We’ve come close a couple of times this season, but in the penultimate match of the South London & Kent Pool Alliance summer season we have our first whitewash of the season. 

 

It came from an unlikely source, as second from bottom in Tier Two East, Happy Hustlers beat the team below them, Bexleyheath Working Men’s Club, 3-0 & 15-0. 

 

Bexleyheath didn’t do themselves any favours by only having tree players, but take nothing away from Hustlers, they still had to win all nine frames played on the night to achieve the whitewash. 

 

This result leaves Bexleyheath rooted to the bottom of the table, winless and the only team in all three divisions to have zero points. 

 

On the other hand, Happy Hustlers have risen to sixth place, after Sidcup Working Men’s Club had to share the points with Academicals. 

 

Sidcup managed to score more frames, 8-7 however, fourth placed Academicals won the match in sets, 2-1 giving both teams two points. 

 

With the match so close, it wasn’t surprising that there was only one unbeaten player, Academicals’ Chris Gaunt, with two frame wins. 

 

There is a real scrap at the top of Tier Two East and the top two, Bears and Falconwood Club faced each other this week. 

 

Both teams were on seventeen points, so it was a little surprising when Falconwood reeled off four frames straight after Bears had won the first frame, to take the first set, 4-1. 

 

The second set was truer to form, swinging one way then the other, with the first four frames being shared to send the set to a deciding frame.

 

Shane Burnett faced Tony Garrett, with the latter holding his nerve to put Falconwood, 2-0 up in sets and one frame away from the bonus point, at, 7-3. 

 

They had to wait until the penultimate frame to achieve this, as Jeff Bailey, Dean James and Gary Mason won the first three frames of the set to give it to them, before Luke Matthews won the bonus point. 

 

Paul Cobbold took frame fifteen for Bears making the final score, 2-1 & 8-7 to Falconwood. 

 

Surprisingly Falconwood finished the night without any unbeaten players, despite winning the match however, Bears had two, Dean James and Jeff Bailey, both with two frame wins. 

 

This result gives Falconwood a two-point advantage over their opponents at the top of the table, with just one game to go, so still all to play for. 

 

The fixture list has been kinder to Bears than Falconwood for the last match, as the leaders travel to Academicals, whereas Bears visit Happy Hustlers, but the Hustlers will be buoyant after their fantastic victory this week, so who knows. 

 

Both games will be played at Hustlers, so it should be an exciting night down there. 

 

Technically the title is not a two-horse race, as Bellegrove Flyers are now four points behind Falconwood, but challenging for the play-off spot maybe more realistic. 

 

A, 2-1 & 10-5 triumph over New Eltham New Boys kept Flyers in the hunt for promotion and they will enjoy a trip to Bexleyheath in their final game. 

 

There’s an even bigger scrap to get out of SLKPA Tier Two West, as the top four are separated by just two points. 

 

After last week’s results Bellegrove were top, Eltham Terrace Rack Pack second, Pickwick third and Bellegrove A fourth, but that has all changed this week. 

 

Bellegrove didn’t have a game this week and dropped to fourth, after all the others picked up points. 

 

Rack Pack and Bellegrove A didn’t do themselves too many favours though, as they played each other, and the points were shared. 

 

An incredibly close game that started with the first four frames being shared to send it to a deciding frame, which Bellegrove Captain, John Skuza won to give his team the first set, 3-2. 

 

Fred O’Connor won frame six to level the match for Rack Pack however, Bellegrove took the next three frames to give them the second set and put them, 6-3 up overall. 

 

Tony Frost took frame ten to pull a frame back for Rack Pack. 

 

This kickstarted a run of five frames in a row to give Rack Pack the final set and the bonus point to share the points. 

 

Ben Walsh won the last frame to make the final score, 2-1 to Bellegrove in sets and Rack Pack winning more frames, 8-7. 

 

The inspiration behind Rack Pack’s comeback was Frost, who went onto win all three of his frames, with teammate O’Connor also unbeaten on two out of two. 

 

Unfortunately, this was Bellegrove A’s final game of the season, so they will not be able to improve on their current third place standing, but Rack Pack will fight another day in the battle for promotion. 

 

Rack Pack stay in second, but they have been leapfrogged by Pickwick into pole position, after their, 3-0 & 11-4 victory over Farmhouse.

 

This match wasn't quite as one sided as the score suggests, as the first set went to a decider which Mike Werbowy won for the Pickwick. 

 

The next two sets were won with the Pickwick out manoeuvring the opponents and taking chances well. 

 

There were Pickwick hat-tricks for Werbowy and Paul Dawson and Nick Brown also won all three of his frames for the Farmhouse, who looked a class act and impressive amongst the balls.

 

Next week could be winner takes all as Pickwick host Rack Pack however, Bellegrove will have something to say about that, as they host Hustlers Daves, who were comprehensively beaten by Fox & Hounds this week. 

 

The first two frames went to Fox & Hounds, but Daves won the next two frames to send the set into a deciding frame, which Clive Forrest won to give Fox an early, 3-2 lead. 

 

The first two frames of the second set were shared, keeping the match tight at, 4-3 however, Fox won the next three frames to take the set and put them on the hill at, 7-3. 

 

Neil Shelton won frame eleven to give Fox the bonus point and Glen Ward took the twelfth frame, making it five in a row for Fox. 

 

Lionel White prevented the set whitewash, before Forrest and Kerry Wyatt won the last two frames, making the final score, 3-0 & 11-4. 

 

Shelton and Forrest ended up hat-trick heroes for Fox & Hounds.

 

This result puts Fox two places and six points ahead of Daves, who are rock bottom. 

 

If the battle to join the SLKPA Elite League is tough, the fight to win the Elite League is even tougher, as only one point separates the top four teams going into the final week. 

 

Two weeks ago, it looked as if Sharks were swimming to the title, unbeaten and six points clear, but after losing to Hotshots last week and Cocked Hats this week they have dropped to fourth, after leading for most of the season. 

 

Nick Steadman won the first frame for Cocked Hats, but Eno Idiong, Vu Son and Dean Passer won the next three frames for Sharks to give them the set. 

 

Elliott Giles took frame five to bring the score back to, 3-2. 

 

That kickstarted five frames in a row for Cocked Hats, which gave them the second set and a, 6-3 overall lead. 

 

Jeff Laporte prevented the set whitewash and reduced the deficit to, 6-4.

 

Passer pulled Sharks back to within one frame, but the two Georges, Taylor and Covington gave Cocked Hats the bonus point. 

 

Vu Son levelled the set, sending the match into a final frame decider, which Giles won to give Cocked Hats the 2-1 & 9-6 triumph. 

 

Cocked Hats are now in third on the same points as their opponents.

 

The biggest beneficiaries of Sharks fall from grace are Bull Tavern, who have hit the top spot after a comprehensive victory over second from bottom and already relegated Rose Inn. 

 

Bull Tavern won the first six frames before Lewis Hearn put one on the board for Rose Inn. 

 

Joe Kane won frame nine to give Bull Tavern the bonus point before the end of the second set. 

 

Bull Tavern went on to string a second set of six frames together, to put them, 12-1 ahead, taking maximum points in the process. 

 

The last two frames went to Neil Mundy and Kurtis Godward to make the final score, 3-0 & 12-3. 

 

Despite the margin of victory there were only two unbeaten players, Tony Gear and Jordan O’Connor, both with hat-tricks. 

 

Joining Bull on seventeen points but sitting in second are Hotshots after beating New Eltham New Stars, 3-0 & 10-5 this week. 

 

The first two frames were shared, but Hotshots won the next three frames to take the first set, 4-1. 

 

They went on to win the first three frames of the second set for six frames on the bounce, the second set and a, 7-1 lead. 

 

Jeff Schofield and Steve Pearce took the last two frames of the set to reduce the deficit to, 7-3. 

 

It looked like New Stars might steal a point, as Schofield and Dave Jandu made it four in a row, to take a, 2-0 lead in the final set, bringing the score back to, 7-5. 

 

However, Danny Kelliher, Tony Wilson and Ryan Francis won the last three frames to give Hotshots maximum points. 

 

Kelliher was man of the match, being the only unbeaten player with three frame wins. 

 

New Stars slip into the relegation zone after Eltham Terrace Nuthouse’s comprehensive, 3-0 & 10-5 victory over the already relegated and winless Rugrats. 

 

The first two frames were shared, but Dave Sparey and Trevor Biggs won the next two frames to give Nuthouse the first set, before Aaron Shepherd took the last frame of the set to bring it back to, 3-2. 

 

The second set Nuthouse won quite easily, with Danny Kent, Biggs and Louis Wilbourne taking the first three frames. 

 

Ashley Hewson prevented the set whitewash, before Sparey made it, 7-3 overall. 

 

Steve Gibson pulled it back to, 7-4 but Lee Suggars secured the bonus point for Nuthouse. 

 

The set point was still up for grabs though and Shane Hutley put Nuthouse a step closer to earning that, with frame thirteen. 

 

Mark Burton levelled the set for Rugrats, sending it to a deciding frame however, Biggs scored a personal hat-trick to grab maximum points for Nuthouse. 

 

Biggs wasn’t the only unbeaten player, as teammate Wilbourne won both of his frames. 

 

Nuthouse are now three points ahead of New Stars and they will be battling it out to avoid relegation, but they both have tough away trips, with Nuthouse facing Bull Tavern and New Stars travelling to Cocked Hats. 

 

In a strange twist of fate, the top four teams all have home matches against the bottom four teams next week, with Hotshots hosting Rose Inn and Sharks take on Rugrats, so it should be a very interesting last week of the season. 

 

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 always looking at potential sponsors and any interested parties can also contact Paul Gafa.