New Eltham New Stars hit new heights

There were four places, but only three points between Sundridge Park Pocketeers and New Stars when they faced each other this week, and the first set was equally as close, with the first four frames being shared, before Phil O’Kane won the set deciding frame to give New Stars a, 3-2 first set lead.

The second set followed a similar suit, with the first four frames being shared, before O’Kane beat Jay Arnold for the second time to increase New Stars lead to, 6-4.

Arnold won frame eleven to reduce the arrears to one frame, but that would be their last frame, as New Stars won the last four frames for a, 10-5 triumph to uphold their unbeaten record and go top of the table.

O’Kane went onto win his third frame of the night, as did teammate Stacy Redman.

New Stars join Sharks on 36 points at the top, after their victory this week to also remain unbeaten for the season.

Second played first, as Rugrats hosted Sharks, with both teams on the same points and the first two sets reflected this, with Sharks taking the first, 3-2 and Rugrats the second by the same score.

Sharks upped the intensity in the last set, as Eno Idiong won frame eleven, and Rahat Munim and Vu Son won the next two frames, giving them personal hat-tricks and their team the victory.

Sharks’ Derek Power won his only frame, and Steve Gibson did the same for Rugrats, making the final score, 9-6.

As a result of this, Rugrats drop to fourth place, three points behind the top two, with Hotshots leapfrogging them into third, after they beat Falconwood Club, 11-4 this week.

With the top two playing each other, it was ironic that the bottom two also played each other, with Royal Oak taking on Foots Cray Bears in a very tight match.

Bears had the better start, with Gary Hanlon and Gary Heath putting them two up, but Paul Clements won the next to halve the deficit.

Another Gary, Mason won the fourth frame to make it, 3-1 before Joe Hills took the last frame of the set to ensure it remained close after the first set.

The second set was the reverse of the first, with Clements, Dave Pearce and John Cochrane winning three of the next four frames to give Royal Oak the lead for the first time in the match, but Shane Burnett grabbed the tenth frame to ensure it was all level going into the last set.

Burnett went straight back on and won again to put Bears back in the lead and It continued to be nip and tuck, as Cochrane levelled with his second win of the night, followed by Dave Jandu also winning his second.

Paul Williams ensured the match went down to the final frame, and it was left to captains, Clements and Dean James to battle for the win.

Both players had chances and when Clements screwed back too far and snookered himself on his last red, it proved pivotal, as when attempting the escape, he inadvertently knocked the black in to give Bears the 8-7 win.

Unusually this was a good match played in good spirits, with Bears staying bottom, two points behind their opponents, despite picking up their first victory.

The final game of the division saw Pickwick host Bellegrove, with two places and three points between them.

Pickwick won the first two frames before Bellegrove hit back with the next two, including a lovely long black from Sean Hennessy with the white welded to the top cushion.

Pickwick were, 3-2 up after the first set however, Bellegrove capitalised on mistakes by the home side and mixed in with some very good safety from Dean Passer and a bit of good fortune, Bellegrove took eight of the next ten frames to win, 10-5.

There was only one unbeaten player on the night, Bellegrove’s Barry Barham with a brace however, every one of his teammates chipped in with at least one frame.

Bellegrove jump over Pickwick, Pocketeers and Falconwood into fifth, two points ahead of their opponents.

Bellegrove Flyers, Cue-Ologists and Pool Runnings were the top three in SLKPA Division One, all on 25 points however, they were all overtaken by Eltham Terrace Rack Pack, after their huge win this week.

After a slow start to the season, Rack Pack finally woke up, producing a 12-3 win over bottom team New Eltham New Boys.

Rack Pack Captain, Chris Parlett steered his team admirably, winning the first frame, which led to a first set whitewash.

For a second week running, Tony Frost produced a hat-trick, as did James Shovelar, and they were backed up by Scott Shephard, James Page and Parlett who all bagged braces.

Rack Pack are now top of the table, one point ahead of Flyers, who drop to second despite their victory over The Con Men this week.

The Con Men took the first two frames, with Booby Rogers losing his first fame of the season, that wasn’t a break and dish, to Derek Purvis.

It looked like they would be going, 3-0 up but Petrina Pearce dug in and took out a fine finish, with the help of a fortunate flick of the black off an opponent’s ball on it’s way to the pocket to put Flyers first fame on the board.

Flyers’ Captain Peter Moult played John Harfield next, in what turned out to be a long tactical frame, where Moult eventually produced a good finish to level the match.

Steve Pearce of the Flyers wanted to make up for lost time and was running around the table, slamming the balls in, to take the frame, give his team a, 3-2 lead and prompt his opponent to say that he shouldn’t be playing in this division.

Steve Pearce was in such good form that he played and won the next frame, but not as quick and not in the same style as the first.

Rogers redeemed himself in the second set and suddenly it was, 5-2 to the Flyers, which soon became, 6-2 when Mark Porter played his first frame and won.

The next frame was a rematch between Moult and Harfield and due to a ball frozen on the cushion, it became another long, tactical game of chess, which Moult won again for seven on the spin to put his team on the hill.

Patina Pearce was looking to whitewash the set and win the match for Flyers, and it was on the cards until she went for an audacious cut along the rail, which didn’t come off and Rob Osborn took advantage to pull one back for The Con Men.

Having won two of Con Men’s three frames so far, Osborn was looking for a hat-trick however, he missed the black and Rogers played an uncharacteristic wild shot, which sent the black all round the table and just dropped into the corner pocket, to give Flyers the match.

The next two frames were shared, before the final instalment of the Moult versus Harfield trilogy, and instead of a tactical battle there was a game of mistakes, which ended with Moult miscuing on a standard safety shot, giving Harfield ball in hand and an easy black to prevent Moult’s hat-trick against him.

Player of the night, Steve Pearce was looking to put his team into double figures, but missed a difficult black and Reiss Wright produced an impressive clearance to make the final score, 9-6.

After last week’s loss, Flyers were happy with the victory, but feel the margin should have been greater, whilst The Con Men will be pleased with their six points.

Pool Runnings were sitting in third and had a tricky trip to Nolans this week, and the home team had a fantastic start, winning the first three frames, but Darren Mills and Adam Kinsville won the next two frames to pull Pool Runnings back to, 3-2.

Enis Dogangun and Chris Panayiotou extended Nolans’ lead to, 5-2 however, Chris Doyle joined Mills and Kinsville in the winner’s circle to tie the match at five all.

Kinsville won his third frame of the night to put Pool Runnings in the lead for the first time in the match and that was followed up by wins from Gregg Thomas and Joe Brown, making it six on the spin to give them the win.

Josh Henderson prevented the set whitewash, before Mills recorded his hat-trick to give his team the, 9-6 triumph.

Nolans drop one place to seventh, while Pool Runnings stay in third, after Cue-Ologists had a narrow, 8-7 victory over Eltham Evolution and fall into fourth, with Evolution one place and two points behind them.

Eighth played seventh, as Academicals took on Eltham Terrace Tigers, which Tigers won,9-6 to jump up to sixth.

Bexleyheath Raiders were unbeaten, after four matches at the top of SLKPA Division Two on the same points as Blackheath Sports Club before they played each other this week, and the match couldn’t have been tighter, with each set being won by the odd frame.

The first four frames were shared, before Blackheath Captain, Kerry Wyatt won the set deciding frame for a, 3-2 lead.

Jeff Schofield won his second frame to tie the match, but Blackheath won the next three frames to give them a,6-3 lead.

Both teams won a frame each before Ashley Summerhayes and Schofield with his third frame win, brought the score back to, 7-6.

Alan Dolan won the match for Blackheath with his hat-trick frame and Joe Kane made it, 9-6 to help their team replace Raiders at the top of the table.

Sundridge Park Working Men’s Club were in third place and visited Hurricanes Reborn, who were still sitting bottom after picking up their first win of the season last week and the match proved to be a close contest, with each set being won by the odd frame.

The first two frames were shared, before the first chapter of Arif Salih versus Dave Sparey, with Salih winning a hard-fought frame to nudge Hurricanes into a, 2-1 lead.

Sundridge Park levelled the match, but Charles French won the set deciding frame to give Hurricanes the first set, 3-2.

The second set ebbed and flowed with Sparey gaining revenge on Salih and Charles French took out a great break and dish, but Sundridge Park won the set to make it five all going into the final set.

Sundridge Park turned on the style in the third set, winning the first tree frames for the match, which included a break and dish from Sparey to win his battle against Salih.

However, Hurricanes battled back, with Charles French completing an excellent hat-trick and Michelle Brown smashed in a brilliant black to make the final score, 8-7.

Hurricanes remain bottom but are aiming to turn these narrow losses into victories whilst despite their triumph, Sundridge Park swap places with Bell Ya Later, after they beat Farmhouse this week.

Fourth played fifth as Bell Ya Later took on Farmhouse with both teams on exactly the same record, so it was no surprise when each team won one of the first two sets, 3-2 to make it all square going into the final set.

However, that is where it all changed, as Bell Ya Later whitewashed the final set to win the match, 10-5.

There were only two unbeaten players, with Bell Ya Later’s Paul Thomas and Reece Stewart both scoring hat-tricks.

Farmhouse are on the same points as Hurricanes at the bottom, three points behind Sundridge Park.

Bellegrove Newbies were sitting unbeaten at the top of SLKPA Division Three and this week they had a short walk to play the derby match against Plough & Harrow.

Newbies had an amazing start, whitewashing the first set however, Plough fought back and took the first three frames of the second set.

The last two frames of the set went to Newbies, putting them on the hill at, 7-3 and Marc House took frame eleven to give them the match.

The last four frames were shared, giving Newbies a, 10-5 triumph.

Josh Gardner-Nutley, House and Lewis Garland all won two of their three frames for Newbies, but Alison Cable was the player of the night scoring a hat-trick for the second week running.

Newbies became only the third unbeaten team in the league so far this season, with five match wins and have created a 17-point lead at the top.

Second place Angerstein played Average Joes in fourth with only two points between them and this match started in the same vain with Average Joes taking the first set, 3-2.

They went onto whitewash the second set to have the match won before the third set.

Jermaine Wright went unbeaten with his second frame win in the eleventh and Jamie Flockhart brought the score back to, 8-4.

However, Rocky Singh and Gurpal Cheema, with their hat-trick frames, and Brian Harris won the last three frames for a convincing, 11-4 victory.

This result meant that the two teams swapped places in the table.

White Hart stay in third on the same points as Average Joes, after this week’s 9-6 triumph over bottom team Large Lakhars.

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.