Prior to all South London & Kent Pool Alliance league matches this week a minute’s applause was held to appreciate the former Chairman, Martin Donohoe who recently passed away.  

Current Chairman, Tony Frost and Secretary, Paul Gafa said a few words in his memory at their matches and videos can be found on the SLKPA Facebook page.

Thanks for everything you did for the SLKPA Martin, you will be missed by not only your friends and family but also your SLKPA friends and family.  

In the SLKPA Premier Division, Rugrats have had an excellent unbeaten start to the season, and this continued this week against Eltham Terrace Nuthouse. 

These two teams were separated by two places and just one point before this match, so it was surprising when Dylan Suggars, Steve Gibson, Jimmy Maloney, and Shane O’Reilly won the first four frames for Rugrats before Jon Syta replied. 

Rugrats dominance continued as they whitewashed the second set to have the match all sewn up before the end of the set. 

O’Reilly put Rugrats into double figures against his former team, before Suggars made it seven on the spin. 

Shaun Hammond prevented the second set whitewash of the night however, Rugrats took the last two frames for a final score of, 13-2 to send them top of the table. 

This was a fantastic team display, with Suggars, Gibson, Maloney, and O’Reilly all scoring hat-tricks. 

Sharks didn’t play this week but stay unbeaten in second, six points behind Rugrats and Hotshots are also unbeaten after two matches, two points behind Sharks, after beating Bellegrove this week. 

With two teams expecting to be fighting it out at the top of the table, this game was likely to be a close one, and it started out that way, with the first four frames being shared, before George Taylor won the set decider to give Hotshots a, 3-2 lead. 

Tony Gear, Joe Kelly and Ryan Francis took the next three frames to make it four in a row for Hotshots, putting them, 6-2 ahead. 

Nikki Steadman prevented the set whitewash, before Taylor took frame ten to put Hotshots on the hill. 

Gear secured the victory in frame eleven and Hotshots went on to win the next three frames to take the match well out of Bellegrove’s reach. 

Steadman took the last frame, making the final score, 11-4 and not close at all in the end. Despite the seven-frame victory margin, there was only one unbeaten player, Joe Kelly who won all three of his frames. 

Bottom of the table, Pickwick were four places and nine points behind their opponents, Bellegrove A, but a, 9-6 victory pulled them off the bottom, one point and one place ahead of Falconwood Club. 

New Eltham New Stars hosted Falconwood, with both teams looking for their first victory and it was New Stars who came away with a comprehensive, 11-4 triumph to leap three places into fourth. 

Falconwood are now the only team in the division without a win, whereas the top three, Rugrats, Sharks and Hotshots are all unbeaten. 

The top three teams in SLKPA Division One all have the benefit of playing four matches and none have benefitted more this week than Cue-Ologists, who after being winless won two matches in a week. 

In the first match on Thursday, they beat New Eltham New Boys, 10-5 and then two days later they went one better in beating Eltham Terrace Rack Pack, 11-4 to go second in the table. 

On the other hand, it was a bad week for Rack Pack, who also lost, 8-7 to Bell Ya Later this week. 

Rack Pack are one of three teams in the division without a win and they are top of these teams in seventh, but they have played one more game. 

Bell Ya Later are sitting in third, six points behind Cue-Ologists however, Bears remain unbeaten and are top of the table, four points ahead of Cue-Ologists after narrowly beating Duke of Northumberland this week. 

Both teams went into this match unbeaten, so it was always going to be close. 

Dave Pearce got Duke off to a good start, before Shane Burnett and Gary Mason responded to put Bears ahead, 2-1. 

However, Duke finished the set well with John Cochrane and Phil Tworek winning to give them a, 3-2 first set lead. 

Unfortunately for Duke the second set wasn’t as close as Bears won four of the five frames, with Cochrane scoring Duke’s only frame. 

Bears were now, 6-4 up going into the final set and Dean Greaney-Parr put them on the hill with his second frame win, making him unbeaten. 

Duke were not lying down though and Sam Kinsville and Tworek won the next two frames to reduce the arrears to, 7-6. 

However, Bears Captain, Dean James secured victory with the penultimate frame, before Duke Captain, Paul Clements won the final frame to make the score a respectable, 8-7. 

Duke are now fifth, on the same points as Bellegrove Flyers, who are the only other unbeaten side in the division after beating Blackheath Sports Club in their third game of the season. 

This was a very close game between a team that had lost both their games so far, Blackheath Sports Club and Bellegrove Flyers who had won both their games. 

The home team had the better start, with Neil Shelton and Alan Dolan winning the opening frames, before Bobby Rogers pulled one back for Flyers. 

The next two frames were shared giving Blackheath a, 3-2 first set lead. 

Jason Brunton pulled Flyers level, but Shelton and Dolan were on hand again to restore Blackheath’s two frame advantage. 

However, Mark Porter and Jay Arnold won the next two frames to erase that lead and tie the match at five all. 

Clive Forrest and Joe Kane nudged Blackheath back into the lead, needing just one of the last three frames for victory. 

Brunton and Porter prevented them from getting this, sending the match into a final frame decider, which Flyers Captain Arnold won to put his side into the lead for the first time in the match and at the most crucial time, giving them the victory by the narrowest of margins, 8-7. 

Both teams had one unbeaten player, Dolan for Blackheath with a brace but Arnold went one better for Flyers scoring a hat-trick. 

Blackheath are now second from bottom, one point ahead of Academicals, who are also winless after being beaten, 8-7 by Downham Tavern Terrors, who are three points ahead of their opponents in eighth. 

This division has two unbeaten teams, Bears and Flyers and three winless teams, Rack Pack, Blackheath, and Academicals. 

Farmhouse were top of SLKPA Division Two and travelled to fourth place Hurricanes Reborn and having had trouble getting there, Farmhouse suffered in the first set, losing it, 5-0. 

Hurricanes were ruthless, with the highlight being Luke Knight winning the fifth frame in just three visits. 

Farmhouse launched a comeback in the second set, starting with Lacey Denahy beating Robyn Parlett with a great final yellow and that was followed up by a win from Nick Brown to give them a, 2-0 lead in the set and trail, 5-2 overall. 

Hurricanes fought back with Michelle Brown potting a second lovely long black and Arif Salih tying the set to put Hurricanes on the hill at, 7-2. 

Barrie Blake prevented Hurricanes from winning the match before the start of the third set by winning frame ten to take the second set. 

Hurricanes Captain, Kevin England won the match for them with the first frame of the last set for his unbeaten brace however, Farmhouse took the next two frames to edge them ahead in the set and bring the score back to, 8-5. 

Salih completed his hat-trick to level the set, then Charles French took on Lacey Denahy in the set deciding frame and French potted the black, but the white went in off, giving Denahy the frame and the set, although Hurricanes took the match, 9-6 and Farmhouse’ unbeaten run in the process. 

This result meant Farmhouse dropped to third place, two points and a place ahead of their opponents. 

Goodfellows are on the same points as Farmhouse, but in second after keeping their unbeaten streak against Downham Tavern A Team this week. 

Unbeaten Goodfellows hosted yet to win Downham Tavern A Team and after the first two frames were shared this match went true to form, with Gregg Thomas, Syed Shahed and Lewis Holdsworth winning the next three frames to put Goodfellows, 4-1 up. 

This soon became, 6-1 with the first two frames of the second set however, Thom Wolff and Dean Parish tied the set at two all to half Goodfellows lead. 

Thomas took the tenth to put Goodfellows on the hill at, 7-3. 

Simon Wood secured the victory, but every frame matters and Downham weren’t lying down, as Parish and Tara McGoldrick won the next two frames. 

Lionel White levelled the set, before Wolff took the last frame to make the final score a much closer than expected, 9-6. 

Wolff was the shining light for Downham, winning all three of his frames and he was joined by Goodfellows’ Wood on a hat-trick with Shahed backing him up on an unbeaten brace. 

Downham are still winless at the bottom of the table, whereas Goodfellows are unbeaten in second, with Eltham Terrace Tigers three points above them, after they beat Plough & Harrow, 11-4 to remain unbeaten. 

Sandwiched between Plough and Downham are White Hart after they were beaten by The Con Men this week. 

Eighth played seventh, as White Hart hosted The Con Men, with only three points separating the teams and it was the away side who raced to an early lead, with Aaron Walker, Kai Taylor and Rob Osbourn winning the opening three frames. 

Louie Hopper prevented the set whitewash for White Hart, but Reiss Wright took frame five for a, 4-1 first set lead. 

Alex Hodinitu kicked off the second set with a victory for White Hart however, The Con Men’s dominance continued, winning the next four frames to have the match won before the start of the last set. 

They must have taken their feet off the gas, as Chris Pricop joined Hopper and Hodinitu in winning the opening three frames of the last set to bring the score back to, 8-5. 

Derek Purvis won the penultimate frame and Wright put his team in double figures with his hat-trick frame, for a final score of, 10-5. 

Given the score it was surprising that there was five unbeaten players, with Hopper and Hodinitu scoring a brace for White Hart and Kai Taylor and Osbourn doing the same for Con Men, but Wright went one better with an unbeaten hat-trick. 

Sundridge Park Working Men’s Club were winless in eighth, six points behind their opponents, Bexleyheath Raiders in fifth however, Sundridge Park thrashed Raiders, 13-2 to leapfrog their opponents by three points and one place into sixth. 

After three games there are two unbeaten teams in this division, Tigers and Goodfellows and two winless teams, White Hart and Downham Tavern A Team. 

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.