Just weeks after the South London & Kent Pool Alliance paid tribute to their long-standing Chairman, Martin Donohoe, after he suddenly passed away, they had to say goodbye to another member of their pool family this week.
Claire Stork was vibrant and bubbly and loved her pool, playing for Bell Ya Later in the SLKPA, London Leopards and the London Ladies County team until her illness took over.
Claire played in the SLKPA for many years and was well liked and respected, she will be sadly missed, and the league’s thoughts are with her friends and family at this sad time.
Back to the pool and Bears have been top of the SLKPA first division for most of the seven weeks of this season so far, but this week we have new leaders.
The top two played each other this week, as Bears hosted Cue-Ologists with just one point between them, so this was always going to be a close game and that proved to be the case as each set was won by the odd frame.
The first two frames were shared, before Steve Aldridge and Simon Platt won the third and fourth to give Cue-Ologists the first set.
Dean James won two frames in a row to nudge Bears into the lead for the first time in the match however, Platt and Aldridge turned that back around.
Shane Burnett tied the set, before Chris McKensie became the third Cue-Ologist to win their second frame of the night taking a, 6-4 lead into the last set.
Platt won his third frame to put Cue-Ologists on the hill, but Paul Cobbold, Gary Mason, and Dean James, with his hat-trick frame, sent the match into a final frame decider.
Burnett met Aldridge to see who would win the match and it was the latter who won three out of three to give his side the narrow, 8-7 victory.
After this result, both teams have the same record and are in equal second place, three points behind the new leaders, Duke of Northumberland after their impressive victory over Bell Ya Later.
Duke started well winning the first four frames of the night, before Angie Hobbs stopped the rot.
However, Duke continued to dominate and recorded a whitewash in the second set to have the match won before the end of the set.
At, 9-1. the match continued to go Duke's way and they extended their lead to, 12-1 before Bell Ya Later grabbed the last two frames of the night making the final score 12-3.
Sam Kinsville secured a hat-trick for Duke, whilst Dave Pearce and John Cochrane were also unbeaten on the night with two frame wins each.
Duke have risen two places to top the table, whereas Bell Ya Later have dropped two places to ninth.
Downham Tavern Terrors have joined the top three on five match wins and two losses after they beat New Eltham New Boys, 10-5 this week.
New Boys stay in eighth, but Terrors go up to fourth, two points behind Bears and Cue-Ologists.
Bellegrove Flyers could and should have joined the top four on five wins when they hosted second from bottom and winless Academicals, but the away team recorded their first win of the season, edging it, 8-7 to go up two places to seventh, one point ahead of New Boys and Bell Ya Later.
Blackheath Sports Club were also winless at the bottom of the division, and they hosted Eltham Terrace Rack Pack this week.
There were four places and ten points between these sides, so it was surprising how close this game was, with all three sets being won by the odd frame, 3-2.
The first set swung one way then the other, with Kerry Wyatt taking the set deciding frame to give Blackheath a, 3-2 first set lead.
The first two frames of the second set were shared, before Graham Levingbird and Mark Simnett won two frames in a row for the first time in the match, giving Rack Pack the set.
Kerry Wyatt won her second frame of the night to level the match at one set and five frames all.
Joe Kane nudged Blackheath back into the lead before Liju Thomas tied the match again.
Mel Barnes put Blackheath on the hill however, Chris Parlett sent the match into a final frame decider, which Simnett won, giving him a debut hat-trick and Rack Pack an, 8-7 triumph.
Blackheath are still winless at the bottom of the table; however, they are only five points adrift with a game in hand over Bell Ya Later.
The top of the table is incredibly close too, with only six points separating the top five.
With Eltham Terrace Tigers not playing this week, it gave the chasing pack in Division Two a chance to make up the huge points difference.
Farmhouse were leading that chasing pack, thirteen points behind Tigers, and they played Bexleyheath Raiders this week.
There was a massive five places and 19 points between these teams going into this match and Raiders did themselves no favours by arriving with only four players.
The difference between the teams showed from the off, with Farmhouse whitewashing the first set, 5-0.
Lacey and John Denahy and Nick Brown won the first three frames of the second set, making it eight in a row to give Farmhouse the match before the end of the second set.
Raiders Captain, Tony Hodsdon prevented the set whitewash, before Barrie Blake was given the last frame of the set, making it, 9-1 going into the final set.
Bill Mossom won frame eleven to pull another back for Raiders, before John Denahy secured his hat-trick putting his side into double figures.
Then Ricky Taylor and Hodsdon surprisingly won the set for Raiders, making it, 10-4.
Lacey Denahy was handed her second frame of the night giving her a hat-trick for an, 11-4 triumph.
This massive win puts Farmhouse just two points behind the league leaders now and The Con Men in third also took advantage of Tigers inactivity with a, 10-5 triumph over Plough & Harrow to go three points behind Farmhouse.
Raiders and Plough are seventh and eighth respectively with four points between them, and White Hart who are still winless at the bottom after they were edged out by Sundridge Park Working Men’s Club.
The first two frames were shared, before Paul Martin, Junior Patel, and Dave Sparey won the last three frames of the set, giving Sundridge Park a, 4-1 first set lead.
Peter Davies made that, 5-1 before Keith Allen and Josh McGuinness pulled that back to, 4-3.
Sparey tied the set however, Alex Hodinitu gave White Hart the set to trail, 6-4 going into the last set.
The first four frames of the third set were shared, with Sparey securing the win for Sundridge Park with his hat-trick in the penultimate frame.
Davies won the last frame for his third frame win of the night to give his side the, 9-6 triumph.
White Hart are now only one point adrift at the bottom of the table, whereas Sundridge Park are in sixth, 16 points ahead of their opponents.
There was a local derby at Woolwich Snooker Club as fifth placed Hurricanes Reborn played Goodfellows in fourth.
Hurricanes got off to a flyer with Arif Salih taking out a great black to open proceedings then Kevin England and Ben Walsh made it, 3-0.
Goodfellows battled hard and took the last two frames of the set to make it, 3-2 at the end of the first set.
The first three frames of the second set also went to Goodfellows giving them five on the spin and a, 5-3 lead, before Salih returned to the table and ruthlessly cleared after his opponent went in off from the break.
Hurricanes’ Captain, England also won his second frame when he escaped from a snooker to pot the black.
All square at five all going into the final set, and it was Goodfellows who coped better with the pressure, winning the first two frames to make it, 7-5.
Charles French pulled it back to, 7-6 but it wasn’t to be as Goodfellows took the last two frames for a, 9-6 triumph.
Despite the loss, both England and Salih were unbeaten with two frame wins.
The two teams stay in fourth and fifth with seven points between them.
There should be some healthy competition at the top of the table with eight points separating the top four.
In the SLKPA Premier Division Falconwood Club picked up their first victory of the season last week, but travelled to the league leaders, Hotshots this week however, Ian Stringer got them off to a great start, winning the opening frame.
Ryan Francis, Richard Chapman and Joe Kelly won the next three frames to give Hotshots the set, before Paul Baker pulled it back to, 3-2.
There was 26 points between the teams before this match, so when the second set also finished, 3-2 to Hotshots it was surprising.
However, the last set went more to form with Hotshots whitewashing it, 5-0 to win the match, 11-4.
Despite the large margin of victory, there was only one hat-trick hero, Ryan Francis.
Hotshots extended their unbeaten run and their lead at the top of the table to ten points, after Rugrats didn’t have a game and Sharks suffered their second defeat of the season, 9-6 to New Eltham New Stars.
As a result, New Stars leapfrog Rugrats into third, but only by a point and Rugrats have a game in hand.
Just behind Rugrats are Pickwick, who picked up their second, 9-6 victory in a row, this week against Eltham Terrace Nuthouse, who are now seventh, four points behind their opponents.
Sandwiched between Pickwick and Nuthouse are Bellegrove, who won the bragging rights in their local derby with Bellegrove A, beating them, 10-5 to go two places and ten points above them.
As the number of games starts to even out in this division, it is starting to become more stretched.
For more information on the SLKPA including league tables visit the website at www.slkpa.com or contact the Secretary, Paul Gafa on 07443 456662 or secretary@slkpa.com with any queries.
The league is looking at potential sponsors; any interested parties can also contact Paul Gafa.
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