W18-19 week 11 match reports
SLKPA Division One race hots up
The second week back after the Christmas break and the South London & Kent Pool Alliance returned to league business, with the race for promotion into the Premier Division and the battle for the first division title becoming increasingly interesting.
Crayford Arms started the year top of the division and they kicked off 2019 with a local derby against sixth place, CSC Sorry in Advance, so it was a surprise when CSC won the first two sets, 3-2.
The first two frames of the final set went Crayford’s way to tie the match at six all but CSC won the last three frames to not only win the set, 3-2 but having won each set by the same score, they also take the match by 9 frames to 6.
It was a disappointing result for Crayford, who felt that they missed too many chances to deserve a win, but Akar Necati was the exception to the rule, continuing his fine form to win all three of his frames.
Also finishing on unbeaten hat-tricks were Aaron Shephard and Martin Hart for CSC.
The result became even more disappointing for Crayford, when they learned that Rose Inn secured a, 9-6 victory over Fox & Hounds to go level on points with Crayford, but Rose go top courtesy of one more victory.
Rose Inn didn’t have it all their own way, as Fox & Hounds took a, 2-0 lead but Rose equalised before Tom Wyatt won the deciding frame to give Fox the first set.
Rose won the first frame of the second set to equalise but Fox took the next two frames to go, 5-3 up however, Rose won the next frame to send the set into another final frame decider.
Fox looked to Tom Wyatt again to edge them further in front but he couldn’t work his magic this time and Dean Greany-Parr made it all square at five all going into the final set.
The first two frames of the last set were shared, but Rose took the final three frames for victory.
The only unbeaten player on the night was Rose Inn’s Jack Wilson, winning all three of his frames.
Just behind the top two, third played fourth, as Eltham Terrace Rack Pack took on New Eltham Club.
The first two sets were close, with Rack Pack going, 2-1 and 4-3 up but New Eltham won the last eight frames for a comprehensive, 11-4 victory.
It was a great all round team performance from New Eltham, with Dan Smith winning two of his three frames but Gary Mason and Shane Burnett went one better, both scoring three out of three.
Rack Pack may have faired slightly better if they had turned to Fred O’Connor a bit more, as he won a frame in the first set but didn’t play again.
This result meant that New Eltham leapfrogged their opponents into third place, having caught up the four points they were behind them and gone three points in front however, they are still ten points behind the top two.
The final game in the division was the basement derby match between Bellegrove A and Just Bellegrove and it was the latter who closed the gap on their rivals to just one point, with a game in hand, after their, 9-6 triumph.
It was business as usual in SLKPA Division Two, as top of the table, Bexleyheath Working Mans Club slaughtered bottom team, Real Hustlers, 12-3 to remain unbeaten for the season.
There was another derby match, as third place New Eltham New Boys played New Eltham Social Club in second, but the gulf between the two seemed immense when New Eltham Social Club whitewashed the first set, 5-0.
New Eltham Social Club’s Gary “Terry Griffiths” Heath was feeling particularly charitable, taking half an hour to win his frame, giving team mate Jeff Hopcroft’s opponent plenty of time to arrive, but he didn’t giving Hopcroft the frame by default.
The second set was a scrappy affair, making it much closer but New Eltham Social Club still took it, 3-2 with Captain, Paul Carroll pulling off some remarkable shots to win his frame and the match.
Having already won the match, New Eltham Social Club can be excused for taking their foot off the gas a little and New Boys came back to win the final set, 3-2 giving New Eltham Social Club a, 10-5 overall victory.
Carroll led from the front winning all three of his frames.
New Eltham Social Club are now 24 points ahead of New Boys and 18 behind Bexleyheath, so with just four weeks left to play in this division, it looks like the promotion places have been claimed.
It is far from over in the SLKPA Premier Division though, as 20 points separate fourth from tenth and there are thirteen points between the top two, with seven games left to play.
Bottom team, Eltham Terrace Nuthouse built upon last week’s cup victory and did their chances of survival the world of good, with a, 9-6 triumph over seventh place New Eltham.
Each team won one of the first two sets, 3-2 and it was a close match, with neither team going more than two frames in front.
However, that changed in the final set, with Nuthouse winning the first three frames for victory and they went on to take the set, 4-1.
Zoe Healy and Alex Biggs were the only unbeaten players for Nuthouse, winning their only frames, but despite finishing on the losing side, Peter Whyte scored an unbeaten hat-trick.
This result lifts Nuthouse off the bottom of the table by three points, with Rugrats replacing them, after they lost to top of the table, Allstars.
After the first set whitewash, Dafydd Ruffell won the first frame of the second set to stop the rot, but Allstars took the next three frames to win the match before the end of the set.
Rugrats won the next three frames to make it, 8-4 and they eventually went on to win the last set, 3-2 making the overall score, 10-5.
Ruffell went on to win two of his three frames, as did Captain, Scott Shephard whose haul included a final frame break and dish.
Craig Mallinder scored an unbeaten brace for Allstars but Jamie Simons went one better, with three out of three.
Pickwick occupy the relegation play-off spot, but are only one point ahead of Nuthouse, after their recent defeat to third place Eltham Terrace Club A.
It was a poor night of pool for Pickwick, as Terrace had the game wrapped up by the eleventh frame, taking an unassailable, 8-3 lead and they went on to win the match by 10 frames to 5.
It wasn’t so miserable for Will Byrne though, who was unbeaten on two frame wins and he was supported by Paul Gafa, who was successful in two of his three frames.
Terrace’s Dan Heinink was man of the match, after not only winning all three of his frames but also recording a break and dish in the first set.
Terrace remain thirteen points behind Hotshots in second place, after they matched Terrace’s, 10-5 victory.
The first set against Eltham Terrace Rovers was close and hard fought but by the end of the second set Hotshots found themselves, 7-3 ahead.
The final set reverted back to the first, with Hotshots edging it, 3-2 to win the match and become the second team in the division to break through 100 points.
Neil Hall was the only unbeaten player, winning all three of his frames.
Hustlers are still fourth, nine points ahead of their opponents, Sharks in sixth place, after this week’s 9-6 victory over them.
George Covington scored an unbeaten hat-trick for Hustlers.
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.
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