Top of the South London & Kent Pool Alliance Premier Division, Hotshots were playing their thirteenth league game of the season this week, and it was unlucky for them as they lost their 100% record to Eltham Terrace Nuthouse. 

Unbeaten, top of the table Hotshots visited Nuthouse, five places and 54 points ahead of them and Tony Gear got them off to a good start with the opening frame. 

Nuthouse battled back with Trevor Biggs and Leighton Aston nudging them ahead. 

Neil Hall levelled the match, before Shane Hutley surprised Hotshots to give Nuthouse a, 3-2 first set lead. 

Gear won again to tie the match however, Leigh Bowes, Biggs and Hutley won the second set for Nuthouse. 

Danny Kelliher took the tenth frame making the score, 6-4 going into the last set. 

Ian Chapman and Jon Syta won the first two frames of the third set to give Nuthouse the shock victory. 

Hotshots won the next two frames before Biggs recorded his hat-trick to give Nuthouse all three sets, 3-2 in a, 9-6 triumph. 

It was a fantastic all-round team performance by Nuthouse, with every player chipping in with a win on the night. 

Second played third as Rugrats hosted Sharks and after Hotshots lost their unbeaten record this week, both teams were looking to close the gap on the league leaders. 

Rahat Munim, Jeff LaPorte and Dean Passer got the away side off to a great start, giving them the first set. 

Shane O’Reilly prevented the set whitewash for Rugrats, before Derek Power made it, 4-1. 

The second set had the same pattern as the first, with Sharks taking the first three frames, before Steve Gibson prevented the set whitewash and LaPorte won the tenth frame.

Considering how close these two were in the table, it was a surprise that Sharks had the match won before the start of the final set, and they weren’t letting up, as Vu Son became unbeaten on two out of two to make it, 9-2. 

O’Reilly won his second frame of the night and his team’s third however, Sharks were relentless taking the last three frames, which included hat-tricks from Munim and Power, to make the final score a resounding, 12-3 triumph. 

As a result, Sharks have made up the six points they were behind Rugrats and leapfrogged them into second place by three points, to go 24 points behind Hotshots. 

Only two places and two points separated New Eltham New Stars and Pickwick when they met this week, with Pickwick just edging it, and they had the better start, as Louis Wilbourne won the set deciding frame after the first four frames were shared. 

It was the first time Pickwick had been in the lead however, James Martin and Sam Baker won the first two frames of the second set to nudge New Stars back in front. 

Then the momentum swung back in Pickwick’s favour with Enis Dogangun and Martin Storey taking the next two frames, putting their team back in front, before Steve Knight levelled the match. 

All square going into the final set but Martin, with his hat-trick and Baker strung two frames together, giving New Stars the initiative and putting them on the hill. 

Paul Dawson delayed their celebrations with frame thirteen, but Luke Terry took the penultimate frame to give New Stars the victory. 

Paul Slater won the last frame for Pickwick making the final score, 8-7. 

Nuthouse’s excellent victory meant they joined Pickwick on 90 points, but they go above them with more wins, while New Stars stay in seventh, one point behind Pickwick.

The bottom two, Bellegrove A and Falconwood Club played each other this week with fifteen points between them, and Bellegrove A reduced that gap by one point with an, 8-7 victory. 

With just three games left or two for some, it looks like the fourteen-point gap at the bottom might be too much for Bellegrove A to overcome however, the race to avoid the relegation play-off spot will be tough, as only four points separate the next four teams. 

Hotshots may have lost their 100% record, but White Hart in SLKPA Division Two have kept theirs however, it is a loss record after they were defeated, 8-7 by Goodfellows this week. 

Despite not winning a match yet, this was an excellent result for White Hart, as Goodfellows had won ten of their twelve matches, but were sitting in fifth, four places and 42 points ahead of White Hart. 

Five points ahead of White Hart were Plough & Harrow and they travelled to Sundridge Park Working Men’s Club this week. 

Although there were only two places between these sides and Sundridge Park had only one more win, there was 18 points between them and the higher placed team got off to a great start, winning the first three frames. 

Surprisingly the ever-dependable Dave Sparey lost frame four to Lewis Mann, but Elise Norris restored Sundridge Park’s three frame advantage at, 4-1. 

James McGuire pulled one back for Plough however, the home side won the next two frames for a, 6-2 lead. 

The last two frames of the set were shared, putting Sundridge Park on the hill going into the last set. 

McGuire won his second of three to make it, 7-4 but Sparey returned to winning ways to give his side the victory. 

McEviliy scored an unbeaten brace and Peter Davies won his third frame of the night to put their side into double figures. 

The last frame went to Plough making the final score, 10-5. 

It looks like Plough and White Hart will be fighting it out for the wooden spoon, as with three games to go there is only three points between them and the team above, Bexleyheath Raiders are 16 points ahead, after they narrowly lost, 8-7 to the league leaders, Eltham Terrace Tigers this week. 

Fourth played third with only two points between them, as Farmhouse hosted The Con Men and it was the away side who had an almost perfect start, with Rob Osborn, Derek Purvis, Calvin, and Adam Key all winning for a, 4-0 lead. 

Steve Jeffcoate prevented the set whitewash with the fifth frame. 

The first two frames of the second set were shared however, the Keys were on hand to unlock the second set for The Con Men, putting them on the hill. 

Nick Brown took the tenth frame making the score, 7-3 going into the last set. 

Osborn won the match for The Con Men, before Purvis won his third frame of the night to make it, 9-3. 

The Keys were also looking for their hat-tricks however, they both lost to Lacey Denahy and Brown making the score, 9-5. 

The two captains battled out the last frame, with Con Men’s Reiss Wright getting the better of Barrie Blake for a 10-5 final score. 

Despite not playing, Hurricanes Reborn were the biggest losers this week, as they dropped from second to fifth, with Con Men, Farmhouse and Goodfellows all rising by one place. 

Duke of Northumberland were looking to keep their foot on the gas at the top of the first division table with a tricky game against fifth placed Bellegrove Flyers, but it was the Flyers who got out the blocks fastest, racing into a, 3-0 lead.  

Whilst Duke stopped the rot in frame four, it was Bellegrove who held a healthy, 4-1 first set lead.  

The opening game of the second set proved to a be pivotal, with a close frame that saw the Flyers have first shot at the black, but that was missed, and Duke capitalised to reduce the arrears to, 4-2.

Having survived almost falling 5-1 down, Duke rallied and played the perfect set, winning all five frames to turn the game on its head and lead, 6-4 with a set to play.  

They continued that form into set three, winning the next two frames to secure the win.  

Flyers took the next frame, but Duke won the final two frames to end with a 10-5 win, a result that looked unlikely early on.

Phil Tworek was player of the match, winning all three of his frames, whilst Dave Pearce, Paul Clements and Lim Morina won two out of three, with Flyers Richard Marsh also winning two of his three frames.

Flyers stay in fifth, but are now 24 points behind their opponents, whilst Duke are only eight points ahead of Bears in second, after they beat New Eltham New Boys, 11-4 this week. 

Six places and 32 points separated Blackheath Sports Club in ninth and third placed Cue-Ologists, and it was the higher placed team who had the better start, with Steve Aldridge, Stephen Maeers, Simon Platt, and Chris McKensie all winning. 

Joe Kane prevented the set whitewash for Blackheath, giving Cue-Ologists a, 4-1 first set lead. 

The second set was much closer, swinging one way then the other, before Platt won the deciding frame, giving Cue-ologists the set and a, 7-3 lead going into the last set. 

Platt and Aldridge scored unbeaten hat-tricks, giving their team an unassailable, 9-3 lead however, Blackheath won the last three frames to make the final score a more respectable, 9-6. 

Both Cue-Ologists and Blackheath remain in third and ninth, but the teams below them, Downham Tavern Terrors and Bell Ya Later played each other this week. 

Terrors were dominant from start to finish winning, 12-3 to close the gap between them and Cue-Ologists to just one point. 

Bell Ya Later are twelve points adrift at the bottom, but with three games to go they are 20 points from avoiding relegation. 

Occupying the last relegation spot were Academicals, five points behind this week’s opponents Eltham Terrace Rack Pack and this week’s, 8-7 victory over them brought them a point closer, although Rack Pack leapfrogged New Boys into sixth by one point. 

With three games to go it looks like all the teams in Division One might hit 100 points, as it’s only the bottom three missing out at the moment, with Academicals one point away, Blackheath six points and Bell Ya Later 18 points. 

For more information on the SLKPA including league tables visit the website at www.slkpa.com or contact the 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.