Results in the South London & Kent Pool Alliance Elite League this week, including both the top two losing their unbeaten records, have thrown the league wide open, with only five points separating the top six teams. 

 

Sharks were in pole position and travelled to sixth placed The Cocked Hats, seven points behind them. 

 

Cocked Hats put in a fantastic performance to end Sharks unbeaten run, with a, 2-1 & 8-7 victory to knock them off the top spot however, it wasn’t quite enough to lift them out of sixth. 

 

Second placed Bellegrove travelled to Terry’s Allstars in fifth and this was a close game, as you would expect from two teams that have their sights on the title. 

 

The first two frames went either way, before Phil O’Kane and Richie Mitchell won the next two to give Allstars the first set. 

 

Dan Foley brought Bellegrove back to, 3-2 then Dan Heinink and Barry Barham made it three in a row to put their side, 2-0 up in the second set.

 

Bellegrove continued to pile on the pressure however, Allstars put their own run of three frames together, which included two where the black was potted getting out of a snooker, to win the set, 3-2. 

 

Allstars were, 2-0 up in sets and 6-4 in frames and started the second set with Paul Cook potting both the black and cue ball to give Bellegrove frame eleven. 

 

O’Kane and Mitchell were on hand again to lift Allstars back into the lead in the set and give them the bonus point. 

 

Foley tied the set for Bellegrove, which left Tom Haworth, on his debut to fight it out with Tony Stork for the set decider. 

 

Haworth picked up his first frame in the SLKPA to make the final score, 2-1 & 8-7 and give his team a point. 

 

O’Kane and Mitchell won both of their frames to help Allstars end Bellegrove’s unbeaten run and teammate Rob Taylor was also unbeaten, winning his only frame. 

 

Allstars have gone up to fourth with Bellegrove one point and one place above them.

 

Third played fourth as Hotshots travelled to Pickwick, who got off to a great start, with Jamie Davis and Paul Dawson winning the opening frames. 

 

Ryan Francis pulled one back for Hotshots, but Paul Slater and Mike Werbowy secured the set for Pickwick, giving them a, 4-1 first set lead. 

 

Alex Lawrence opened the scoring for Hotshots in the second set, but they uncharacteristically made a lot of mistakes, which Pickwick punished and won the remaining nine frames for a comprehensive, 3-0 & 13-2 triumph. 

 

Pickwick enjoyed the roll of the ball, but that shouldn’t detract from a fabulous display, particularly from Paul Slater, Paul Dawson and Mike Werbowy, who all scored hat-tricks and Martin Storey was also unbeaten, winning both his frames. 

 

Pickwick have now jumped to the top of the table, whilst Hotshots have dropped to fifth. 

 

The top four teams are now all on the same, won three and lost one record, with just three points separating them. 

 

The bottom two teams of the division faced each other, as New Eltham New Stars hosted Falconwood Club. 

 

Falconwood fought back on the night to get their first points of the season on the board, after New Stars recorded a, 2-1 sets victory but Falconwood scored more frames, 8-7.

 

They lost each of the first two sets, 3-2 to trail, 6-4 overall, with each set containing some scrappy frames, which both sides could have won.

 

Facing the prospect of a fourth successive game with no points, Ian Stringer won frame eleven for Falconwood. 

 

Then despite losing a tight frame twelve, Falconwood won the final three frames to secure a point for the set and an overall, 8-7 win in frames for the bonus point. 

 

Falconwood’s Jamie White was the man of the match, winning all three of his frames. 

 

The bottom two share the spoils, with two points each, putting them on two and three points respectively and four points behind Cocked Hats in sixth. 

 

SLKPA Tier Two West has a similar situation to the Elite League, with no unbeaten teams and the top six are only separated by four points. 

 

Gun Pit have had a good start to their first season, sitting in third after winning two and losing one match, but this week they hosted SLKPA stalwarts and division leaders Eltham Terrace Nuthouse. 

 

The first two frames were shared, but Trevor Biggs, Shane Hutley and Leighton Aston won the last three frames of the set to win it and give Nuthouse a, 4-1 lead. 

 

Charlie Mehmet and Shelton D’Costa put Gun Pit, 2-0 up in the second set, pulling them back to, 4-3 overall. 

 

However, Dave Sparey, Aston and Jon Syta took the next three frames to give Nuthouse the victory and a, 7-3 lead. 

 

Nuthouse were one away from the bonus point and Mehmet prolonged the agony with frame eleven. 

 

But that would be Gun Pit’s last frame of the evening, as Nuthouse won the last four frames to gain maximum points with a, 3-0 & 11-4 triumph.

 

Mehmet and D’Costa kept Gun Pit in the match, winning two of their three frames to score all their team’s four frames. 

 

However, Nuthouse’s experience showed as both Syta and Aston recorded hat-tricks and they were backed up by Sparey with an unbeaten brace. 

 

Gun Pit drop to fifth, but Nuthouse remain top, although Bellegrove A are breathing down their necks after this week’s conclusive victory. 

 

They played hosts to the newest team in the league and bottom of the table Downham Tavern Terrors. 

 

Bellegrove got off to a perfect start, winning the first three frames to take the set, before Terrors scored their opening frame in the fourth.

 

In only his second start for Bellegrove, Richard Hattersley won his first frame in the SLKPA to give Bellegrove a, 4-1 first set lead. 

 

The second set went a similar way, with Bellegrove taking the first four frames, before Terrors prevented the set whitewash with frame ten. 

 

 

Bellegrove had an unassailable, 2-0 & 8-2 lead giving them the bonus point before the final set 

 

This set was much closer, going down to a final frame decider, which Bellegrove Captain, John Skuza won with his third frame win of the night, to give his team a, 3-0 & 11-4 triumph. 

 

It was a great team performance from Bellegrove, with Peter Moult joining his skipper on a hat-trick and they were backed up by Hattersley and Jack Taylor, scoring two out of two. 

 

Despite the loss, Downham were far from terrors and contributed to a fantastic atmosphere; they will learn a lot in their first season and will no doubt improve as time goes on. 

 

Terrors are rooted to the bottom of the table on a single point, with Bellegrove on the same points as Nuthouse at the top, but are behind them by just two frames won. 

 

Academicals jump from fifth to third with a massive win of their own against Farmhouse. 

 

They had a fantastic night, taking the first eight frames to win the match and secure the bonus point before the third set and Farmhouse had recorded a frame. 

 

Steve Millson put the first frame on the board for Farmhose, but Dean Williams took the tenth frame to give Academicals a, 9-1 lead. 

 

The first three frames of the last set also went to Academicals, giving them maximum points. 

 

John Denahy joined Millson in the Farmhouse winner’s corner with the penultimate frame however, Williams won the final frame to complete the convincing, 3-0 & 13-2 trouncing. 

 

Gary Mason, Chris Gaunt, Greg Phillimore and Dean Williams all scored unbeaten hat-tricks for Academicals. 

 

Academicals are now two points behind the top two and Farmhouse are three points above Terrors at the bottom. 

 

Fox & Hounds and New Eltham New Boys were fourth and fifth respectively with just one point between them before they faced each other this week. 

 

This match couldn’t have been closer, with each set being won by the odd frame, 3-2. 

 

The first set swung one way then the other, with Anthony Lee winning the deciding frame for New Boys. 

 

Greg Fothergill won frame six to put New Boys in the lead by two frames for the first time in the match. 

 

The next two frames were shared, then Alan Dolan and Kerry Wyatt put two frames together for Fox, to tie the match at one all and five all. 

 

New Boys took a, 2-1 lead in the final set, before Mike Peka won the penultimate frame to give them the set, the match and the bonus point.

 

Wyatt won the last frame to make the final score, 2-1 & 8-7 in New Boys favour. 

 

Despite the loss Fox had two unbeaten players, Wyatt on a hat-trick and Neil Shelton with a brace, whereas New Boys had one, Anthony Lee winning all three of his frames. 

 

New Boys leapfrog their opponents into fourth however, Fox drop to sixth, but are only one point behind their opponents. 

 

The top two in SLKPA Tier Two East, Bears and Duke of Northumberland are the only unbeaten teams left in the league and have developed a five point gap at the top of the table. 

 

It was top versus bottom as Bears took on Rugrats, but these two teams are far more closely matched than this. 

 

Bears took a, 2-0 lead before Ashley Hewson pulled one back for Rugrats. 

 

Jeff Bailey, Bears’ Captain secured the set with frame four and Shane Burnett extended their lead to, 4-1. 

 

Paul Cobbold made it three in a row for Bears with the first frame of the second set, but Scott Foley and Hewson put Rugrats, 2-1 up in the set and back to, 5-3 in frames. 

 

Gary Mason levelled the set for Bears and Burnett made it two out of two to win the set and give his side a, 7-3 lead going into the final set. 

 

Cobbold secured the bonus point for Bears by winning frame twelve and Mason won the next frame to give them a, 2-1 lead in the set.  

 

Bears were heading towards maximum points however, Rugrats had other ideas and Ashley Hewson and Steve Gibson won the last two frames to give their team a point. 

 

There were three players who won all three of their frames, Hewson for Rugrats and Bears’ Mason and Cobbold. 

 

Bears stay top and Rugrats lift themselves off the bottom, as Bexleyheath Working Men’s Club were heavily beaten by Bell Ya Later. 

 

Their 3-0 & 10-5 triumph was even more remarkable as Bell Ya Later only had four players!

 

Angie Hobbs started the night well for Bell Ya Later, taking the first frame against Caroline Jefferies, leaving seven balls on the table. 

 

Alfie Cambridge was unlucky not to increase the lead, after launching a comeback against Dave Fulkes, but the last ball failed to drop handing his opponent the frame. 

 

The deciding frame of the set was a tense affair and after half an hour of play it eventually went to Claire Stork to give Bell Ya Later the first set. 

 

In the second set Cambridge got his own back on Fulkes with a fabulous clearance, ending with a lovely black. 

 

Also in the second set Jade Holmes beat Andy Sucksmith with a wonderful triple on the black. 

 

To win the match in that manner with a player missing, Bell Ya Later couldn’t afford to put a foot wrong and Stork, Hobbs and Holmes didn’t, winning all three of their frames. 

 

Bexleyheath have dropped to the bottom of the table, but this impressive victory has seen Bell Ya Later climb one place to third, five points behind Duke of Northumberland. 

 

Fifth place Eltham Terrace Rack Pack hosted the Duke with seven points between the teams, but this match was much closer than that. 

 

The first set had a few frames that were won against the run of play.  

 

In the first frame Duke’s John Kinsville lost after potting the black, having sent the white round the table to get on his last colour.  

 

Then in the second frame Rack Pack’s Chris Parlett was unlucky having potted a great black, only to see the white come back off the cushion and cut a red into the same pocket.  

 

In a tight first set, Phil Tworek won the deciding frame to snatch the first set, 3-2 for the Duke.

 

Rack Pack reversed the first set score in the second leaving the match finely poised at one all in sets and five all in frames.

 

The third set followed the tone of the previous two and remained close. 

 

Paul Clements and Tworek completed their unbeaten hat-tricks for the Duke, but it was Sam Kinsville who held his nerve to produce an excellent clearance in the final frame decider and give the Duke a hard-earned, 2-1 & 8-7 victory.

 

Rack Pack are now in sixth, one point ahead of Rugrats. 

 

Hurricane Hustlers were in third, three places and two points ahead of this week’s opponents Bellegrove Flyers and were looking to rack up their third win on the trot. 

 

The Flyers were initially struggling to get to grips with the fast table and Hurricanes took advantage, with Stuart Yard producing an excellent rear guard frame to open the scoring.

 

Michelle Brown played an excellent frame to win the fourth, sandwiched between wins for Kevin England and Joe Kane on his debut for Hurricanes.

 

The first set finished, 4-1 to Hustlers with Jay Arnold winning Flyers solitary frame.

 

Flyers came flying out the traps in set two and reversed the first set score line, to make it one set all and five frames all.

 

Flyers took the opening two frames of the final set, with Jay Arnold producing another good finish and Alan Boltwood taking out a great doubled black.

 

However, Hurricanes fought back, taking the next two frames through Kane and England.

 

It was fitting for the match that it went to a final frame decider with Michelle Brown battling Jason Brunton.  

 

It was a great frame, with Brunton utilising his experience to take out a composed finish and win the match, 2-1 & 8-7 for Flyers.

 

There were three unbeaten players on the night, Jay Arnold playing excellently for his hat-trick and Boltwood completing an unbeaten brace for Flyers and Hustlers’ Captain, England also scored a hat-trick.

 

It was a great match played in a wonderful spirit right from the first frame to the last.

 

Flyers are now one place behind Hustlers in fifth, although they are on the same points, separated by just three frames won. 

 

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.