SLKPA Tier Two champions crowned

 

Unbeaten Rugrats were looking to seal promotion and the Tier Two East league title against third place Falconwood Club. 

 

There was eleven points between the teams, but it was the visitors that had the better start, with Jamie White, Paul Baker, Ian Stringer, and Brett Crawley winning the first four frames to take the set, before Aaron Shephard prevented the set whitewash for Rugrats. 

 

White, Stringer and Naftali Ayieko won the first three frames of the second set to give Falconwood the set and the match, to inflict the first defeat on Rugrats this season. 

 

Steve Gibson prevented the second set whitewash, before Baker won frame ten, for an unbeaten brace, to give Falconwood the bonus point before the start of the last set. 

 

White won the first frame of the last set, with his hat-trick frame however, Rugrats were still battling for the set point and Dylan Suggars, Pat Firth, Jimmy Maloney, and Gibson won the last four frames to give them the third set and make the final score, 2-1 & 9-6. 

 

So, despite losing their first match of the season, Rugrats still clinched promotion to the Elite League and the Tier Two East title. 

 

Falconwood’s second half of the season form has seen them climb the table and they could steal second place and the promotion play-off spot from Bellegrove Flyers, who have held it all season.

 

Flyers may have expected to have it easy as they travelled to bottom of the table and winless Hurricanes Reborn however, earlier in the season their match went right down to the wire. 

 

Number two in the Tier Two rankings, Jason Brunton was first up for Flyers, but Ben Walsh took out a good clearance to give Hurricanes the first frame. 

 

It couldn’t have gone better for Hurricanes, as Arif Salih and Charles French won the next two frames to give them the first set in quick time. 

 

The last two frames of the set were shared, giving Hurricanes a great start with a, 4-1 first set lead. 

 

The second set was much closer, with Brunton taking the first frame, before Salih and Walsh won the next two to edge Hurricanes into a, 2-1 set lead. 

 

Flyers fought back taking the last two frames for the second set however, Hurricanes were still, 6-4 up overall. 

 

Salih won frame eleven for his hat-trick to put Hurricanes on the hill for the bonus point. 

 

Flyers were not lying down though and took the next three frames for the set and the match however the overall frame score was now seven all, so the bonus point was all to play for in the final frame, just like the previous match between the two. 

 

Michelle Brown took on Jay Arnold, who potted the black out of turn, handing the frame and the bonus point to Brown and the Hurricanes. 

 

Although Hurricanes scored more frames, 8-7 Flyers won in sets, 2-1 and points were shared. 

 

It was a great team performance from Hurricanes, getting a result like this against a team pushing for promotion, but special mentions go to Walsh for winning two of his three frames and player of the match Salih, whose hat-trick included a 7-baller.

 

Hopefully Hurricanes can take some of this confidence into the last two games of the season and maybe pick up a win however, they will find it tough as they face the top two, Rugrats and Falconwood, who have just replaced Flyers in second by just one point. 

 

The other game in this division was between New Eltham New Boys in fifth and fourth placed Bell Ya Later, with just three points between them, but Bell Ya Later scored maximum points in a, 3-0 & 9-6 triumph to extend the lead over their opponents to seven points. 

 

Also losing this week but securing the league title were New Eltham New Stars in Tier Two West. 

 

The top two faced each other this week, as New Stars travelled to Bellegrove A and it was a close match, with Bellegrove winning in sets, 2-1 but New Stars scored more frames, 8-7 so points were shared. 

 

However, not only was this enough for New Stars to be crowned champions, but also for Bellegrove to secure the play-off spot, but they must wait to see whether they face their sister side, Flyers or Falconwood in the promotion play-off. 

 

Now that the promotion places have been decided in this division the race to avoid relegation is really hotting up, with just two points between the bottom two, Fox & Hounds and Farmhouse.

 

Eltham Terrace Rack Pack were still chasing promotion hopes as they hosted Fox & Hounds with two places and fourteen points between these two teams, and it looked like Rack Pack would be extending that lead after they whitewashed the first set. 

 

Clive Forrest put the first frame on the board for Fox with frame six and Joe Kane joined him in the winner’s corner with the next frame. 

 

Tony Frost prevented Fox from returning the whitewash favour, but Neil Shelton won the set for Fox and Kerry Wyatt pulled the overall frame score back to, 6-4. 

 

Forrest and Kane won their second frames to level the match in frames however, Dylan Savani and Chris Parlett took the next two frames to give Rack Pack the bonus point. 

 

The set and the match was still finely balanced though at one set and seven frames all, with a repeat of frame ten to decide the match. 

 

Leigh Bowles had already lost to Wyatt, and this continued in the third set, with Wyatt winning the decider to give her team the match by 2 sets to 1 however the points had to be shared with Rack Pack scoring more frames, 8-7. 

 

There were no hat-trick heroes in this match, but Rack Pack’s Savani and Parlett and Forrest and Kane for Fox all ended with unbeaten braces. 

 

This result ended Rack Pack’s promotion hopes, as they are now as they are twelve points behind Bellegrove with eight to play for, but we need to see what happened between Farmhouse and Academicals to see what impact it had at the bottom. 

 

Despite there being two places and thirteen points between these teams, this was an incredibly close match, with each set being won by the odd frame. 

 

The first four frames were shared, then Chris Gaunt won the deciding frame to give Academicals the set, 3-2. 

 

The Denahys, John and Lacey put Farmhouse two up in the second set and, 4-3 ahead overall, but Greg Phillimore and Paul Donohoe won the next two frames to nudge Academicals back in the lead overall and tie the set. 

 

Gaunt was the hero again, winning the set deciding frame to give his team the set and the match.

 

Academicals were, 6-4 up going into the last set and the Denahys were the saviours for Farmhouse again, winning the first two frames to tie the match overall. 

 

Donohoe nudged Academicals back into the lead, but Nick Brown won the penultimate frame to give Farmhouse the set and a point. Gaunt scored his hat-trick to make the final score, 2-1 & 8-7. 

 

Gaunt was clearly the player of the night, with two of his three wins being set deciding frames, but the Denahys were not far behind, both scoring hat-tricks. 

 

This result still leaves Farmhouse bottom of the table, but they are only three points behind Fox with eight to play for, and they play each other next week, with Tier Two survival up for grabs.

 

Cue-Ologists had already gained promotion from Tier Three last week, they were looking to clinch the division title in  this week’s penultimate game and they took a long way to doing this with a, 3-0 & 11-4 victory over Plough & Harrow. 

 

7 Ups have been chasing Cue-Ologists most of the season and they continue to do so after this week’s victory over The Con Men. 

 

This match started off close with, Nirman Bogati and Simon Wood winning the first two frames for 7 Ups and The Con Men’s Reiss Wright and Aaron Walker taking the next two frames sending the set to a deciding frame. 

 

Charlie Mehmet took frame five to give 7 Ups the first set, 3-2 however, it all fell apart from here for Con Men, as 7 Ups whitewashed the second set and went on to take the first two frames of the third set to make it eight in a row for 7 Ups.

 

At 10-2 down, Robert Osborn prevented the whitewash, but Lionel White gave 7 Ups maximum points, before Mehmet made the final score, 3-0 & 12-3 with his hat-trick frame. 

 

7 Ups had a hat-trick of hat-trick heroes, with Mehmet, Bogati and Wood all winning their three frames. 

 

This means that 7 Ups are still three points behind Cue-Ologists with four to play for and 7 Ups go to Eltham Terrace Tigers and Cue-Ologists travel to The Con Men for next week’s final match. 

 

At the bottom of the table Downham Tavern A Team were hoping to pick up their second victory of the season, as Tigers turned up with just three players, but Tigers fought hard and came away with a, 2-1 & 8-7 triumph. 

 

None fought harder than Daniel Frost and Chris Unwin, who both won all three of their frames. 

 

This leaves Tigers in third, seven points behind 7 Ups, while A Team are only one point behind Bexleyheath Raiders, after Downham’s sister side did them a huge favour with a, 3-0 & 12-3 triumph over Raiders. 

 

Duke of Northumberland became the third and final team to be relegated from the SLKPA Elite League after they were beaten, 3-0 & 12-3 by Sharks. 

 

As a result, Sharks go top of the table after Hotshots lost their third game of the season against Terry’s Allstars.

 

A very close game between two of the top sides in the league that was much closer than the 3-0 & 9-6 score line suggests, as each set was won by the odd frame, 3-2. 

 

Allstars got the upper hand with Tony Halpin and Stacey Redman winning the opening two frames. 

 

George Taylor pulled one back for Hotshots, but Rob Taylor won the set for Allstars, before Danny Kelliher brought Hotshots back to within a frame. 

 

The second set was a carbon copy of the first, with Allstars taking the first two frames, before Hotshots got one on the board, Rob Taylor won the set and Hotshots pulled one back. 

 

It was, 2-0 & 6-4 going into the final set and the first four frames were shared, with Redman securing the bonus point for Allstars. 

 

There was still the set point to play for and Richie Mitchell won the deciding frame to give his team maximum points. 

 

Elliott Giles won both of his frames for Hotshots, but Redman went one better with an unbeaten hat-trick for Allstars. 

 

The top of the table is so close that Hotshots have dropped from first to fourth with Allstars one point and one place ahead of them in third. 

 

Having been relegated last week, Eltham Terrace Nuthouse were looking to block Bellegrove’s title ambitions however, Bellegrove had other ideas, winning the first four frames for the set. 

 

Jon Syta won frame five to prevent the whitewash in style, with a break and dish. 

 

Bellegrove’s dominance continued into the second set, with Dan Foley, Nikki Steadman, Adam Coppen, Dan Heinink, and Barry Barham all winning to whitewash the set, giving Bellegrove the set, the match, and the bonus point. 

 

The third set was much closer with the first four frames being shared, including another break and dish from Syta. 

 

Trevor Biggs took the set deciding frame to give Nuthouse a consolation point, ending the match, 2-1 & 11-4 down. 

 

Barham won both of his frames, but Steadman and Coppen went one better with unbeaten hat-tricks. 

 

Bellegrove stay in second, one point behind Sharks and on the same points as Allstars. 

 

Already relegated Bears were sitting bottom of the table, nine points behind this week’s opponents, Pickwick so this game was a bit of a dead rubber, but neither team was looking at it that way. 

 

The first four frames were shared sending the first set into a deciding frame, which Dean James won to put Bears, 3-2 ahead. 

 

The second set clinched it for Bears, with Gary Heath, Dean Greaney-Parr, James, and Paul Cobbold all winning to give them the set and make it six on the spin. 

 

Mike Werbowy took frame ten to prevent the whitewash and end the set, 7-3 behind. 

 

Greaney-Parr won the eleventh frame with a break and dish to give Bears the bonus point however, there was still a point to play for and Paul Dawson, Werbowy, Paul Gafa, and Enis Dogangun won the final four frames to make the score a more respectable, 2-1 & 8-7. 

 

There were three unbeaten players, Pickwick’s Werbowy and Heath and Greaney-Parr for Bears, who all won two frames.

 

Pickwick stay in fifth whereas Bears rise two places, with Duke replacing them on the bottom. 

 

With just two points separating the top four and four points left to play for, it is still a four-horse race for the Elite League title in one of the most exciting seasons to date. 

 

Allstars and Bellegrove appear to have the tougher run-in, as they play each other next week, whereas the current leaders Sharks go to already relegated Bears and Hotshots host also relegated Duke.

 

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.