seeds to determine the promoted teams.

Fortunately they made the final and faced third seeds Glennore Arms 2, after they beat Bellegrove A, who were seeded second.

The eliminator final went the way of the seeds, with Bellegrove winning by 8 frames to 5 to cap a great night for the Bellegrove and give them promotion into Division One.

Back to the Premier Division and the race to avoid relegation was really hotting up, as nine points separated the bottom three and there was only three points between the play-off place and second bottom.

North Heath Social Club have been bottom for most of the season but have been fighting, however they came across a strong O'Connors side this week, looking to pounce on any potential Bellegrove slip up.

This didn't happen but O'Connors still won 12-3 to seal North Heath's fate, Division One pool next winter.

Above North Heath were Glenmore Arms A who needed to score four more points than Eltham Terrace Rovers to replace them in the play-off spot but they had their work cut out as they were playing Hotshots.

They have to hope that Rovers get whitewashed, as they lost 11-4, although they did put up a good fight with Hotshots saying they were too good to go down.

Andre Cox, Danny Keliher and Neil Hall all won their three frames and Richard Chapman his only one.

Rovers held onto their play-off place but couldn't find a win against Eltham Terrace Club A, going down by 10 frames to 5.

It was a lot closer than the score suggests, as the A side took the first two sets by the odd frame, 3-2.

They pulled away in the final set though, taking it 4-1, with Rovers' one coming from a break and dish by Ryan Francis and the A side Captain, Ron Brown also performed a break and dish in the final frame.

The A side also had three unbeaten players, Paul Shrimpton, Shane Hutley and Mark Eldridge, all scoring a brace.

The match between Crayford Social Club Rugrats and Falconwood Club had a typical end of season feel to it, played in good spirits, although Falconwood still had prize money to fight for.

They held onto that money, finishing third after a 10-5 triumph, ending up just two points behind O'Connors.

Barry Barham was the player of the night, finishing with an unbeaten hat-trick.

In SLKPA Division One the focus was on the battle to join champions, Falconwood Social in the Premier Division.

The race was between the two teams from Eltham Terrace, Rack Pack and Nuthouse, who were both on 106 points going into this, the final week.

Rack Pack would have thought it was their lucky night when they went to Royal Oak Addicks and they only had four players thus giving them three frames in the process.

Addicks had two players return to the side and they provided the inspiration, as Lee O'Brien won all three of his frames and Adam Newbrook performed a break and dish on his way to two out of three wins.

Alas it was not to be for the Addicks, as the one man deficit counted, with Rack Pack ending up 8-7 winners.

So all the Nuthouse had to do was win against Pickwick Academicals to secure automatic promotion and it was another excellent team display as Nuthouse made it four in a row.

Craig Jones and Shane O'Reilly both won all three of their frames and Aaron Shephard, Julie Lancaster and Zoe Healy all chipped in with a frame, with Healy's being a wonderful clearance in the last frame to make it 9-6.

This is a fantastic feat for Nuthouse, who at various stages of the season were bottom of the table and I remember one of their players saying a couple of months ago that they'd be happy to stay up.

Academicals now face a play-off against Glenmore 2 to stay in the division and after losing this Eltham Terrace battle, Rack Pack have another against Rovers for a spot in the Premier Division.

The final game saw top against bottom, as Falconwood Social played host to Fox & Hounds.

After taking the first set, 3-2 Falconwood were pegged back in the second, as Fox won it by the same score to level the match but this Kickstarted Falconwood into action and they took the last set, 4-1 for an overall 9-6 victory.

The only unbeaten player on the night was Paul Rawlinson, who scored a hat-trick.

Congratulations to all the teams that have finished in the prize winning places, as the league now turns it's attention to the cup competitions and all important play-offs.

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 with any queries.

The league are looking at potential sponsors, any interested parties can also contact Paul Gafa.