Unlucky number seven for Hotshots

The first two frames were shared, but Meatballs stunned Hotshots by winning the next three frames on the bounce to take the first set, 4-1. 

The second set was much closer, swinging one way then the other, with Hotshots just edging it, 3-2 to tie the match, 1-1 in sets, but Meatballs were still ahead, 6-4 in frames. 

Hotshots’ unbeaten run was then shattered as Meatballs whitewashed the final set to win the match, 2-1 & 11-4. 

The inspiration behind this superb victory was Paul Donohoe and Kevin Smith, both winning two frames and Paul Williams, who won his only frame. 

This victory puts Meatballs four points behind Hotshots, who have been joined by Bull Tavern on 20 points, but Hotshots remain top having won more games. 

Bull were playing Eltham Terrace Nuthouse and won the first three frames for the set, but Nuthouse won the next six frames on the spin to win the second set and go, 6-3 ahead. 

Bull then won five in a row themselves to take the final set, the match and the bonus point. 

Paul Cook won the last frame for Nuthouse to make the final score, 2-1 & 8-7 in Bull’s favour. 

The only unbeaten player in the match was Bruno Silva, winning all three frames for the Bull. 

Nuthouse remain in fourth, just one point ahead of neighbours, Eltham Terrace Club A, after they beat Pickwick this week. 

It was all square after the first two sets at, 1-1 & 5-5 but Pickwick’s season went from bad to worse, as they couldn’t capitalise on going, 6-5 up and lost the last four frames, giving Terrace the, 2-1 & 9-6 triumph. 

Terrace took their chances and potted well, none more so than Dave Rawlinson, who performed a wonderful break and dish in frame thirteen, preventing Dave Pile from recording his hat-trick in the process. 

This result has put Pickwick in danger of the drop sitting second bottom, but they are only three points behind their opponents, who are just two places above them. 

In even more trouble are Falconwood Club, rooted to the bottom of the table, seven points behind Pickwick and just one win to their name, after this week’s defeat to Sharks. 

It was a perfect start by Sharks, whitewashing the first set, 5-0 to pile on the misery for Falconwood. 

It took a treble and a long black by Akar Necati to get Falconwood off the mark in the sixth frame. 

Falconwood had the chances to win the second set, after Ian Stringer put them, 2-1 up but Jamie White tied the set and Vu Son won the decider to give Sharks an, 8-2 lead and the bonus point before set three started. 

Necati made it two from three to reduce the deficit and Stringer should still be having nightmares about missing the chance to put Falconwood, 2-0 up in the final set. 

He was on for a fantastic clearance, after doubling a couple of balls, and opening up the rest nicely, he then inexplicably failed to make contact with his final yellow, leaving a simple finish for Derek Power. 

Sharks went on to win the last three frames to give them the impressive, 3-0 & 12-3 victory. 

Despite the large margin of victory there was only two unbeaten players, with White and Power both winning three frames. 

This triumph lifts Sharks one place in the table to sixth, eight points ahead of their opponents. 

Halfway through the season, it looks like Falconwood maybe cut adrift at the bottom, but nine points divides the rest of the table, so anything can happen. 

There was a basement battle in SLKPA Tier Two East, as Just Bellegrove went to Fox & Hounds. 

As you would expect it was a very tight match and all three sets went to a final frame decider, with Peter Gray winning in set one and Lewis Brind in sets two and three to give Bellegrove a much needed, 3-0 & 9-6 triumph. 

This victory is only their second of the season and lifts them off the bottom of the table, two places into fourth, with Fox replacing them. 

Bellegrove’s Jason Brunton is on fire at the moment, scoring a hat-trick this week, apparently his third in a row. 

Alan Dolan kept Fox in the game, going unbeaten in winning half of his team’s frames.

First played third, as New Eltham New Stars took on the in-form Duke of Northumberland.

Duke edged the first set, 3-2 and took the first two frames of the second set to go, 5-2 up but New Stars battled back, winning the last three frames of the set, with Steve Knight taking the deciding frame to tie the match at, 1-1 & 5-5.

This must have inspired New Stars, as they went on to whitewash the final set, 5-0 to end Duke’s unbeaten run of three matches, with a, 2-1 & 10-5 victory. 

New Stars’ Paul Carroll was the only unbeaten player on the night, winning all three of his frames. 

Duke are now five points behind New Stars, with Rose Inn in between them, three points ahead of Duke in second. 

This week Rose Inn played Rugrats Guardians and Rose took a, 2-1 lead, but Guardians won the last two frames of the set to win it, 3-2 with Luke Matthews triumphant in the set decider. 

Rose Inn bounced back in style whitewashing the second set, 5-0 to go, 7-3 up. 

Matthews and Aaron Shephard brought it back to, 7-5 but Rose Inn won the final three frames for a, 2-1 & 10-5 score line to get them back to winning ways, after two successive defeats. 

Matthews won both of his frames for Guardians, but Jack Wilson and Leighton Aston went one better with unbeaten hat-tricks for Rose Inn. 

Guardians are still second from bottom, just one point ahead of Fox & Hounds and two points behind Just Bellegrove. 

In Tier Two West Academicals recorded their second victory of the season, this time against Bellegrove A, who were still unbeaten only two weeks ago. 

It was a wonderful team performance from Academicals, who ended up, 2-1 & 9-6 victors to go four points ahead of Sea the Angles at the foot of the table, while Bellegrove drop to third, two points behind Eltham Terrace Rack Pack Rovers. 

Sea the Angles played hosts to the division leaders, Rugrats, and the first set was incredibly close, going to a final frame decider, which Steve Gibson secured for Rugrats. 

It was after that that the difference between top and bottom showed, as Rugrats won sets two and three by four frames to one for an overall, 3-0 & 11-4 win.

Pat Firth and Mark Burton were the heroes for Rugrats, both scoring hat-tricks. 

Rugrats are now three points ahead of Rack Pack Rovers, who could only manage a, 2-1 & 9-6 victory over Crayford A. 

Crayford won the first frame, but Rack Pack Rovers won the next three, before Crayford took frame five to give Rack Pack Rovers a, 3-2 first set lead. 

The first four frames of the second set were shared, sending it into a deciding frame, with Dean James beating Dean Rider to tie the match at, 1-1 & 5-5. 

On his return to the side, Jeff Bailey put Crayford in the lead for the first time since the first frame, but Rack Pack Rovers won the last four frames to secure the set and the win. 

Rack Pack Rovers had three unbeaten players, Steve Unwin and Lee Osborn, who won a frame each and Ernie Wellhausen, going one better with a brace. 

The top three teams in this division, Rugrats, Rack Pack Rovers and Bellegrove A all have the same five wins from seven games record however, five points separate the three teams, and with Crayford just one point behind them it’s going to be a tense second half of the season. 

 The league leaders of SLKPA Tier Three, Greyhound had the week off and New Eltham New Boys took full advantage, beating Bexleyheath Working Man’s Club, 3-0 & 12-3 to go two points clear at the top however, Greyhound are still unbeaten with a game in hand. 

Real Hustlers remain winless at the bottom of the table, after they lost, 2-1 & 9-6 to Royal Oak this week. 

Royal Oak lead the chasing pack on the top two, but they are still five points behind Greyhound, who again have a game in hand. 

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.

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