It’s taken seven matches, but Rugrats Guardians of the South London & Kent Pool Alliance first division have finally won their first game of the season, leaving two teams in the league, Farmhouse and Rose Inn still without a win. 

Guardians in an amazing turn of fortune notched up their first win of the season, but if you ask them how they did it, I’m sure even they won’t know. 

On a couple of occasions this season Guardians have played with four players, but this week it was their opponents, Falconwood Club who were depleted however, they won every frame they could in the first set, taking it, 4-1 with Ross Webster picking up the bye. 

Akar Necati, Ian Stringer and Paul Baker won the next three frames for Falconwood, to put them, 7-1 up and on the hill. 

Martin Hart won frame nine for Guardians and Hansen Hurst picked up the second set bye to bring the score back to, 7-3. 

These last two frames must have inspired the Guardians, as they whitewashed the final set to come back from, 7-1 down to win 8-7. 

A remarkable comeback and well done to, Webster, Hurst, Hart, Luke Matthews and Dave Beshaw for turning it round. 

This result ended Falconwood’s three match winning streak and as a result they have dropped to seventh, whereas it wasn’t enough to lift Guardians off the bottom, as they are still fourteen points adrift of their nearest rivals, Just Bellegrove and Academicals, who played each other this week.  

As you would expect from two teams fighting to avoid relegation, this match was very close, with every set going to a deciding frame, which Paul Thomas won in each set to earn himself a hat-trick and Academicals a well-earned second victory of the season. 

Thomas was backed up by Shane Huttley, who also won his three frames and Gary Mason, with two wins from three frames played. 

The improvement continues for Academicals, as they closed the gap on their opponents to join them on 43 points and they share eighth place with the same stats across the board. 

Eltham Terrace Nuthouse unbeaten run continues to seven matches, after they did the damage in the first set against New Eltham New Stars, winning it, 4-1 with Dave Jandu preventing the first set whitewash. 

The second set was much closer, as the first four frames were shared to send the set into a deciding frame, which Jon Syta won to give Nuthouse a, 7-3 lead. 

Shane O’Reilly won the next frame to give Nuthouse the victory, but New Stars were not going to be steam-rollered and they won three of the last four frames, to win the set, 3-2 and make the overall score a more respectful, 9-6. 

This match was so close there were no unbeaten players on the night. 

New Stars are now in fifth place, twelve points behind their opponents, who despite being unbeaten are still in second, after Pickwick scored a big win over third placed, Eltham Terrace Rack Pack. 

It was a solid performance from Pickwick, with great finishes from Pauls Dawson, Gafa and Durrance and hat-tricks from Gafa and another Paul, Slater, in their, 11-4 triumph. 

Rack Pack’s Dean Rider was the thorn in Pickwick’s side, winning three of his side’s four frames. 

There are now thirteen points between the two sides, still in first and third. 

Just behind Rack Pack are Fox & Hounds, who are now five points ahead of Bellegrove A, after beating them, 9-6 this week. 

In SLKPA Division Two we saw the Andlesea derby, as Sea the Angles took on Anglesea Arms.  

Sea the Abgles heaped more misery on their sister side, inflicting their fifth loss of the season by 9 frames to 6 to go eleven points ahead in the table. 

The top two, New Eltham New Boys and Royal Oak played each other this week and it was all change, as Royal Oak inflicted a crushing, 12-3 thrashing, to go top by three points. 

This was a slight shock result, as top of the table New Boys lost the first eight frames against Royal Oak, to give them the victory before the end of the second set. 

Michael Barnes and Billy Russell won the last two frames of the second set, which meant they only lost the set by one frame however, they were, 8-2 down overall. 

This went from bad to worse in the final set, as Royal Oak won the first four frames to go, 12-2 ahead, with Michael Barnes winning again in frame fifteen to prevent the second set whitewash of the match. 

It was a spirited performance from Royal Oak, who ended the night with four unbeaten players, with Danny Whitewood and Johnnie Allen each winning their three frames and Edward Segrue and Ray Leggett scoring a brace. 

Talking of shock results, in the Premier Division Crayford A picked up their second victory of the season against neighbours, Rugrats to leapfrog them by one point and one place in the table. 

This was a ding-dong local derby and the first set epitomised this as the first four frames were shared sending the set into a deciding frame, where Shane Burnett beat his old teammate Steve Gibson to put Crayford, 3-2 up.

Paul Cobbold made it, 4-2 but Rugrats Captain, Scott Shephard brought his team back to within one. 

This is where the wheels fell off for Rugrats, as Crayford won four frames in a row to take an unassailable, 8-3 lead. 

The last set finished the same way as the first, swinging one way then the other, before Burnett won the final frame, this time against Josh Page to give his team the, 10-5 triumph. 

Burnett also won in the second set to record a perfect three out of three against his former team and he was supported by fellow unbeaten players, Cobbold winning two frames and Jeff Bailey,who won his only frame. 

Below Crayford A and Rugrats are Rose Inn, who are still winless, but this week they came close to changing that against The Fox. 

Rose Inn looked to be picking up their first victory of the season when they won the first set, 4-1 with The Fox Captain, Steve Dixon preventing the first set whitewash.

George Covington and Elliott Giles with a break and dish brought it back to, 4-3 but Dean Greany-Parr restored Rose Inn’s lead to two frames with frame eight. 

However, Dixon and George Taylor won the next two frames to repay the complimenting and tie the match by winning the second set, 4-1. 

The next two frames were won by Greany-Parr and Dixon to complete their hat-tricks and keep the game at a stale mate of six all.  

It did not stay like that though, as The Fox won the last three frames, to take another set, 4-1 and the match by 9 frames to 6 in an amazing turnaround. 

Rose Inn are now just five points behind Rugrats at the bottom, whereas The Fox are sitting comfortable in fifth. 

Sharks picked up a valuable victory against Bellegrove to go seven points ahead of the bottom three. 

Yet again Bellegrove got off to their customary slow start, losing the first three frames but Barry Barham and Dec Kelly pulled it back to, 3-2 by the end of the first set. 

The second set was a game of cat and mouse, as Rahat Munim extended Sharks lead, only for Kieran Evans to pull it back. 

Then Eno Idiong gave Sharks a, 2-1 lead in the set and, 5-3 overall but Barham tied the set with frame nine to bring Bellegrove back to within one and send the set into a deciding frame. 

Tony Griffin held his nerve to win his second frame of the night to give Sharks the set and a, 6-4 lead. 

Kelly won frame eleven to reduce the difference to a single frame again, but Bellegrove just ran out of steam, as Sharks had too much bite for them, winning the last four frames for a, 10-5 triumph. 

Griffin went on to win his third frame and become the only unbeaten player on the night. 

Bellegrove have dropped to fourth but only by two points, as Bull Tavern were the latest victims of top of the table and national Champion of Champions runners-up, Allstars. 

Allstars had their toughest game of the season, so far, starting the first set, 2-1 down, but Jamie Simmons and Tony Halpin won the last two frames to give them the set.

Tony Gear pulled it back to three all however, Allstars won three on the spin to go, 6-3 ahead before Joe Kane reduced the deficit back to two frames. 

Gear, Jordan O’Connor and Jamie White then made it four in a row for Bull, putting them on the hill at, 7-6. 

Allstars anchor-men of Simmons and Halpin struck again to win the last two frames to make the final score, 8-7 and keep Allstars unbeaten record intact. 

Not only did Simmons and Halpin haul their team back to a winning situation, but they both finished the match with unbeaten hat-tricks. 

Allstars are now 20 points ahead of Bull Tavern but sandwiched in between them and now only five points behind the league leaders are Hotshots, who kept up their own unbeaten run with a, 10-5 triumph over Eltham Terrace Club A. 

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.