The last week of the South London & Kent Pool Alliance team season and we have the finals of two cup competitions, The Founder’s Cup and The League Cup. 

The Founder’s Cup saw two of the top three sides in the Premier Division, Allstars and Eltham Terrace Club A, with Terrace looking to prevent Allstars from winning the league and cup double. 

As you would expect, the quality was high, but the first set produced some of the best pool I’ve seen for a long time, with no attempted pots being missed. 

In the first frame Paul Shrimpton made an error, giving Tony Halpin two visits and he made a superb clearance, only using his second visit on the black, to put Allstars one ahead. 

Ben McIntosh equalised with an excellent break and dish. 

Ritchie Mitchell went in off on the break, giving Dan Vowles a great chance, but he inadvertently and controversially played the cue ball from outside of baulk and Mitchell cleared in one visit. 

The next two frames were finished with break and dishes by Dan Foley and Jamie Simmons, giving Allstars a slight advantage by 3 frames to 2. 

The first pot was missed in frame six by Shrimpton, but the quality continued as Stacy Redman cleared all seven reds and the black to extend Allstars lead. 

The match then settled, but the quality was still there however, Cook missed a cut into the middle, allowing McIntosh to clear up for his second frame win, to bring Terrace back to, 4-3. 

After being break dished in the first set, Dave Rawlinson was looking to do the same in the second set, but he lost position on his last yellow, giving Mitchell two visits, and he duly cleared up for two out of two, to restore Allstars two frame lead. 

Vowles wanted to make up for his mistake in the first set, but he was up against a Simmonds in scintillating form, producing his second break and dish of the night in next to no time. 

The longest frame of the night was between Halpin and Foley, as it turned into a battle for control, which Halpin eventually won to put Allstars on the hill. 

The first frame of the last set became the final frame, as Craig Mallinder took control of a scrappy frame to bring home the cup for Allstars, with an, 8-3 triumph, to go with their championship win. 

The League Cup was only played by teams from Division Two this season, and it was somewhat of a surprise that fourth placed, Happy Hustlers found themselves in the final, after they were drawn against the unbeaten division champions, Bexleyheath Working Man’s Club and New Eltham New Boys, who finished nine points above them. 

After losing to New Boys, a shock win against Bexleyheath put Happy Hustlers in the final and they were to play second placed, New Eltham Social Club, who got off to a great start, with Harry Gooden winning the first frame. 

Claire Stork equalised, but New Eltham took the next three frames for a, 4-1 first set lead. 

Harry Gooden was in fine form, making it, 5-1 with the first frame of the second set, but Happy Hustlers Captain, Angie Hobbs pulled one back. 

The Garys, Dixon and Heath took New Eltham to within a frame of victory, before Donna Mullins won the last frame of the set to send the match into a third set.

Needing just one frame for victory, New Eltham sent their dependable opener, Harry Gooden to bat first, against Jo Williams, who he had already beaten in the previous set, and history repeated itself, with Harry Gooden scoring a hat-trick to give his team the, 8-3 triumph and the League Cup to go with their promotion. 

Also unbeaten on the night was New Eltham’s Gary Dixon, who won both of his frames. 

Congratulations to both Allstars and New Eltham Social Club on being cup winners, as the league now look to the singles competition to finish off the winter 2018/19 season. 

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.