While the rest of the league were enjoying their Christmas break, the top two of the South London & Kent Pool Alliance Premier Division, Hotshots and Eltham Terrace Rovers were fighting it out for supremacy.

With just five points between the two teams, the game was bound to be close and this was exactly how it started, as the first set swung one way then the other but Rovers just edged it, 3-2.

Rovers went on to take the first three frames of the second set as well as the last frame to take a, 7-3 lead into the final set.

They only needed one frame for victory, which Captain, Darren Porter secured in frame eleven for his unbeaten hat-trick and Lee Osborn won the next frame for his two out of two.

Hotshots took the next frame but Rovers won the last two, which included a break and dish by Steve Dixon in the final frame, to top off his maximum three out of three performance and give his team a magnificent, 11-4 victory.

Along with Porter, Dixon and Osborn, Dean Rider also finished unbeaten with two frame wins.

This win puts Rovers top of the shop, two points ahead of their opponents and just three points behind Hotshots are Bellegrove, after they beat Hustlers B this week.

The first game back after the Christmas break and Bellegrove were showing no signs of ring rust, as every one of their five players chipped in with at least a frame in the, 10-5 triumph.

Steve Lloyd had the least ring rust, winning all three of his frames.

Hustlers had their Captain, Trevor Biggs to thank for staying in the game, leading from the front to win three of his team's five frames.

This result leaves Hustlers B second bottom but their sister side, Hustlers A are having better fortunes going into fourth this week, after a narrow victory against Eltham Terrace Nuthouse.

Nuthouse had the much better start, taking the first set, 4-1 but Hustlers won the next set, 3-2 giving Nuthouse a 6-4 lead going into the final set.

Shane O'Reilly won his third frame of the night to leave Nuthouse needing just one frame for victory and they had their chances throughout the remainder of the set but Hustlers took the last four frames to steal the victory themselves, by 8 frames to 7.

Hustlers had their own unbeaten player, Joe Kane with two frame wins.

It looks to be an exciting race at the top as although there are ten points between the top four, each of them have won eight of their eleven matches.

At the bottom of the table Bellegrove Social Club are still searching their first win of the season after they were beaten by Pickwick this week.

Paul Slater was the star of the show in his team's, 10-5 victory, scoring three out of three, including one win from a re-rack and he was supported by Ash Hall recording an unbeaten brace.

This victory lifts Pickwick out of the bottom three and just one point behind Eltham Terrace Club A and two points behind Hustlers Simply Lovleh, who played each other this week.

It was Simply Lovleh who took the spoils and leapfrogged their opponents this week with a, 10-5 triumph.

There was only one unbeaten player on the night, Simply Lovleh's Tony Halpin who won both of his frames.

There are only three matches left in the SLKPA first division and it looks like Sharks are going to swim away with the title, as they are now six points clear with a game in hand.

They started this year as they finished last, extending their unbeaten run to nine matches this season, after beating third placed Rose Inn, 10-5 this week.

It was a perfect start, winning all five frames of the first set but Rose Inn fought back, taking the first two frames of the second and they went on to secure the set, 3-2 to make the score, 7-3 overall.

Sharks needed one more frame for victory but they had to wait until the second frame of the set to achieve it, before winning the last two frames to take the set.

Con Delaney won his only frame for Rose Inn but Rahat Munim and Kevin Dempsey went one better, with two out of two for Sharks.

It's highly likely that Crayford Social Club Rugrats will be joining Sharks in the Premier Division next season, as they lead the chasing pack and are fourteen points ahead of Rose Inn.

This week Rugrats went to bottom side, Bellegrove A and were ruthless in taking the first set, 5-0.

Pat Melia and young Jack Taylor started a comeback, with Taylor's frame win being his first in the league, which must have inspired Wayne Tanner, who also recorded his first league win.

Joe Hills won the tenth frame for Bellegrove, making the score a more respectable, 6-4 but it was to no avail as Rugrats whitewashed the final set as well to finish up, 11-4 victors and leave Bellegrove still winless for the season.

This makes it almost impossible for Bellegrove to avoid relegation, as they are eleven points behind CSC Mr's & Miss Q's and nineteen behind Fox & Hounds in the play-off spot and these two played each other this week.

It was an exciting match with each set being won by the odd frame, 3-2, Fox taking the first and CSC the next two to win the match by, 8 frames to 7, a win that was made even more remarkable by CSC only having four players.

Both teams ended with a hat-trick hero, James Coomber for CSC and Fox's Neil Shelton.

These two teams will probably be fighting it out with Eltham Terrace Rack Pack to see who else will be relegated and finish in the play-off spot, although Rack Pack could still steal the promotion play-off place from Rose Inn.

Likely to replace Bellegrove A are their sister side and SLKPA Division Two high flyers, Bellegrove Flyers who are now twelve points clear of second and 28 ahead of the play-off place.

Flyers got the new year off to a marvellous start against second bottom Foots Cray Social Club, taking the first two sets, 4-1 to have the match sewn up before the final set.

Foots Cray staged a bit of a comeback in the last set but Flyers were still too strong, edging it, 3-2 for an overall, 11-4 victory.

Flyers had three players on unbeaten hat-tricks, Keith Mitchell, Graham Lamb and Kevin Saunders.

New Eltham Social Club kept up their push for promotion at the first attempt but only just, after a narrow victory over bottom side, Happy Hustlers this week.

Angie Hobbs and Donna Mullins put Hustlers two up but New Eltham won the next three frames to take the set.

The second set started in similar fashion but this time Jade Holmes joined Hobbs in putting Hustlers ahead however, they held their nerve and Mullins won frame nine to give her team the set and put them, 5-4 up but Gary Mason levelled it for New Eltham.

George Evans-Vine played some fantastic shots to win his only frame of the night to put Hustlers ahead again but Shane Burnett made it three out of three to tie the match again.

Claire Stork gave Hustlers the advantage again and with Hobbs and Mullins to follow it looked like they might be snatching victory but Hobbs succumbed to Jeff Bailey and Mullins was defeated by Paul Carroll to give New Eltham the, 8-7 triumph.

North Heath Social Club held onto third place, after a scrappy 8-7 victory over fourth placed Academicals.

Academicals started the better, taking the first set, 3-2 but North Heath did the damage in the second set, winning it, 4-1 to take a, 6-4 lead into the final set.

Academicals looked like they might be nicking it when they won the first three frames of the last set but North Heath stumbled over the line by taking the last two frames.

Kev Nankoo and Nick Morris had their own personal battle, playing each other in every set, with Academicals' Morris coming out on top, 2-1 but apparently he was unlucky not to take all three.

With four games to go Happy Hustlers look destined for the wooden spoon but any two of the remaining four teams could join Flyers in the promotion places.

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.