Nuthouse crowned Tier Two West Champions

 

The top two in Tier Two West, Nuthouse and New Eltham New Boys faced each other this week, with eleven points between them and it was the team in pole position that started slightly better, with Trevor Biggs winning the opening frame. 

 

However, Greg Fothergill, Alfie Waldren and Michael Barnes won the next three frames to give New Boys the first set. 

 

Jon Syta took frame five to bring Nuthouse back to, 3-2. 

 

The second set was just as close, with the first four frames being shared sending it into a deciding frame. 

 

Frame ten was a rematch of frame five, but this time John Allen beat Jon Syta to give New Boys a surprise, 2-0 & 6-4 lead. 

 

The final set lived up to the previous two, swinging one way then the other, with Michael Barnes winning the penultimate frame to give New Boys the bonus point and level the set at two frames all. 

 

The final frame would decide whether New Boys left with maximum points  and prevent Nuthouse from taking the title two weeks early or not.

 

New Boys put their faith in Anthony Lee, who hadn’t played so far that evening and Nuthouse were relying on Dave Sparey, who had lost his previous frame. 

 

It was Sparey who held his nerve to secure the last set and the point Nuthouse needed to win Tier Two West. 

 

So, even though New Boys won the match, 2-1 & 8-7 to inflict only the second defeat on Nuthouse all season, it wasn’t enough to prevent them from winning the trophy and New Boys will have to battle it out with three other teams for the play-off spot. 

 

New Boys’ Captain, Barnes led from the front, winning all three of his frames and he was backed up by Fothergill, who also scored a hat-trick, while Trevor Biggs also recorded three out of three for Nuthouse. 

 

Despite losing the match, the single point that Nuthouse scored was enough to put them nine points ahead with only eight to play for and therefore are crowned Tier Two West champions. 

 

New Boys stay in second and are battling it out with Bellegrove A, Academicals and Fox & Hounds for the play-off spot, with Bellegrove and Academicals playing each other this week. 

 

These two and New Boys were on the same points before this week, with just the number of wins separating the three teams however, Academicals have kept up with New Boys, after winning, 2-1 & 10-5 to go two points ahead of their opponents and leapfrog them into third.

 

Following very closely behind, two points behind, were Fox & Hounds, who also played the team one place below them, Farmhouse this week. 

 

Although there was only one place between these teams in the table, there was seven points, but you would never have guessed given how this game turned out. 

 

Each side won two of the first four frames, sending the set into a deciding frame, which Clive Forrest won to put Fox, 3-2 up. 

 

Neil Shelton and Glen Ward won the next two frames to make it three on the spin for Fox to put them, 5-2 ahead overall. 

 

John Denahy pulled one back for Farmhouse, before Melissa Barnes won the set for Fox, giving them a, 2-0 & 6-3 lead. 

 

Charles Oryema won frame ten to bring that back to, 6-4 and keep Farmhouse within striking distance. 

 

Unfortunately for Farmhouse, Fox won two of the first three frames of the final set, giving them the bonus point and they were looking to push on for maximum points. 

 

However, Farmhouse fought hard, with Denahy tying the set and Nick Brown taking the last frame, to win the set, 3-2 making the final score, 2-1 & 8-7.

 

There was only one unbeaten player on the night, Shelton who won all three of his frames for Fox. 

 

This victory keeps Fox in the hunt for the play-off spot, two points away from second and third. 

 

With the battle to see who might join Nuthouse in the top division next season currently between four teams, the last two weeks of the season are going to be so exciting in this division and one to watch. 

 

The top two in SLKPA Tier Two East, Duke of Northumberland and Bears were also playing each other this week. 

 

They have been switching places all season, with just three points between them, but that mattered for nothing this week, as Bears dominated from start to finish. 

 

Bears started as they meant to go on by whitewashing the first set, 5-0.

 

Gary Heath made it six on the spin for Bears, before Paul Clements put Duke’s first frame on the board with frame seven to level the set. 

 

Both sides won one of the next two frames to send the set into a deciding frame, which Dean James won to give Bears an unassailable, 2-0 & 8-2 lead and the bonus point before the start of the last set. 

 

Duke were now looking at damage limitation and preventing Bears from achieving maximum points and Clements got them off to a good start by winning frame eleven. 

 

However, Paul Cobbold, Jeff Bailey and Shane Burnett continued Bears’ dominance to take the next three frames and the set for maximum points.

 

Dave Avery won the last frame for Duke to make the final score, 3-0 &11-4, which was enough to send Bears back to the top by one point. 

 

Cobbold was the hero of the night, scoring a hat-trick and teammate Bailey was also unbeaten, winning his only frame. 

 

Bellegrove Flyers have dragged themselves into the title race, after a massive, 3-0 & 13-2 victory over Bexleyheath Working Men’s Club, to put them just one point behind Duke. 

 

Rugrats were fourth going into this week, but they travelled to Hurricane Hustlers with just three players, so needed them all to win in a set to take it and score a point. 

  

Nevertheless, Steve Gibson and his depleted crew were determined to play the game and make the best of it, which was a credit to them.

 

After a bye in frame one for Hurricanes, Gibson got Rugrats off to the perfect start to level the set.  

 

However, that was it for them for set one, as Alfie Southby and Joe Kane won the other played frames which, added to the byes gave a, 4-1 first set lead to the Hurricanes. 

 

The second set started similarly with a bye for Hurricanes, but this time Aaron Shephard won the first frame played in the set for Rugrats.  

 

Rugrats’ Liam Firth unluckily potted the black out of turn to hand Kevin England frame eight and effectively the set.

 

Gibson kept battling though and reduced the arrears to make it, 2-0 & 7-3 after two sets.

 

In set three Firth and Shephard won frames eleven and fourteen, with Hurricanes taking byes in the twelfth and thirteenth to send the set into a deciding frame.

 

Kane met Gibson looking for his hat-trick and both players enjoyed some luck, but Kane’s was pivotal, as it left a tricky black, which he took out to make it, 3-0 & 10-5.

 

It was a team effort from the Hurricanes but there were three unbeaten players, with Southby taking advantage of two byes to complete a hat-trick and Kane and England recorded unbeaten braces.

 

A tough night for the Rugrats, but they conducted themselves brilliantly and nearly nicked a point in a game played in good spirits.

 

Hurricanes stay in sixth, but Rugrats drop one place to fifth, just three points ahead of their opponents, after Eltham Terrace Rack Pack beat Bell Ya Later this week. 

 

Rack Pack got off to a storming start, whitewashing the first set, 5-0. 

 

Donna Mullins got Bell Ya Later’s first frame on the board with frame six however, Tony Frost levelled the set and Chris Unwin put Rack Pack, 2-1 up in the set.  

 

The next two frames were tough battles, with Jo Williams taking frame nine to tie the set and John Ly won the deciding frame to give Rack Pack a, 2-0 & 8-2 lead and the bonus point before set three. 

 

Frame eleven was another tight frame, with Shaun Hammond taking out some nice pots to extend Rack Pack’s lead. 

 

John Ly took frame twelve for his first three out of three of the season and Frost became the second player of the night to score a hat-trick and give his side the set for maximum points. 

 

Chris Unwin made it a trio of hat-trick heroes, with his first of the season and Chris Parlett completed the second set whitewash of the night to give his team a, 3-0 & 13-2 triumph. 

 

Bell Ya Later remain in seventh, ten points ahead of Bexleyheath at the bottom. 

 

Rack Pack have gone into fourth, seven points behind second, so are unlikely to challenge the play-off spot this season. 

 

With only two points separating the top three in this division, the battle for promotion will go down to the wire. 

 

After relegating Falconwood Club from the Elite League last week, New Eltham New Stars have joined them this week, after losing to Pickwick. 

 

Ben Worden got New Stars off to a great start, winning the opening frame, but Pickwick turned it around with Paul Dawson, Ian Chapman, Martin Storey and Dave Pile winning the next four frames to take the first set, 4-1. 

 

The next set was a lot closer, swinging one way then the other, with Pile eventually winning the deciding frame of the set to give Pickwick a, 2-0 & 7-3 lead. 

 

After securing the second set, Pile went on to earn the bonus point with his hat-trick frame and the first of the third set. 

 

Jeff Schofield won his second frame of the night, to tie the set and bring it back to, 8-4. 

 

However, Pickwick turned on the style and won the last three frames for an overall, 3-0 & 11-4 score. 

 

Ian Chapman joined Pile on a hat-trick, which included an outrageous fluke on the black in the penultimate frame. 

 

This left New Stars nine points away from safety with eight to play for, meaning they will be dropping into Tier Two next season. 

 

Pickwick stay in fourth, four points behind second and third and ten points behind the leaders. 

 

The two teams above New Stars, Bellegrove and The Cocked Hats faced each other this week, with three points between them. 

 

As expected, this was a tough game on a lightning-fast table, where the first four frames were shared, before Tom Haworth won a battling fifth frame to give Bellegrove the set, 3-2.

 

Bellegrove went on to win the first four frames of the second set, for five in a row and give them the second set.  

 

Elliott Giles won back-to-back frames, then Dan Heinink was unlucky to go in off on the black in Cocked Hats’ run of five frames, making the overall score, 7-7.  

 

With Cocked Hats looking to share the points, you would have thought a tense finish was in store, but James Couch had other ideas, completing a superb break and dish, to win the final frame and give Bellegrove a, 2-1 & 8-7 victory. 

 

This game lived up to expectations and was so close there were no unbeaten players.

 

These two teams stay in fifth and sixth, but there is now just one point between the two and with Pickwick five points away from the relegation zone, it looks like Cocked Hats and Bellegrove will be battling to avoid relegation. 

 

The pressure was off for Falconwood Club after being relegated last week, but they would like to get at least one victory this season however, this week’s opponents were Terry’s Allstars who still have an outside chance of the title. 

 

Considering the situation, it was surprising how close this game was, with each set being won by the odd frame, 3-2. 

 

Stacy Redman and Phil O’Kane started well for Allstars, and it looked like the writing was on the wall for Falconwood however, Jamie White and Luke Matthews had other ideas and tied the set. 

 

Rob Taylor’s quality showed in the deciding frame, giving Allstars a, 3-2 first set lead. 

 

Akar Necati levelled the match overall, with the first frame of the second set, but Derek Power restored Allstars lead. 

 

Falconwood were not flustered, and White won his second frame of the night to put them, 2-1 up in the set. 

 

Allstars were not lying down though with O’Kane tying the set and Paul Cook winning the decider to nudge them into the lead, 2-0 & 6-4. 

 

Ian Stringer pulled another frame back for Falconwood to bring them to within a frame, but Allstars weren’t leaving anything to chance in this set, taking the next three frames to give them the bonus point and the match.

 

Brett Crawley took the last frame to make the final score a respectable, 3-0 & 9-6. 

 

Taylor and Power were the only unbeaten players, both scoring a brace. 

 

Falconwood’s search for a victory this season continues, and they only have two games left, against Cocked Hats and Hotshots to do so. 

 

The last game this week and I’ve probably saved the best until last, saw the top two, Sharks and Hotshots face off, to complete the top two playing each other in all three divisions this week. 

 

This was a fantastic match between the top two teams, with only four points between them and the first set was as close as the current standings suggest. 

 

The league leaders got the match off to a good start, with Eno Idiong taking the first frame, but Ryan Francis replied with a break and dish. 

 

The next two frames were also shared, sending the set into a deciding frame, which Rahat Munim won to give Sharks the edge, 3-2. 

 

Surprisingly, that quickly became, 7-2, as Sharks won the first four frames of the second set, including a break and dish from Vu Son in the ninth, making it five in a row to take the second set and the match. 

 

Gary Sweetenham won frame ten to prevent the set whitewash and Sharks from achieving the bonus point before the third set. 

 

However, they didn’t have to wait long for that, as Idiong won frame eleven to also record his hat-trick. 

 

Sharks were now, 8-3 ahead and pushing for maximum points to extend their lead at the top, but Hotshots were still fighting, and they won the last four frames to bring the score back to, 2-1 & 8-7. 

 

Apart from Idiong, the only other unbeaten player was Munim, who won both his frames. 

 

Sharks now look set for the title, although not mathematically impossible, they are six points clear with eight to play for, so it’s in their hands. 

 

Behind them Allstars have leapfrogged Hotshots into second, but they are on the same points, with only one victory separating the two. 

 

With just two weeks to go the season is still far from over for a number of teams. 

 

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.