It’s taken nine matches but at last Plumstead Radical Club have earned their first victory and lifted themselves off the bottom of the South London & Kent Pool Alliance second division.

It was a combination of their first victory and other team’s misdemeanours but they are now six points clear of the bottom and it was no mean feat, as they were playing Bellegrove Flyers, who were in third place and 32 points above the Radical Club.

Captain, Angie Hobbs lead from the front and was the inspiration behind the, 8-7 triumph, winning all three of her frames.

Greyhound Elite replace Radical Club at the bottom, as they didn’t have a game and have a game in hand but with only six points between them the fight for the wooden spoon is really on.

One place above the Radicals are Academicals, who faced Rose Inn, one place and nine points above them but that didn’t show as Rose Inn ran out, 11-4 winners.

Academicals started the better, taking the first set, 3-2 and Aaron Forrester played a fantastic frame in the sixth to win his first frame played in the SLKPA, to give Academicals a 4-2 lead.

However, it was all downhill from there, as they started to throw away frames, the story of their season, and Rose Inn won all of the next nine frames for victory.

Despite the early setback it was a good all round team performance from Rose Inn, with all players chipping in, as Mike Bunn, Neil Mundy and Peter Reynolds all won two of their three frames but Dean Greaney-Parr and Del Reynolds both went one better with unbeaten hat-tricks.

Academicals Chris Bracey has done it again, winning his frame without potting the black, I’ve lost count how many times this has happened this season but think it’s about seven or eight.

The match of the week was second against first, as Fox & Hounds took on Sharks, with a massive 23 points between them.

The game looked like going to form as Sharks took the first set, 4-1 and went onto take the first frame of the second set but Fox took the next four frames to tie the match at five all and they went ahead with the first frame of the final set.

The last set swung either way and went to seven all to take the match into a final frame decider, where the two captains, Kerry Wyatt and Kevin Dempsey faced each other.

Dempsey held his nerve to take the frame and the match by 8 frames to 7 to maintain Sharks unbeaten run of nine games this season and break the 100 point mark.

All credit to Fox though, as they are the only team to hold strong and give Sharks a game this season, after all the others have buckled once Sharks went ahead.

Earnest Chin won his only frame for Fox with the only other unbeaten player being Sharks’ Jeff LaPorte, with three frame wins.

Also keeping their unbeaten run and breaking the 100 point mark by beating their nearest rivals are SLKPA Premier Division leaders, Eltham Terrace Club A.

Terrace made it ten out of ten for the season with a terrific 13-2 triumph over second placed Hustlers A.

The first set went Eltham’s way, 4-1 with Hustlers one coming from a break and dish by Adam Coppen and Dave Rawlinson matched this for Eltham.

In the second set Eltham capitalised on some bad luck and mistakes by Hustlers to whitewash it, 5-0 with Mark Eldridge recording another break and dish.

Eltham capped a fine team performance by taking the last set, 4-1.

This result puts Terrace 19 points ahead of their nearest rivals.

Falconwood Club have overtaken Pickwick and gone into third after a, 10-5 victory over them.

They just edged the first two sets, 3-2 but turned on the style in the final set taking it, 4-1.

All six of the Falconwood players contributed to the win but with it being Christmas the script was written for Paul ‘The Elf’ Elford to win all three of his frames before returning to help Santa with his last minute preparations.

It was an exciting match between Hotshots and Falconwood Social, which went right down to the wire.

Falconwood took an early lead by 4 frames to 1 but Hotshots won the next three to tie the match, before Falconwood pushed for the finish line and went, 7-5 up.

They were now only needing one frame for the match but Hotshots won the last three frames to steal the match, 8-7.

The star player on the night was Falconwood’s Ben Creffield who put on a three out of three display to show his old team what they are missing.

This victory puts Hotshots level on points with Pickwick but they go above them, having won one more match.

Eltham Terrace Rovers made it three wins in a row after beating Bellegrove and did the double over them.

Eltham Terrace Nuthouse made it three out of three for the Terrace teams in the top division and condemned Crayford Social Club Rugrats to the bottom of the table.

Nuthouse took the first two sets by the odd frame, 3-2 and went one better in the final set, taking it, 4-1 for an overall 10-5 triumph.

Shane Burnett and Mark Burton did their best for Rugrats, each winning two of their three frames with Scott Shephard the other winner, against his brother Aaron.

Craig Jones and Jon Syta also won two of their three frames for Nuthouse but Louis Wilbourne and Shane O’Reilly were both unbeaten, winning two and three frames respectively.

In SLKPA Division One, Bellegrove Social Club have also made it ten wins out of ten for the season after beating bottom team Royal Oak Addicks, 11-4.

Captain, Tony Hodsdon was unbeaten with two frame wins and Steve Pearce went one better with an unbeaten hat-trick.

This result puts them nine points ahead of CSC Mr’s & Miss Q’s, who themselves beat second bottom, Foots Cray Social Club by 9 frames to 6.

Foots Cray didn’t help themselves by only having four players and this really showed in the first two sets, as CSC took them, 4-1 and 3-2, however they battled hard in the final set, not letting the disadvantage affect them and Foots Cray won it, 3-2.

CSC’s Ross Webster was on top form, winning both of his frames with Lee Bushell going one better with three out of three.

Bellegrove A, in fourth have closed the gap to third placed Glenmore Arms to just two points after they beat them, 10-5.

The first two frames went to Bellegrove but Glenmore won the next three for the set.

However the lead didn’t last long, as the in-form Nathan Lampen and Pat Melia started a run of four frames to give Bellegrove a, 6-3 lead.

Again Glenmore pulled it back to, 6-5 but it was all in vain, as Bellegrove won the last four fames for a hard fought victory.

Lampen’s great form shone through, as he won all three of his frames and Steve Hughes and Sirhat Bulbul joined Melia on two out of three.

In the last game sixth played fifth with North Heath Social Club playing hosts to Eltham Terrace Rack Pack.

It was a very close affair, going to seven frames all with Ryan Sullivan clinching the last frame for the home side, giving them the, 8-7 victory to close the gap between them and their opponents to ten points.

Akar Necati helped his side to victory with an unbeaten hat-trick.

Despite the loss Tony Frost returned to form, scoring three out of three and he was backed up by Chris Unwin and Graham Levingbird, both winning two of their three frames, racking up all of Rack Pack’s frames between them.

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.