Most exciting end to Elite League season

 

Sharks were top on 38 points, with Bellegrove and Terry’s Allstars one point behind in second and third and another point behind were Hotshots. 

 

Sharks should have had a relatively easy path to the championship, playing sixth placed Bears however, Sharks were shocked into a, 2-1 & 8-7 defeat to give Bears their third victory of the season. 

 

This gave Sharks just one point, and a three-point advantage over Hotshots and two points over Allstars and Bellegrove, who played each other this week. 

 

It was Allstars who had the better start, taking a scrappy opening frame on their way to a, 3-1 lead with only a break and dish from Adam Coppen to show for the Bellegrove.

 

Back-to-back frames from Dan Heinink got Bellegrove back into it and Nikki Steadman added a frame to nudge Bellegrove in front, 4-3 overall. 

 

Bellegrove won two of the next three frames to take the set, 4-1 which included a great long double on his last red to land on the black in the middle pocket by Barry Barham for a, 6-4 lead in frames. 

 

The first two frames of the last set were shared, with Coppen completing his hat-trick and Barry Barham adding frame thirteen to secure the bonus point. 

 

The set point was still to play for and Bellegrove only needed one of the last two frames for victory. 

 

Dean Passer had other ideas and produced a break and dish to level the set. 

 

In the final frame Derek Power ran out of position on his last red after a dry break, but Bellegrove couldn’t capitalise and Power took the frame to win the match,2-1 in sets, although Bellegrove scored more frames, 8-7. 

 

With both teams sharing two points, they joined Sharks on 39 points however, Allstars go above Sharks by winning one more match and Bellegrove above them another match ahead. 

 

This left Hotshots three points behind the other three teams needing maximum points to ensure the title; they were playing already relegated Duke of Northumberland and it looked like Hotshots were going to run away with this match when they won the first three frames. 

 

However, Phil Tworek and John Cochrane won the last two frames of the set to bring Duke back to within a frame. 

 

With the first two frames of the second set being shared, the match remained close, but Hotshots won the last eight frames of the match to win it, 3-0 & 12-3 for maximum points to take the Elite League title by just one point. 

 

Ryan Francis and Elliott Giles helped to ensure victory and the championship by winning all three of their frames and they were backed up by Joe Kelly, scoring an unbeaten brace. 

 

The last match in this division was a dead rubber, as Eltham Terrace Nuthouse had already been relegated, sitting bottom of the table and they took on Pickwick in fifth and couldn’t influence the top or bottom, but neither team were treating it as such and were playing for pride. 

 

Although there were three places and nine points between these teams, this match was incredibly close, with each set being won by the odd frame, 3-2. 

 

The first four frames were shared, before Louis Wilbourne won the deciding frame to put Pickwick, 3-2 ahead. 

 

The second set went almost the same way as the first, with the first four frames being shared however, this time Shaun Hammond gained revenge on Wilbourne for beating him in the first set, to tie the match at, 1-1 & 5-5. 

 

Pickwick took the early initiative in the third set, with Paul Dawson winning his hat-trick frame and Enis Dogangun winning to give Pickwick a, 2-0 lead in the set. 

 

This meant a team was ahead by two frames for the first time in the match, but Hammond pulled Nuthouse back to within a frame, with his third frame win of the night. 

 

Martin Storey sealed the set and the match for Pickwick with the penultimate frame, before Trevor Biggs won the last frame making the final score, 2-1 & 8-7. 

 

Unfortunately for Nuthouse their point was not enough to lift them off the bottom, as they joined Duke on thirteen points, but Duke had won one more game. 

 

An exciting end to the SLKPA Elite League season however, Tier Three was virtually all done and dusted going into their final week. 

 

Cue-Ologists were top of the table three points ahead of 7 Ups and both had achieved promotion, we just had to decide which would end up champions. 

 

7 Ups travelled to third placed Eltham Terrace Tigers, with just seven points between them however, 7 Ups were dominant winning, 3-0 & 12-3 to put the pressure on Cue-Ologists. 

 

Cue-Ologists were also playing away against The Con Men in fifth and they came away with a, 3-0 & 9-6 triumph to claim the Tier Three title in their first season. 

 

Downham Tavern Terrors were in fourth just one point behind Tigers in third, so a win would lift them into third and the prize positions and they played Plough & Harrow this week. 

 

There were only two places but twenty points between these teams and that showed in the 3-0 & 12-3 score line. 

 

Terrors terrorised Plough right from the start, whitewashing the first set, 5-0. 

 

Darren Cotterill won the first frame of the second set making it six on the spin for Terrors, before Joe Webber put Plough’s first frame on the board with the seventh. 

 

Tommy Bowden and David Read won the next two frames to give Terrors the set, the match, and the bonus point before the end of the second set. 

 

Kevin Dempsey won frame ten, making the overall frame score, 9-1. 

 

Cotterill won his third frame of the night to put Terrors into double figures to make it four in a row. 

 

Lynn Mather levelled the set before Bowden and Read gave Terrors maximum points, and Webber won his second of three frames to bring the set score back to, 3-2. 

 

Cotterill, Bowden, and Read were the inspiration behind Terrors jumping into third place by all winning three frames.

 

The last game in this division was a basement battle between the bottom two, Bexleyheath Raiders and Downham Tavern A Team. 

 

With just one point between them this should have been a close game, but Raiders ran away with it, winning 3-0 & 10-5. 

 

The top and bottom divisions are now complete, but both SLKPA Tier Two East and West have another week to go after this one. 

 

New Eltham New Stars were already champions of Tier Two West, and they continued winning ways with a, 2-1 & 11-4 victory over Eltham Terrace Rack Pack. 

 

However, they extended their lead at the top to eleven points as Bellegrove A, who had already secured the play-off promotion spot, lost to Academicals, 2-1 & 10-5. 

 

This meant that Academicals leapfrogged Rack Pack into third, even though they are on the same points, Academicals are ahead by winning three more matches. 

 

The bottom two of this division played each other, as Fox & Hounds hosted Farmhouse and with three points between the teams this match was crucial in the battle to avoid relegation. 

 

Farmhouse got off to the better start, winning the first frame, but Mel Barnes, Clive Forrest and Kerry Wyatt won the next three frames to give Fox the first set. 

 

Barrie Blake took frame five to pull Farmhouse back to within a frame. 

 

The first two frames of the second set were shared, then the trio of Forrest, Barnes and Wyatt all won again to give Fox the second set and the match. 

 

At, 7-3 up, Fox were on the hill for the bonus point and Forrest won frame twelve for his third frame win of the night to secure the bonus point. 

 

Lacey Denahy and Steve Jeffcoate won the next wo frames to give Farmhouse the set point, before Wyatt won her hat-trick frame making the final score, 2-1 & 9-6 to keep Fox in the division and relegate Farmhouse. 

 

So, the only thing left to decide in this division next week is whether Academicals or Rack Pack finish third, and in the prize money or fourth, and as they are both on 27 points it will be winner takes all. 

 

All that needs to be decided in Tier Two East is who will finish second, securing the promotion play-off spot or third. 

 

Falconwood Club edged into second place last week and this week they played bottom of the division and winless, Hurricanes Reborn. 

 

Falconwood had a very strong side and were gunning for all four points, but Hurricanes were not going to make it easy for them. 

 

An excellent clearance from Jamie White got Falconwood off to a great start before Charles French fought back with a calm finish to make it, 1-1. 

 

Falconwood took the next two frames for the set, then Kevin England rode his luck after Brett Crawley narrowly missed a tricky double to leave the black hanging over the pocket, to bring Hurricanes back to within a frame. 

 

The second set was a carbon copy of the first, with the first two frames being shared, before Falconwood won the next two frames, and England won his second frame of the night to end the set, 2-0 & 6-4 down.

 

White completed an excellent hat-trick for Falconwood, before Arif Salih potted an awesome black to level the set. 

 

Naftali Ayieko became the second Falconwood player to score a hat-trick, then England won his third frame of the night to tie the set, sending it into a deciding frame. 

 

Crawley took on Robyn Parlett and held his nerve, finishing with a fantastic double on the black to give his team maximum points with a, 3-0 & 9-6 victory. 

 

Falconwood stay in second putting pressure on Bellegrove Flyers to win and keep up the fight for second place and this week they hosted New Eltham New Boys in fifth, 14 points behind them. 

 

After arriving slightly late, New Boys had to start the game cold however, that didn’t appear to affect Greg Fothergill, who made light work of Jason Brunton, performing a break and dish in less than two minutes. 

 

Antony Su put New Boys, 2-0 up however, Flyers took the last three frames of the set to win it, 3-2. 

 

Flyers took the second set by the same score to win the match and have a, 6-4 frame lead going into the last set. 

 

Needing maximum points to stay in contention for the play-off spot, Flyers started well, taking frames eleven and twelve to secure the bonus point and need just one more frame for all four points. 

 

Mr Reliable, Fothergill pulled one back for New Boys with his hat-trick frame however, Flyers won the last two frames for an overall, 3-0 & 10-5 victory.

 

With just one point between Falconwood and Flyers the fight for the play-off spot will go right down to the final week. 

 

After losing for the first time this season and still winning the title last week, Rugrats were looking to get back to winning ways against Bell Ya Later, with three places and 17 points between the teams. 

 

Dylan Suggars won the opening frame for Rugrats however, Reece Stewart and Angie Hobbs won the next two frames to put Bell Ya Later ahead. 

 

Steve Gibson tied the match, before Liam Firth won the deciding frame to give Rugrats the first set, 3-2. 

 

The first two frames of the second set were shared, before Jimmy Maloney and Pat Firth won the next two frames to give Rugrats the second set and the match. 

 

Paul Thomas took frame ten to bring the overall score back to, 6-4. 

 

There was still two points to play for and Suggars and Pat Firth secured the bonus point for Rugrats, before Gibson earned maximum points with the thirteenth frame. 

 

Stewart prevented the set whitewash and Maloney won the last frame making the final score, 3-0 & 10-5. 

 

Both teams had a hat-trick hero, with Stewart winning all three for Bell Ya Later and Suggars doing the same for Rugrats. 

 

There was no positional changes in this division this week, but the gap between the top half and bottom half increased from seven to eleven 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 looking at potential sponsors; any interested parties can also contact Paul Gafa.