Bellegrove A started the South London & Kent Pool Alliance winter season with a, 14-1 defeat, but they have bounced back with two impressive wins to go joint second of the first division. 

 

They followed up last week’s, 10-5 triumph over Fox & Hounds with an amazing, 12-3 victory over New Eltham New Stars, who were unbeaten before this week. 

 

New Stars won the opening two frames, but Bellegrove soon levelled and their Captain, John Skuza took frame five to give his team a, 3-2 lead. 

 

Bellegrove whitewashed the second set, to make it eight frames in a row and give them an unassailable, 8-2 lead. 

 

New Stars brought one back with frame eleven, but Bellegrove were buoyant and reeled off the last four frames, for a comprehensive, 12-3 victory.

 

It was a great all round team performance from Bellegrove, with Stacy Redman scoring a hat-trick, Skuza was also unbeaten on two frame wins and they were backed up by Pete Moult, Jack Taylor, and Joe Hills, who all won two of their three frames. 

 

 These two teams are tied in second place on 23 points, with New Stars sister side, New Eltham New Boys on the same points, but they are in fourth after losing to Eltham Terrace Rack Pack this week. 

 

The 10-5 victory was Rack Pack’s first victory of the season and was enough to lift them off the bottom of the table, as Fox & Hounds lost to the league leaders, Falconwood Club. 

 

The match started off with some long tactical frames, but Falconwood ended the first set with a, 4-1 lead. 

 

Fox & Hounds won two of the next three frames to bring the score to, 5-3 however, Falconwood won the final seven frames to secure a massive, 12-3 win. 

 

The score flattered Falconwood, as Fox had a shot on the black in at least five of the frames that they lost. 

 

Falconwood’s Captain, Paul Baker and Ross Webster both scored unbeaten hat-tricks for the second week running. 

 

Falconwood are now nine points clear at the top of the table, with the other five teams separated by just eleven points. 

 

Eleven points also split the top five teams in the SLKPA second division, with no unbeaten teams left in the division. 

 

The last two teams to be beaten were Farmhouse and Academicals with the former losing in spectacular style, 12-3 against Duke of Northumberland. 

 

Unbeaten players for the Duke were, Paul Clements, Phil Tworek, and Sam Kinsville, all winning all three of their frames. 

 

Duke have replaced Academicals at the top of the table, after they were narrowly beaten by Bellegrove Flyers, whereas Farmhouse have dropped to fifth. 

 

It’s always a great, but tough battle between Academicals and Flyers and this week was no different, going right down to the last frame, which Mark Porter won to give Flyers the edge by 8 frames to 7. 

 

Richard Marsh was the inspiration behind Flyers victory, winning all three of his frames. 

 

Happy Hustlers put their first win of the season on the board, with a 13-2 trouncing of Bexleyheath Working Men’s Club, leaving them winless and twelve points adrift of Farmhouse at the bottom. 

 

There are only two teams in the whole of the SLKPA with unbeaten records, Hotshots and Sharks, both from the Premier Division. 

 

Sharks have only played two matches and recorded a fine, 10-5 triumph over last week’s league leaders The Cocked Hats, who were unbeaten themselves. 

 

Sharks are now in fifth place, five points behind their opponents, who have dropped to second after Hotshots kept up their unbeaten record against Pickwick this week. 

 

Jamie Davis finished impressively to take the first frame for Pickwick however, there was even better to come as Ryan Francis for Hotshots and Pickwick’s Mike Werbowy both broke dished, leaving Pickwick, 2-1 ahead. 

 

Martin Storey produced a fantastic finish to give Pickwick the set, before Danny Kelliher won frame five to bring Hotshots back to within one frame. 

 

Francis and Neil Hall won the first two frames of the second set to put Hotshots one up, then Davis levelled the match at four all. 

 

Richard Chapman and Kelliher won frames nine and ten, giving Hotshots a, 6-4 lead. 

 

Hotshots dominance continued into the third set, winning the first three frames to take the match. 

 

Storey prevented the set whitewash, winning the penultimate frame with Kelliher completing his hat-trick to give Hotshots a convincing, 10-5 triumph. 

 

Joining Kelliher on three frame wins was Francis, helping Hotshots to go four points clear at the top of the table. 

 

Despite losing all three of their matches so far, Pickwick are in sixth place, one point behind Sharks. 

 

Bears have also lost all three of their matches and sit bottom of the table, after they were beaten, 9-6 by Eltham Terrace Nuthouse, who are now fourth. 

 

On the same points as Bears are Bull Tavern, but they have one victory from their two matches played, so sit above the bottom team. 

 

This week Bull Tavern visited Rugrats, who were riding high after one win and a loss to the current, unbeaten league leaders. 

 

The in-form Ashley Hewson got Rugrats off to a fantastic start, winning the opening frame, but Jordan O’Connor and Shane O’Reilly turned that around for Bull. 

 

Steve Gibson won frame four to send the set into a deciding frame, which Pat Firth won to give Rugrats a, 3-2 lead going into the second set. 

 

Frame six was a rematch of the first frame and Hewson beat Tony Gear for the second time to increase Rugrats lead to two frames. 

 

O’Connor won frame seven but teammate, O’Reilly couldn’t follow him this time, going down to Firth. 

 

Naf Ayieko tied the set for Bull, before Aaron Shephard took frame ten to give Rugrats the set and a shock, 6-4 lead. 

 

This must have shocked Bull into action, as they won the first four frames of the final set, before Shephard prevented the set whitewash with the last frame, making the final score, 8-7 in Bull’s favour. 

 

Rugrats’ Captain, Steve Gibson said that despite losing after being, 6-4 up it still felt like a win to us, as it went right down to the wire, and we had a team of that quality on the ropes. 

 

There was only one unbeaten player, Bull Tavern’s Captain, Jordan O’Connor, finishing on a hat-trick. 

 

Bull Tavern are second bottom but do have a game in hand over most teams, whereas Rugrats are still sitting pretty in third place. 

 

It looks like its going to be an exciting Premier Division season, as after three weeks only fifteen points separate top from bottom. 

 

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 or secretary@slkpa.com with any queries.

 

The league is always looking at potential sponsors and any interested parties can also contact Paul Gafa.