Three weeks ago Eltham Terrace Rovers and Bellegrove Social Club were neck and neck at the top of South London& Kent Pool Alliance Tier Two West but Rovers narrowly beat their rivals that week and have gone from strength to strength to lift the division title this week.

With two weeks to spare, Rovers are nine points clear with eight to play for after this week’s comprehensive, 3-0 & 12-3 victory over Pickwick Academicals, so the title is theirs along with promotion back to the Elite League at the first time of asking.

It was a brilliant all round team performance from Rovers, without their captain, as they won all three sets, 4-1 with Kevin England winning both his frames and Ryan Francis, Dean Rider and Chris Hobbis all recording unbeaten hat-tricks, with Francis’ and Rider’s including 7-ballers.

The first match between the two earlier this season was a narrow 2-1 & 8-7 win for Rovers and could have gone either way but the next two finished with the same 3-0 & 12-3 score and this decline cements Academicals place in the relegation play-off spot, where they will play the team who finishes fifth in Tier Two East.

Bellegrove Social Club relinquished their challenge for the title after a massive 3-0 & 11-4 loss to third placed Eltham Terrace Nuthouse, who close the gap on their opponents to just two points, however they have played one more match.

Bellegrove made their title bid all the more difficult by only having four players and Nuthouse made it nigh on impossible by taking the first set, 5-0.

The second set was a lot closer as Bellegrove’s Jason Brunton tied the set at two all with an excellent break and dish but being one man short cost them dear and Nuthouse took the set, 3-2 before winning the final set by the same score.

Bellegrove will be thanking Martin Hession for keeping them in the game by winning two of his three frames, half of his team’s overall tally.

It was an excellent display from Nuthouse, spearheaded by Shane O’Reilly with three frame wins and Bill Sawyer winning both his frames and they were supported by Captain, Craig Jones who won two of his three frames.

Nuthouse played two games this week and their other result was in stark contrast to this one, handing bottom team, Greyhound Elite their first win of the season, 2-1 in sets, however Nuthouse stole the bonus point by scoring more frames, 8-7.

Greyhound raced out of the traps, taking the first set, 4-1 but Nuthouse whitewashed the second set, 5-0 then the final set swung one way then the other and at two all Lewis Brind won his second of three frames to give Greyhound their first win in thirteen attempts.

Along with Brind, Bill Mossom also won two of his three frames, as did Craig Jones, Julie Lancaster and Dave Sparey for Nuthouse.

Thirteen may not have been unlucky for Greyhound but they returned to the form books in their second game this week against Fox & Hounds.

Just like the previous game, Greyhound got out of the traps quicker, taking the first set by 3 frames to 2 but Fox & Hounds hunted together and won the next two sets, 4-1 for an overall 2-1 & 10-5 triumph.

Alan Dolan had his own battle against the Mossom’s of Greyhound, playing both Bill and Sam and he beat Bill twice and Sam once for his hat-trick.

With Rovers winning the title, Greyhound already relegated and Academicals confirmed in the relegation play-off, it only remains for Nuthouse and Bellegrove to battle it out for the promotion play-off in the last two weeks, with the latter in the driving seat by two points with a game in hand.

SLKPA Tier Two East is much closer, apart from the top two, Royal Oak and Crayford Social Club Rugrats, who are battling it out to see who wins the title and automatic promotion and who finishes in the promotion play-off spot.

It was Rugrats, currently in second, who created the nine point gap after beating third placed Glenmore Arms, 3-0 & 11-4.

Rugrats sandwiched the, 3-2 second set victory with, 4-1 wins in the first and third sets.

Adam Hewson and Shane Burnett were the inspiration behind the triumph, both winning a frame in each set.

Just like Bellegrove Social Club, Bellegrove A also turned up with four players and top of the table Royal Oak struggled to beat them.

Royal Oak narrowly won the first set, 3-2 but stepped it up in the second to take it, 4-1 However Bellegrove found something from somewhere in the final set to win it, 3-2 and make the final score, 2-1 & 9-6 in Oak’s favour.

With two games to go Rugrats are now five points behind Royal Oak and they play each other in the final game, so it could go down to the wire.

Bellegrove drop to the bottom after Eltham Terrace Rack Pack comprehensively beat North Heath Social Club to lift Rack Pack off the bottom, however Bellegrove are only a point behind North Heath.

This 3-0 & 12-3 victory has really given Rack Pack a life line and its Alex Thompson and Graham Levingbird they need to thank, having both scored three out of three.

The relegation battle couldn’t be closer in this division, with only four points separating Glenmore in third and Bellegrove in sixth, so four teams are fighting it out to avoid the automatic relegation place and the relegation play-off spot.

Rising Sun won the SLKPA Tier Three title last week and had no game this week, so the focus switched to the chasing pack, and fighting it out for the remaining two promotion places are Crayford Social Club 2, currently in second and Rose Inn and Bellegrove Flyers, who are both one point behind them, although they both have a game in hand.

Crayford kept up their challenge for promotion with a 2-1 & 9-6 win over Plumstead Radical Club.

Radical Club started the better, taking the first set, 3-2 but Crayford reversed that in the second set and piled on the pressure in the final set, winning it, 4-1.

It was very much a family affair for the Radical Club with Angela Hobbs winning two of her three frames but Richard Hobbs went one better, taking all three of his frames.

A solid performance from Crayford gave them the points but they looked to Luke Matthews, who scored two out of three frames and James Coomber and Natalie Barnes with unbeaten hat-tricks, to get them over the line.

Unfortunately for Crayford both Rose Inn and Flyers were awarded walkover wins so caught up the point deficit.

So after this week Crayford hold onto second and have to hope that both teams fail to pick up points next week to gain promotion and with Flyers playing the champions, anything could happen.

The bottom half of the table was decided in the SLKPA Elite League this week, with Pickwick being relegated for the first time in SLKPA history.

They went out with a whimper as Eltham Terrace Club A ran away with a 3-0 & 12-3 victory.

Saying that Eltham were in great form and after taking the first set, 3-2 they stormed ahead with a whitewash in the second and a 4-1 triumph in the final set.

Dan Heinink was on fire again, winning all three of his frames, including a break and dish in frame six and he was joined by Dave Rawlinson and Ron Brown on three out of three with Steve Pearce also unbeaten with a brace.

Pickwick were joined by Falconwood Social in relegation, after they were beaten by second placed Bellegrove by 2 sets to 1 & 9 frames to 6.

This result keeps Bellegrove in the chase for the championship, however Hotshots extend their lead to two points after they demolished already relegated Royal Oak Addicks, 3-0 & 13-2.

Hotshots won the first four frames and the whitewash was on the cards but Steve Krishnan’s black rattled in the jaws, leaving Lee O’Brien a simple tap in to give Hotshots a, 4-1 win in the set.

Andre Cox, Hotshots Captain arrived late so played his first frame in frame six and promptly polished it off in one visit, then Ben Creffield, Danny Kelliher, Neil Hall and Richard Chapman all won to secure the whitewash and the match.

Addicks showed some spirit in the final set and tied it at one frame all with some wonderful potting from Craig Riding but Hotshots class shone through, taking the last three frames to win the set, 4-1.

Hotshots were almost untouchable all night and finished with five unbeaten players, Cox, Hall and Creffield all ending on two out of two but Kelliher and Chapman went one better and won all three of their frames.

The Championship is now in their hands but it's not going to be easy as the top four all play each other in the final week.

Falconwood Club kept their hopes of the championship alive with a 2-1 & 10-5 triumph over Glenmore Arms B.

Each side won one of the first two sets, 3-2 but Falconwood flew ahead to whitewash the final set and stay in touch with the top two.

Captain, Paul Elford led from the front with an unbeaten hat-trick and he was joined by Kieran Evans.

They are now four points behind Hotshots at the top and play them next week and Bellegrove play Eltham Terrace A so it is all to play for in next week’s final match in this division.

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