Flyers close gap on top two

 

Flyers were sitting in fifth, seven points behind the top two, but they had a fantastic week against bottom team Bexleyheath Working Men’s Club, beating them by an almost perfect, 3-0 & 14-1. 

 

Maximum points gained by Flyers meant that they rose from fifth to third, four points behind the top two, who met each other this week. 

 

Duke of Northumberland in second hosted Bears, but the match only lasted eight frames before controversy raised it’s ugly head and the match was abandoned, so no change at the top. 

 

Flyers leapfrog over both Hurricane Hustlers and Bell Ya Later, who both lost this week. 

 

Bell Ya Later only drop to fourth, two points behind Flyers, after they lost, 3-0 & 9-6 to Eltham Terrace Rack Pack, who jump up to fifth themselves. 

 

Hurricanes went to an underperforming Rugrats, three points and three places ahead of them and they got off to a good start with Alfie Southby tying up Ashley Hewson to take the opening frame. 

 

Sadly, for Hurricanes that was as good as it got for them in the first set, as Rugrats ruthlessly punished their mistakes, none more so than Dylan Suggars and Liam Firth, taking out wonderful clearances to help give Rugrats a, 4-1 first set lead. 

 

The second set was much closer, swinging one way then the other, with Rugrats Captain, Steve Gibson eventually taking a tight deciding frame to give his team a, 2-0 & 7-3 lead. 

 

Rugrats dominance continued into the third set, with Hewson, Suggars and Liam Firth winning the first three frames to give them maximum points and their first win of the season. 

 

Hurricanes did show some fight, with Michelle Brown and Kevin England winning the last two frames to claw the score back to, 3-0 & 10-5. 

 

This was a superb team performance from Rugrats, with Suggars taking the plaudits as the only unbeaten player on the night, on a hat-trick and they hope they can build on this and continue their rise up the table. 

 

Unfortunately for Hurricanes, they drop from fourth to seventh, one place and one point behind their opponents. 

 

Eltham Terrace Nuthouse stay top of SLKPA Tier Two West after a comprehensive victory over New Eltham New Boys in fourth. 

 

It was a fantastic start for the league leaders, taking the first four frames for the first set. 

 

Mike Peka won frame five for New Boys to prevent the set whitewash.

 

John Allen made it two in a row for New Boys to halve Nuthouse’s lead however, Zoe Healy and Leighton Aston won the next two frames to increase Nuthouse’s overall lead to, 6-2. 

 

Greg Fothergill levelled the set for New Boys before Shane Hutley secured the set for Nuthouse. 

 

It was, 7-3 going into the final set with Nuthouse one frame away from securing the bonus point, which Scott Reeves sealed with frame eleven.

 

Jon Syta and Dave Sparey won the next two frames to give Nuthouse the set and maximum points. New Boys won the last two frames to make the final score a more respectable, 3-0 & 10-5. 

 

Syta and Healy were the only unbeaten players on the night, winning two and one frame respectively. 

 

New Boys drop from fourth to sixth, while Nuthouse open up a two point lead at the top. 

 

Bellegrove A are the ones keeping the pressure on Nuthouse, after beating Academicals, 2-1 in sets however, Academicals achieved more frames, 8-7 so the points were shared and Academicals remain two points behind their opponents in third. 

 

 Gun Pit are also on twelve points in fourth after this week’s triumph over Downham Tavern Terrors. 

 

Two of the newest teams in the league faced each other and after the first two frames were shared, Gun Pit stormed ahead, with Shelton D’Costa, Mel Ma and Charlie Mehmet taking the last three frames of the set, to give them a, 4-1 first set lead. 

 

They went on to win the first three frames of the second set to make it six on the bounce, giving them the second set. 

 

Terrors took the last two frames of the set to prevent Gun Pit from achieving the bonus point before the third set. 

 

However, they didn’t have to wait long, as Mehmet won frame eleven and that was quickly followed by another frame from Enis Dogungun, to give them a, 2-0 lead in the final set. 

 

Terrors prevented the set whitewash, but Charlie French secured maximum points with his only frame of the night. 

 

The last frame went to Terrors making the final score, 3-0 & 10-5 to Gun Pit. 

 

Dogungun was the man of the match, winning all three of his frames. 

 

Terrors remain winless at the bottom, but it is their first season, so they will improve. 

 

The two teams above them, Farmhouse and Fox & Hounds faced each other this week. 

 

There was only one place and four points between these two teams before this match, so it was always going to be close and it did not disappoint, as each set was won by the odd frame, 3-2. 

 

Farmhouse started the better, with John Denahy and Nick Brown winning the opening two frames. 

 

However, Alan Dolan and Clive Forrest tied the set for Fox, sending it into a deciding frame, which Steve Millson won to give Farmhouse a first set lead. 

 

Dolan levelled the match at 3-3, before Mel Barnes and Glen Ward won frames seven and eight to give Fox the second set and a, 5-3 overall lead.

 

Charles Oryema and Barrie Blake took the last two frames of the second set to make it all square at one set and five frames each. 

 

Farmhouse took the initiative in the final set with Nick Brown and Denahy, again edging them two frames in front. 

 

But Fox fought back with Forrest winning frame thirteen and Dolan tying the match once again with his hat-trick. 

 

Oryema faced Kerry Wyatt in the final frame decider and Wyatt’s experience showed, giving Fox a narrow, 2-1 & 8-7 triumph. 

 

Farmhouse stay in seventh, but are now four points ahead of Terrors, whereas Fox go up to fifth, one point behind Gun Pit. 

 

Sharks take over at the top of the SLKPA Elite League after a fantastic victory over Hotshots. 

 

Jeff LaPorte and Rahat Munim got Sharks off to a great start, with the first two frames, but Hotshots fought back with Ryan Francis, Richard Chapman and Danny Kelliher all winning to give Hotshots the first set.

 

Francis made it four in a row, but Sharks reversed that and put four frames of their own together to take the second set, 4-1. 

 

Sharks were, 6-4 up going into the last set, but Francis pulled that back to, 6-5 with frame eleven. 

 

Uncharacteristically that would be it for Hotshots, as Munim, Vu Son, Bruno Silva and Naf Ayieko all won to give Sharks a, 2-1 & 10-5 triumph. 

 

Francis kept his team in the game, winning all three of his frames which was matched by Munim from Sharks and he was backed up by Silva and Vu Son, both scoring a brace. 

 

Hotshots stay in fifth however, Sharks join Pickwick on fifteen points but go above them by one frame. 

 

Second from bottom, New Eltham New Stars got off to a great start against league leaders Pickwick, winning the first two frames, including a remarkable finish from Dave Jandu in the second. 

 

Paul Slater pulled a frame back for Pickwick with a break and dish, but Paul Carroll secured the set for New Stars with frame four. 

 

Mike Werbowy brought Pickwick to within a frame, before Slater tied the match overall at three all. 

 

Steve Knight restored New Stars lead however, Paul Gafa and Martin Storey won the next two frames to take the second set and edge Pickwick into the lead for the first time in the match. 

 

Ben Worden won frame ten to level the match at, 1-1 & 5-5. 

 

The close nature of the match continued into the final set, with the first two frames being shared. 

 

However, Paul Dawson won frame thirteen with a break and dish and Storey took the penultimate frame to nick the bonus point. 

 

Carroll took the final frame to bring the score back to, 2-1 & 8-7. 

 

It was a scrappy match, but Storey shone as the only unbeaten player, winning both his frames. 

 

New Stars stay in seventh and are just one point ahead of Falconwood Club at the bottom, after their topsy-turvy,2-1 & 9-6 defeat to Terry’s Allstars. 

 

To start with Allstars were in imperious form, winning the first eight frames to take the first two sets and earn the bonus point. 

 

This meant that each of the eight players in attendance for Allstars won a frame. 

 

Jamie White put Falconwood’s first frame on the board, which started a run of four frames in a row to halve Allstars overall lead to, 8-4. 

 

Phil O’Kane became the first Allstar to win a second frame, who soon became the only Allstar to do this, as Ross Webster and Brett Crawley won the last two frames to give Falconwood the final set, 4-1 and a point. 

 

The nature of this match meant that there was only one unbeaten player, Derek Power winning his only frame. 

 

Allstars are in fourth on the same points as Bellegrove, after they had to share the points with The Cocked Hats. 

 

You’ve heard of a game of two halves, well this was a game of three sets, as Bellegrove took the first, 4-1 and Cocked Hats the second, 5-0 before Bellegrove won the last, 3-2. 

 

Bellegrove are the first to admit that the first set could quite easily have been reversed, as Cocked Hats missed blacks in each of the opening three frames. 

 

The second set should also have been closer than the whitewash suggests, but Cocked Hats were ruthless and punished mistakes. 

 

Dan Heinink and a break and dish from Barry Barham put Bellegrove, 2-0 up in the final set, levelling the match, 6-6 overall. 

 

The next two frames were shared, giving Bellegrove the set and the match, but the bonus point was still up for grabs, going to a final frame decider. 

 

Shane O’Reilly cleared well after a deliberate foul to give Cocked Hats the bonus point. 

 

Cocked Hats remain in sixth, five points ahead of the bottom two, but only one point behind Hotshots above 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 or secretary@slkpa.com with any queries.

 

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