An Academical victory in SLKPA Tier Two West

 

Academicals were in fourth place, four points and one place ahead of their opponents, Farmouse, which makes the, 3-0 & 15-0 annihilation even more surprising. 

 

It was a fantastic all round team performance, with all five players, Gary Mason, Chris Gaunt, Jamie Walkey, Paul Donohoe and Greg Phillimore all winning their three frames. 

 

Farmhouse stay in fifth, whereas Academicals leapfrog Eltham Terrace Rack Pack into third, because they had to share the points with bottom team, Fox & Hounds this week. 

 

Considering the three places and nine points between these two sides this was an incredibly close game. 

 

Leigh Bowles and Tony Frost won the first two frames for Rack Pack, but Glen Ward and Kerry Wyatt won the next two frames to send the set into a deciding frame, which Joe Kane won to put Fox, 3-2 ahead. 

 

Ward and Kane won the first two frames of the second set to give Fox a, 5-2 lead overall. 

 

Bowles and Chris Parlett won the next two frames to force the second set into a deciding frame.

 

Wyatt took frame ten to give her team the match and a, 6-4 lead in frames. 

 

Frost, Bowles and Parlett took the first three frames of the last set, to give Rack Pack the set and a, 7-6 lead in frames. 

 

Alan Dolan won the penultimate frame to make it seven all in frames, leaving a final frame battle for the bonus point. 

 

Wyatt was on two out of two and faced Andy Mounger, who hadn’t won either of his previous two frames however, it was Mounger who triumphed to give his side the bonus point and share the points with Fox, as Fox won the match, 2-1 in sets, but Rack Pack scored more frames, 8-7. 

 

There were only two unbeaten players both from Rack Pack, with Parlett scoring a brace and Bowles a hat-trick. 

 

Fox are now just one point behind Farmhouse, although Rack Pack are level on points with Academicals despite being overtaken by them because they have won more matches. 

 

The top two faced each other this week as New Eltham New Stars hosted Bellegrove A in a very tight affair. 

 

Previously New Stars were unbeaten on maximum points however, Bellegrove put an end to this record with a, 2-1 win in sets, but the teams had to share the points as New Stars scored more frames, 8-7. 

 

New Stars and Bellegrove now have the same, won seven, lost one record however, there are seven points between the teams. 

 

New Stars may have lost their unbeaten record but over in SLKPA Tier Two East Rugrats are still unbeaten after narrowly beating Falconwood Club this week. 

 

Falconwood took a, 3-1 lead before Aaron Shephard took out an amazing clearance to bring Rugrats back to within one frame, which proved crucial at the end of the match. 

 

Rugrats’ Jimmy Maloney had recently returned from Morocco, where he had been playing for England Juniors and he helped his team to win the second set, 3-2 and level the match at, 1-1 & 5-5. 

 

Shane O’Reilly produced a beautiful break and dish to help send the third set and the match into a deciding frame. 

 

The two captains faced each other to decide the match and Paul Baker was unlucky not to win it for Falconwood when he missed the black, handing the frame and the match to Steve Gibson and the Rugrats, 2-1 & 8-7. 

 

Before this match there were three places and nine points between these sides, but watching this game you would not have realised, with Gibson saying that Falconwood were the most competitive team they’d played this season. 

 

Bellegrove Flyers were four points behind Rugrats and played bottom team, Hurricanes Reborn, who are still looking for their first win of the season. 

 

This match started off going to form, with Jason Brunton winning the opening frame for Flyers however, Arif Salah, Kevin England and Ben Walsh won the next three frames to surprisingly give Hurricanes the first set. 

 

Jay Arnold won the fifth frame to pull Flyers back to within a frame. 

 

Losing the first set must have shocked Flyers into action, as they whitewashed the second set to go, 7-3 ahead in frames. 

 

Keith Smith won frame eleven to make it seven in a row for Flyers and give them the bonus point. 

 

Although Flyers had secured the bonus point, it was still all to play for in sets. 

 

Hurricanes continued to shock Flyers and sent this set and the match to a deciding frame, with Charles French taking out a fantastic double to set up the tense last frame. 

 

Flyers Captain, Arnold played Michelle Brown, and both had chances to win, but Arnold held his nerve to win his hat-trick frame and give his team the, 2-1 & 10-5 triumph. 

 

This was a night where both captains led from the front, as Arnold was not the only unbeaten player, England was also unbeaten with a brace. 

 

Despite the narrow loss, England was proud of his team and is seeing improvements week on week. 

 

Third placed Bell Ya Later played New Eltham New Boys, seven points ahead of them, and New Boys only had four players, so Bell Ya Later were looking to take full advantage. 

 

Jade Holmes and Alfie Cambridge won their frames for Bell Ya Later, but the first set went to a deciding frame, which was played between Claire Stork and John Allen, with Allen leaving Stork with seven balls on the table, giving New Boys the first set, 3-2. 

 

The first four frames of the second set were also shared and Stork and Allen faced each other again to decide the set. 

 

This time Stork was unlucky to have the cue ball cannon into the black, potting it out of turn, giving Allen and New Boys the frame, second set and the match. 

 

The first two frames of the third set were shared, before Reece Stewart put Bell Ya Later, 2-1 up in the set, then the Stork/Allen saga continued, with Allen making it a hat-trick to secure the bonus point and send the third set into a deciding frame. 

 

Angie Hobbs played a strong frame to give Bell Ya Later the third set, making the final score, 2-1 & 8-7 to the four-man New Boys. 

 

Joining Allen on an unbeaten hat-trick was Holmes for Bell Ya Later. 

 

With New Stars losing their unbeaten record, it means there are now just two unbeaten teams left in the SLKPA, Rugrats in Tier Two East and the Tier Three leaders Cue-ologists, who beat Eltham Terrace Tigers, 3-0 & 10-5 this week. 

 

The Con Men were one point behind Tigers in fifth place, but overtook them with a, 2-1 & 10-5 triumph over bottom team Plough & Harrow this week. 

 

Downham Tavern Terrors won the Downham derby against Downham Tavern A Team, 3-0 & 12-3 to hold onto second place, four points behind Cue-ologists. 

 

Matching Terrors for points but sitting in third are 7 Ups, who recorded their own massive victory over Bexleyheath Raiders this week. 

 

The first two frames were shared, but 7 Ups dominated from there on in, winning ten frames in a row, including a whitewash of the second set. 

 

Edward Green won frame thirteen to join James Rickner in the winner’s corner for Raiders, but 7 Ups won the last two frames for a 3-0 & 13-2 demolition. 

 

It was a fantastic all round team display with Nirman Bogati, Lionel White and Charlie Mehmet all scoring hat-tricks. 

 

With the bottom three all losing there was no change there, although Plough did pull themselves one point closer to their rivals. 

 

It was all change in the SLKPA Elite League, as many teams moved positions in the table. 

 

Only one point separated the bottom three and two of them faced each other this week, as Duke of Northumberland in sixth hosted bottom team Bears, who won the match, 3-0 & 9-6 to leapfrog their opponents and Eltham Terrace Nuthouse. 

 

Nuthouse replaced Bears on the bottom after they were beaten, 3-0 & 11-4 by Sharks and there are now four points between the bottom three teams. 

 

First played third, as Bellegrove visited Hotshots with two points between them, and it was Hotshots who got off to a much better start against the league leaders, with Ryan Francis, George Taylor and George Covington winning the first three frames. 

 

Adam Coppen prevented the set whitewash, but Elliott Giles took frame five to give Hotshots a, 4-1 first set lead. 

 

The second set was much closer, swinging one way then the other, going to a deciding frame, which Giles won to give Hotshots a, 2-0 & 7-3 lead. 

 

Giles made it a personal three out of three, with frame eleven to give his team the bonus point, then Francis scored his own hat-trick for a, 2-0 lead in the last set. 

 

Dan Heinink pulled one back for Bellegrove however, Hotshots took the last two frames for an overall, 3-0 & 11-4 triumph. 

 

As a result, Bellegrove drop to third however, it’s not Hotshots who replace them at the top but Sharks after their big win. 

 

Now the top three all have the same 6/2 win/loss record but are separated by four points. 

 

Beneath them Pickwick, in fifth close the gap between them and Terry’s Allstars from six to four points after their unexpected victory over them. 

 

Pickwick took a firm hold of the first set with Enis Dogangun, Jamie Davis and Paul Dawson winning the first three frames. 

 

Paul Cook prevented the set whitewash for Allstars, before Dave Pile took frame five to give Pickwick the first set, 4-1. 

 

Dean Passer got Allstars off to a good start in the second set, winning the first frame. 

 

Pile and Davis won the next two frames to put Pickwick, 2-1 up in the set however, Tony Halpin levelled the set.

 

Dogangun won the deciding frame to give Pickwick the set, the match and put them on the hill for the bonus point. 

 

Davis made it a personal three out of three to give Pickwick the bonus point, but Rob Taylor, Passer and Halpin won the next three frames to give Allstars the set. 

 

Dogangun recorded his own hat-trick to make the final score, 2-1 & 9-6 in Pickwick’s favour. 

 

Pickwick may only be four points behind fourth, but they are also only six points ahead of Bears in the bottom three, so this was a very important victory. 

 

 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.