Week three of the South London & Kent Pool Alliance winter season and it appears that the top team in each division are already pulling away from the rest, with Rose Inn six points clear at the top of Division One and Allstars and Bexleyheath Working Mans Club seven points ahead in the Premier and second divisions respectively. 

Rose Inn made it three big wins in a row, as they won, 11-4 for the second week running to remain unbeaten for the season. 

They didn’t have to do too much for this week’s victory, as their opponents, CSC Sorry in Advance were apologising once again, having just three players. 

They may have had a chance with a full team, because of the nine frames actually played, they only lost, 5-4. 

As there were quite a few byes in this match, Jack Wilson was the only player to play all of his frames and remain unbeaten, winning a brace. 

Crayford Arms hold onto second place, despite losing to their nearest rivals, New Eltham Club. 

This was the strangest of matches that literally swung one way then the other, with Crayford taking a, 3-1 lead, only for New Eltham to rattle off six in a row to go, 7-3 up heading into the final set. 

Crayford fought hard in the last set to turn it around, taking it, 4-1 but it wasn’t enough to stop New Eltham winning the match by the odd frame, 8-7. 

With the match being so tight, there was only one unbeaten player, Harry Lear, who won both of his frames for Crayford. 

This result keeps New Eltham unbeaten and just one point behind their opponents in the table. 

Also unbeaten, in fourth are Academicals but they have only played two matches against the others at the top’s three. 

This week’s opponents were Bellegrove A and Academicals were just a little bit too strong, with Tony Bailey scoring a hat-trick and Kevin England and Jenny Pearmund both winning two frames in their side’s, 9-6 victory. 

Bellegrove A’s sister side, Just Bellegrove picked up their first victory of the season against Fox & Hounds to go three points ahead of their opponents. 

The match was slightly closer than the, 9-6 score suggests, as Bellegrove won each set by the odd frame, 3-2. 

Mark Porter won his only frame for the victors, but team mate Richard Marsh was man of the match, with three frame wins. 

The top two played each other in SLKPA Division Two, as Bexleyheath Working Mans Club took on New Eltham Social Club and it was the league leaders who were triumphant by 10 frames to 5 to become the only unbeaten side left in the division. 

New Eltham hold onto second place but only by one point, as Happy Hustlers recorded their second victory of the season, 9-6 against New Eltham New Boys. 

Happy Hustlers neighbours, Real Hustlers were also victorious this week, recording their first victory of the season, 11-4 against Lord Kitchener. 

The large margin of victory was enough to lift Real Hustlers off the bottom of the table, rising two places into fourth, with their opponents replacing them at the foot of the table. 

There are still three unbeaten teams in the SLKPA Premier Division but Allstars are still top of the shop, after racking up their third double figures triumph in a row. 

This week’s opponents were newly promoted Sharks, who were on the wrong end of a, 12-3 thrashing to stay rooted to the bottom of the table, along with Rugrats who are on the same points. 

Rugrats visited Eltham Terrace Nuthouse and it was a close match to begin with, as Jon Syta won the deciding frame in the first set to give Nuthouse a, 3-2 lead. 

Phil Horley equalised for Rugrats, but Nuthouse went on to win the next four frames, to take a, 7-3 lead into the final set. 

Horley won his second of three frames to reduce the deficit but Shane O’Reilly secured his third frame of the night to give Nuthouse the victory. 

The next two frames were also shared but Trevor Biggs was on hand to give Nuthouse the set and make the overall score, 10-5. 

Joining O’Reilly on a hat-trick was Trevor’s son, Alex Biggs, with Aaron Shephard winning his only frame against his brother, Scott’s team. 

Hotshots keep up their unbeaten run and lead the chasing pack on Allstars, after they beat Pickwick by 9 frames to 6 this week. 

Hotshots started the brightest, with Tony Wilson clearing from a dry break in frame two and Danny Kelliher performing a break and dish in the very next frame. 

Pickwick clawed their way back into the match, making it five all by the end of the second set but Hotshots pulled away, taking the final set, 4-1. 

Chris Mackenzie was on fire for Pickwick, winning half of his team’s frames, with Kelliher also scoring a hat-trick to go with his break and dish. 

Before this week both New Eltham and Eltham Terrace Club A were unbeaten and on the same number of points, so something had to give. 

New Eltham got off to a much better start this week, after going down, 4-1 in the first set of their previous two matches they found themselves, 6-4 ahead despite the efforts of Terrace’s Dave Rawlinson, who recorded a break and dish in each of the first two sets. 

New Eltham were playing some good pool and, 6-4 soon became, 7-4 but they just couldn’t force themselves over the line and Terrace equalised to send the match into a final frame decider. 

It was fitting that a game involving two teams so evenly matched went to the wire and neither team deserved to lose but one of them had to and it was Dean James who pinched a nervy frame, to go with his break and dish from the first set to give New Eltham the, 8-7 triumph. 

It was a good all-round team performance by New Eltham, with all five players, again chipping in with a victory and it was a welcome return to the team for James Couch, winning two of his three frames, alongside Dean James. 

Eltham Terrace Rovers and Hustlers were also on the same points before facing each other this week and it was Hustlers who pulled away, winning, 9-6 to go three points ahead of their opponents into seventh, leaving Rovers four points ahead of the bottom two. 

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 looking at potential sponsors; any interested parties can also contact Paul Gafa.