Two teams pick up first win in SLKPA Premier Division

 

Winless Rugrats had an amazing start against second in the table and unbeaten Bull Tavern, winning the opening two frames. 

 

However, it went downhill quickly from there, with Bull not only taking the last three frames of the first set but also the opening three frames of the second, to take both sets. 

 

Dylan Suggars prevented the set whitewash, before Jamie White restarted the onslaught, winning the first in another run of five frames for the Bull. 

 

Suggars was the saviour for Rugrats, taking the last frame for his hat-trick in his team’s, 11-4 defeat. 

 

Bull Tavern’s Jack Noble matched Suggars unbeaten hat-trick and Shane O’Reilly and Dave Rawlinson were also unbeaten, winning two frames each. 

 

Bull remain second in the table but Rugrats have gone down from seventh to bottom, as the only winless team left in the division. 

 

Pickwick were bottom, but they have lifted themselves to sixth after beating New Eltham New Stars this week. 

 

It looked like Pickwick might be heading to another defeat when Dave Jandu, Kai Timms and Steve Pearce won three frames in the first set to give New Stars a, 3-2 first set lead. 

 

This fired Pickwick into action and Paul Gafa, Martin Storey and Paul Slater won the first three frames of the second set to put Pickwick, 5-3 ahead. 

 

Paul Carroll prevented the set whitewash, but Ian Chapman won frame ten to give Pickwick a, 6-4 lead going into the final set. 

 

None of the New Stars could prevent the set whitewash in the third, with Pickwick winning all five frames for an overall, 11-4 triumph and their first win of the season. 

 

Pickwick returned to hard grafting pool for this important win, with hat-tricks from Ian Chapman and Paul Gafa. 

 

Falconwood Club were the other team to record their first win this week, beating Bellegrove A, who won their first match last week. 

 

This was ultimately a close encounter, but Falconwood were never behind after taking a, 2-0 lead. 

 

Frames were exchanged until Falconwood won frames eight, nine and ten to hold a 7-3 lead going into the final set. 

 

The tenth frame between Falconwood’s Ian Stringer and Alfie Southby from Bellegrove was a particularly tactical affair with Stringer having both bottom pockets blocked, he was patient and eventually won a foul snooker to clear the table.

 

Bellegrove mounted a comeback and pulled the match back to 7-6. 

 

In the penultimate frame Bellegrove’s Jack Taylor was on course to level the match, but when carrying two visits onto the black he snookered himself setting up for the second visit and Akar Necati put in a good clearance to win the frame. 

 

Falconwood went on to win the last frame to run out 9-6 winners.

 

Necati’s victory was his third frame win of the night and teammate Kevin England was also unbeaten with a brace. 

 

This victory puts Falconwood in eighth, one place and one point ahead of their opponents. 

 

The bottom of the table is already looking to be hard-fought, with just three points separating the bottom five. 

 

Back at the top of the table, unbeaten Hotshots have a four-point lead after beating The Cocked Hats this week. 

 

Cocked Hats had a fantastic start against the league leaders, taking the first set despite only having four players. 

 

Elliott Giles secured the set with a wonderful break and dish, before Ryan Francis was handed the bye to end the first set, 3-2 to Cocked Hats. 

 

The second set was a much different affair, with Hotshots winning all five frames to put themselves on the hill at, 7-3. 

 

Francis was handed his second bye of the night in frame eleven to effectively give Hotshots the match. 

 

Tony Wilson took frame twelve and Richard Chapman put Hotshots into double figures with a fantastic break and dish against Giles, the other break and disher in the match to make it nine on the spin. 

 

George Taylor prevented the set whitewash, before Danny Kelleher made the final score, 11-4. 

 

Not only did Chapman record a break and dish but he also won all three of his frames, as did Francis, although he only actually played one of them. 

 

There is one other unbeaten side in the top division, Sharks who go into fourth, three points behind their opponents Bellegrove, after a, 10-5 victory however, Sharks do have a game in hand. 

 

Terry’s Allstars continue their dominance of the SLKPA first division and have built up a twelve-point lead at the top, as second placed Duke of Northumberland didn’t have a game. 

 

Allstars kept up their unbeaten record with a, 10-5 victory over Bellegrove Flyers this week, but it was by far their toughest test so far this season.

 

Phil O’kane and Paul Cook got the ball rolling for Allstars, winning the first two frames. 

 

Peter Gray pulled one back for Flyers before Stacy Redman and Richie Mitchell won frames four and five to extend Allstars lead to, 4-1. 

 

Tony Halpin and Derek Power made it four in a row for Allstars, giving them a, 6-1 lead. 

 

However, Flyers weren’t lying down and Richard Marsh, Gray and Jay Arnold won the next three frames to take Allstars first set off them this season and bring the score back to, 6-4. 

 

Unfortunately for Flyers, Allstars upped their game and Redman, Cook and Power won the opening three frames of the last set to give them the match. 

 

Marsh prevented the set whitewash, before O’Kane took the final frame.

 

None of the Allstars had the chance to score hat-tricks, but they did have six unbeaten players, with Mitchell and Halpin winning their only frames, while O’Kane, Cook, Power and Redman all scored a brace. 

 

Allstars extend their unbeaten run to four games, whereas Flyers are still winless after three. 

 

Eltham Terrace Nuthouse took advantage of Duke’s free week by earning the bragging rights in the Eltham Terrace derby against Rack Pack. 

 

Nuthouse’s 10-5 triumph lifted them into second place, four points ahead of Duke, but they do have a game in hand. 

 

Rack Pack have dropped to bottom after Fox & Hounds scored one more frame than them against Bears this week. 

 

This match was extremely close considering the seven-point gap between the two teams, with every set going to a deciding frame. 

 

The opening four frames in the first set were shared, before Shane Burnett won frame five to give Bears a, 3-2 first set lead. 

 

The second set went exactly the same way, but this time Jeff Bailey won the deciding frame to give Bears another set and a, 6-4 lead. 

 

Paul Cobbold won frame eleven to put Bears on the hill, but Mel Barnes and Alan Dolan took the next two frames for Fox to reduce Bears lead to, 7-6. 

 

Dean James won the penultimate frame to pull Bears over the line and Bailey won the last frame to give his team a, 9-6 triumph. 

 

The only unbeaten player on the night was Dean James who won both of his frames. 

 

Fox & Hounds will feel a little aggrieved, as they came so close to their first win of the season, forcing each set to a deciding frame. 

 

The bottom of this table will also be a tough battle, as the bottom three are all currently winless and only have two points separating them, with Bears nine points above them. 

 

Two unbeaten teams faced each other this week in SLKPA Division Two, as fourth placed New Eltham New Boys hosted Academicals in second and it was the home side that had the better start, winning the first three frames. 

 

Jamie Walkey and Dean Williams won the last two frames of the set for Academicals to pull it back to, 3-2. 

 

The second set was a real topsy-turvy affair, with neither side putting a run of frames together. 

 

Michael Barnes, Anthony Lee and Andy Durack won the frames for New Boys to give them the set, 3-2 and an overall, 6-4 lead. 

 

They went on to whitewash the last set for a surprising final score, given the team’s placings, of 11-4. 

 

Despite the large margin of victory, there was only one unbeaten player, the aptly named Durack, who scored a hat-trick. 

 

New Boys are now the only unbeaten team in the division and have replaced Academicals in second, who drop one place. 

 

Downham Tavern Terrors are still the league leaders and have a five-point lead over New Boys after this week’s victory, although they have played one extra game. 

 

Surprise league leaders, Terrors faced bottom of the table, The Con Men and it was the lower placed team that had the better start, with Aaron Walker winning the opening frame. 

 

The next two frames were shared, but Peter Davies and Alan Rossborough won the last two frames of the set to put Terrors, 3-2 ahead. 

 

Rossborough made it two in a row with frame six to extend Terrors lead. 

 

Calvin Key won the next frame for Con Men to reduce Terrors lead back to one frame, but the last three frames of the set went to Terrors to put them on the hill at, 7-3. 

 

Danny Nicholas won the match for Terrors, then Rossborough and Davies put them into double figures. 

 

Reiss Wright prevented the set whitewash, but David Read took the final frame to give Terrors an, 11-4 triumph. 

 

It was a fantastic all-round team performance from Terrors, with four unbeaten players; Paul Martin who won his only frame, Davies scoring a brace, and hat-trick heroes Danny Nicholas and Rossborough. 

 

Bexleyheath Working Men’s Club suffered as a result of not having a game, dropping from third to sixth and are only two points ahead of Con Men however, they do have a game in hand. 

 

Farmhouse and Bell Ya Later were in fifth and sixth with one point between them going into this match between them, so it was always going to be close. 

 

The match lived up to its billing, with Bell Ya Later edging it, 8-7 to go up to fourth, one place ahead of their opponents, although Farmhouse do have a game in hand. 

 

Again, the competition in this division looks to be fierce, with the bottom five teams separated by just six points. 

 

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