New division for South London & Kent Pool Alliance

In the new division there are three new teams and two of them faced each other on match week one, as Angerstein hosted Bellegrove Newbies, formerly Bellegrove but they have had such an overhaul of players they are effectively a new team, hence the new name.

The Newbies got off to a great start, winning the first set, 4-1 however, the home side took the first two frames of the second set to bring the score back to, 4-3.

The last three frames of the set went to Newbies, giving them a, 7-3 lead and they went on to take a clean sweep of the last set, making it eight in a row for a, 12-3 triumph.

It could have been a much closer score on the night however, it was a fantastic performance from the Newbies with four unbeaten payers, as Nick Conquest and John Skuza won both their frames and Mark House and Alison Cable went one better with hat-tricks.

Large Lakhars had a close debut match against Plough & Harrow, with Ajit Gedhu sealing the, 8-7 victory in the deciding final frame for Lakhars.

Akash Phull was man of the match, winning all three of his frames.

There was another very close game between Average Joes and White Hart, with every set being won by the odd frame, 3-2.

Gurpal Cheema got Average Joes off to a great start by winning the opening frame, the first of his three frame wins.

White Hart won the next two frames, before Brian Harris took the fourth frame, sending the set into a deciding frame, which Bob More won to give Average Joes a, 3-2 lead.

Joe Gilbert won the first of his unbeaten brace to level the match, but Joes took the next two frames, taking a two-frame lead for the first time in the match.

White Hart battled back, winning the next frame before Alex Hodinitu took the deciding frame to tie the match at, one set and five frames all.

Louie Hopper nudged White Hart into the lead, but Cheema equalised, then Gilbert and Kieran Corbett won the match for White Hart.

The last frame went to Joes, making the final score, 8-7.

From the bottom to the top and the top two from last winter’s Premier Division, Sharks and Hotshots faced each other, with Sharks earning the early bragging rights, with a, 9-6 triumph.

Two of the promoted teams from last season, Sundridge Park Pocketeers and Royal Oak faced each other in the first game of the season, and it proved to be a very close affair.

Pocketeers got off to the better start, and edged a tight first set, 3-2 and when Lee Martin won his second frame of the night, Pocketeers opened up a two-frame lead. 

However, Royal Oak responded with Paul Clements and John Cochrane winning their second frames of the night, along with debutant Joe Hills taking a frame for a, 5-4 lead.

  Kevin Dempsey became the next player to grab his second win of the match, as Pocketeers restored parity going into the last set.

The Oak regained the lead again, as Hills made it two of out of two for him on the night, before Lee Martin grabbed his unbeaten hat-trick to level once again. 

Another new player for the Oak, Paul Williams, gained his first win of the night to put his new team just one frame from victory, but in keeping with the tight match, Aaron Walker won his second frame to send the match into a final frame decider.

Oak Captain, Paul Clements scored an unbeaten hat-trick to edge the match, 8-7.

The other promoted team from last winter season, Foots Cray Bears hosted the third placed team from the Premier Division, Bellegrove.

Bellegrove were looking for a quick start and Dean Passer duly obliged with a break and dish in the first frame.

Nick Steadman and Adam Coppen added to Passer’s opening frame, then Bellegrove potted the black out of turn in frame four, but they still ended the set, 3-2 ahead.

In frame seven, Passer broke and dished again and Steadman and Coppen both won again to make it, 6-4 in Bellgrove’s favour.

Passer and Steadman completed their hat-tricks in frames eleven and twelve to win the match, but Bears hung in there and won two of the last three frames making the final score, 9-6 to Bellegrove.

Pickwick led,5-1 against New Eltham New Stars, but hit the wall and New Stars turned that around to go, 7-5 ahead.

New Stars were on the hill, only needing one of the last three frames for victory, and they got that to win the match, 8-7.

Andre Cox returned to the league after a few years away and scored an unbeaten hat-trick on his debut for Pickwick, with Luke Terry also winning his three frames for New Stars.

There were only two places between Rugrats and Falconwood Club last winter season and the score was just as close when Rugrats travelled to Falconwood this week.

Falconwood got off to a great start, as Jamie White and George Covington won the opening frames, with Covington winning with a break and dish.

However, Rugrats battled back, with Jimmy Maloney, Steve Gibson, and Aaron Shephard all winning to give them a, 3-2 lead.

After being break and dished by Covington in the first set, Ashley Hewson suffered the same fate against Jamie White in the second set.

Maloney nudged Rugrats back into the lead however, Falconwood won the remaining three frames of the set to take a, 6-4 lead into the final set.

Hewson finally got a shot and ended up winning, along with Dylan Suggars to tie the match at six all.

The next two frames were shared, sending the match into a final frame decider, which Rugrats Captain, Steve Gibson won to give them the, 8-7 victory.

In Division One Eltham Terrace Nuthouse have evolved into Eltham Evolution, but it appears they need more time to bed in, as Bellegrove Flyers recorded the biggest victory in the division, 12-3 against them.

Flyers got off to a flyer going, 4-0 up, with their new player, Mark Hill winning his frame without playing a shot, as Alfie Southby was on a break and dish, before snookering himself on the black and while escaping he hit one of Hill’s balls before potting the black.

Steve Pearce was also on debut for Flyers, and he looked like he was going to whitewash the set, but also snookered himself, giving Ian Chapman a chance, which he took to make it 4-1.

Chapman started the second set for Evolution, but all he could do is sit and watch, as Jason Brunton produced an excellent break and dish.

The second set had a similar feel to the first, with Flyers winning it, 4-1 after Captain Peter Moult won frame ten to give his team the match before the start of the last set.

There was a distinct déjà vu feel to the match, as the last set also finished, 4-1 to Flyers.

Chapman gained revenge for his earlier break and dish with one of his own to win two of his team’s three frames on the night.

Flyers’ Bobby Rogers finished with the same record as Chapman, winning two of his three frames, including a break and dish however, three of his teammates were undefeated, as Moult won both his frames, but Brunton and Mark Porter went one better with hat-tricks.

The other matches in the division were much closer, with Eltham Terrace Tigers and Pool Runnings beating Cue-Ologists and New Eltham New Boys, 9-6 and Nolans and Academicals won, 8-7 against Eltham Terrace Rack Pack and The Con Men.

There was another very close game in Division Two between Farmhouse and Bexleyheath Raiders, with each set and the match going to the wire.

The first set swung to and fro until Shelton D’Costa won the deciding frame to put Raiders, 3-2 ahead.

Raiders went on to win frames six and seven, giving them a three-frame lead, 5-2 however, Farmhouse took the next two frames, bringing the score back to, 5-4 but Steve Redout won the set deciding frame to put Raiders, 6-4 ahead.

Antony Darvill and John Denahy levelled the match for Farmhouse, before Lionel White nudged Raiders back into the lead with his hat-trick frame.

Nick Brown won his third frame of the night to bring Farmhouse level again, but Jeff Schofield won the last frame, giving Raiders the, 8-7 victory.

Hurricanes Reborn started the season with a tough away trip to Blackheath Sports Club and they started well with Arif Salih producing a great double on the black for the opening frame.

However, this galvanised Blackheath and they won the next six frames on the spin for a, 6-1 lead.

Salih won his second frame of the night and Charles French won frame ten, making the set score, 3-2 and the overall score, 7-3 to Blackheath.

Blackheath were on the hill, needing one frame for victory, but Hurricanes Captain, Kevin England and Salih, with his third win of the night kept them waiting and reduced the deficit to, 7-5 from 6-1 down.

However, Mel Barnes secured the victory and Kerry Wyatt made it, 9-5 both with their hat-trick frames.

Charles French gave Hurricanes some credit, with an excellent double on the black to win the last frame, giving them the set and ending the match, 9-6 down.

In the final match of the week Sundridge Park Working Men’s Club went to Bell Ya Later and the first set was very close, with Bell Ya Later edging it, 3-2 however, they put their foot on the gas in the second set, whitewashing it, 5-0 for an overall, 8-2 lead.

Bell Ya Later had the match won before the start of the final set, but they only won two frames in the last set, with Paul Thomas achieving his unbeaten brace and Reece Stewart a hat-trick.

Frame thirteen was far from unlucky for twelve year old Slok Patel, who won the frame with only his second seven ball clearance.

We are sure this is the second of many for this remarkable young talent, who went on to win a tournament at Woolwich Snooker Club at the weekend.

Not to be outdone, Sundridge Park’s Captain, Simon McEvillly also recorded a 7-baller in the last frame, making the final score, 10-5.

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.