The first week of the South London & Kent Pool Alliance winter season started this week on 13 October but it was far from unlucky for Sharks and Fox & Hounds, from Division Two, who both recorded 13-2 victories.

Sharks kicked off their first winter season in the SLKPA emphatically by taking the first seven frames against Plumstead Radical Club.

Radical pulled one back in frame eight but didn’t get another until the thirteenth, so ironically thirteen was kind of lucky for them too.

Sharks took the final two frames for an overall 13-2 triumph, with Jeff Laporte, Chris Mackenzie and Kevin Dempsey all winning both their frames but Arif Salih went one better with an unbeaten hat-trick.

Preventing the whitewash for Radical Club were Connor Mellish and Jade Holmes.

Relegated Fox & Hounds matched Sharks’ 13-2 victory, against also relegated Academicals but had the game wrapped up in the first two sets, winning all ten frames.

Gary Mason won Academicals first frame in the eleventh and Captain, Donna Mullins got their second in, yes you guessed it the thirteenth but it was just a consolation in a disastrous start for the Academicals.

On the other hand it was a wonderful team performance from Fox’s, with Les Ryan and Clive Forrest scoring an unbeaten brace but Alan Dolan and Kerry Wyatt went one better with three out of three.

Rose Inn started with a win in their first winter season, beating Greyhound Elite by 10 frames to 5.

Dean Greaney-Parr and Michael Bunn were the inspiration behind the victory, both winning all three of their frames.

I’d like to say that Bellegrove Flyers got off to a flyer but they only managed a 9-6 win against Orpington Sports Club.

It was a much closer affair in the SLKPA Premier Division, with all matches being won by a maximum of three frames.

Perhaps the biggest shock of the day came at last winter season’s champions, Bellegrove, losing 9-6 to Eltham Terrace Rovers, who just avoided relegation last winter by four points.

Rovers’ Captain, Darren Porter led from the front, winning all three of his frames and he was supported by Ryan Francis, who performed a break and dish against Tony Halpin.

Also creating a shock were newly promoted Eltham Terrace Nuthouse, beating Crayford Social Club Rugrats, 9-6.

Shane O’Reilly got the Nuthouse off to a perfect start, with a break and dish in the first frame, however Rugrats battled back and ended up taking the first set, 3-2 but Nuthouse won the second set by the same score to tie the match at five all.

On his Nuthouse debut, Louis Wilbourne performed a break and dish in frame eleven to give his team the edge in the final set, which they went on to take 4-1 for an overall 9-6 triumph.

Jon Syta was also successful on his Nuthouse debut, winning both his frames but his Captain, Craig Jones went one better with three frame wins and he was joined by Rugrats’ Steve Gibson.

Hotshots kicked off the new season with an efficient 9-6 victory over newly promoted Falconwood Social but it was closer than the score suggests, as each set was won by the odd frame, 3-2.

Falconwood's new signing, Ben Creffield was the thorn in his old team's side, winning two of his three frames and he was joined by team mate Steve Dixon.

Pickwick picked themselves up from their poor summer season to edge a scrappy affair, 8-7 against Falconwood Club.

Martin Storey performed well for Pickwick, winning both of his frames but youngster Billy Levingbird was the star of the show, taking all three of his frames, including holding his nerve for the final frame decider.

Eltham Terrace Club A made it a hat-trick of victories for the Terrace teams in the top division with a hard fought win against Hustlers A.

It was Hustlers who got out of the blocks the quicker, taking a 5-1 lead, which was inspired by a break and dish in the first frame and a clearance from a dry break in frame six by Tony Gear.

Then the comeback commenced, with Eltham taking three of the next four frames to reduce the deficit to 6-4 and they went on to win the first three frames of the final set to take the lead by seven frames to six.

Hustlers won the penultimate frame to take the match into a final frame decider, which understandably was an edgy one but was eventually won by Eltham Captain, Ron Brown.

Unfortunately Eltham Terrace Rack Pack couldn’t make it four out of four for the Terrace, as they went down, 10-5 to Bellegrove Social Club in SLKPA Division One.

It was a night for the Bellegrove’s debutants as Dave Jandu won both of his frames and Alex Dobbins faced Tony Frost in the final set, both unbeaten on two out of two but Dobbins didn't give Frost a shot to get his hat-trick.

Dan O’Rourke joined Frost on two out of three to win four of Rack Pack’s five frames between them.

Things didn’t go as well for another of the Bellegrove teams, Bellegrove A, as they only arrived with four players but put up a good fight against Royal Oak Addicks, only losing 8-7.

Bellegrove had their Steves, Redout and Hughes to thank for keeping the score respectable, as they both won all three of their frames.

Glenmore Arms took a 5-0 lead in the first set against Foots Cray Social Club but they had to hold on as Foots Cray won the next two sets, 3-2 giving Glenmore the overall victory by 9 frames to 6.

It was another debutant who performed well for Glenmore, as Jack Wilson won both of his frames, as did Alastair Ladd.

Relegated North Heath Social Club got off to an absolute flyer against CSC Mr’s & Miss Q’s, taking a 4-1 lead but CSC rattled off the next nine frames to take the victory, before North Heath won the final frame to make the final score,10-5 in CSC’s favour.

After their slow start it was a great team performance by CSC but Steven Aldridge stood out, winning all three of his frames.

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.