We’ve had to wait a while, but the first full South London & Kent Pool Alliance season since the return from Covid and we’ve arguably had the most exciting end to a season ever. 

 

Going into the last league week of the season, Sharks were top, six points ahead of Hotshots and were playing third placed Bull Tavern, whereas Hotshots travelled to relegation threatened Eltham Terrace Nuthouse. 

 

Hotshots were on absolute fire and fighting to return to the top of the table, so much so that they finished the night thrashing Nuthouse, 14-1.

 

This confirmed Nuthouse in the other relegation spot alongside Bears, who didn’t have a game this week, so all eyes were on the Sharks versus Bull Tavern match, also being played at Eltham Terrace. 

 

Hotshots massive victory put them on 149 points, eight ahead of Sharks at the beginning of the night, so they not only had to win but had to win by, 9-6 or more, because a tie on points would give Hotshots the title due to having one more victory. 

 

The pressure was on, as Hotshots had finished earlier and understandably were watching the culmination of Sharks’ match however, Sharks did not succumb to the pressure, doing what they needed to do, winning, 9-6 to take the title by one point. 

 

Congratulations to both teams for providing such an exciting season finale and well done to Sharks for holding out to win the SLKPA Premier Division championship. 

 

At the bottom of the table Rugrats were battling with Nuthouse to avoid relegation, with just two points between them and they faced The Cocked Hats, who were looking to break into the prize winning places. 

 

Rugrats weren’t to know that Nuthouse had only scored one point and their job had already been done to stay in the Premier Division, so taking that into consideration, Rugrats had a superb start, winning the first three frames.

 

Elliot Giles prevented the set whitewash for Cocked Hats, before Steve King won frame five to give Rugrats a, 4-1 first set lead. 

 

Scott Foley made that, 5-1 with the first frame of the second set, but Cocked Hats fought back with Steve Dixon and Paul Donohoe winning the next two frames. 

 

Aaron Shephard tied the set for Rugrats, but George Taylor took frame ten to give Cocked Hats the set however, they were still behind by 6 frames to 4. 

 

Foley put his team on the hill with frame eleven and King gave Rugrats the victory by winning the twelfth. 

 

Ashley Hewson made it three in a row to put his team, 9-4 ahead. 

 

The last two frames went to Cocked Hats to make the final score a more respectable, 9-6. 

 

Scott Foley was the man of the match, winning all three of his frames to not only help his team to the victory, but also break through 100 points and avoid relegation by ten points. 

 

I’m sure Rugrats would dedicate this win and staying in the top division to Ian Cruwys, their teammate who was recently taken from us and whose funeral was earlier this week. 

 

This result put Cocked Hats on 120 points, five ahead of Pickwick and nine ahead of Bellegrove, who were playing each other, so it’s going to be a close battle to see who will finish fourth, and in the prize money, fifth and sixth. 

 

As expected, this was a close match with little between the teams, but Paul Dawson got Pickwick off to a perfect start, winning the first frame with a break and dish. 

 

However, Dec Kelly, Dan Foley and Kieran Evans won three in a row to put Bellegrove, 3-1 up, then Dave Pile took frame five to bring Pickwick back to within one. 

 

Dawson proved to be a dependable opening bat by taking the first frame of the second set to tie the match and Mike Werbowy made it three in a row for Pickwick, to put them in the lead. 

 

Evans levelled the match for Bellegrove, but Martin Storey nudged Pickwick back into the lead before Barry Barham tied the match again at five all. 

 

Paul Gafa and Pile took frames eleven and twelve to put Pickwick on the hill, but Kelly and Whyte won the next two frames to again tie the match, sending it to a final frame decider. 

 

Pickwick’s Werbowy, who was playing his third frame of the night faced Bellegrove’s Graham Levingbird, playing his first frame, but that didn’t prevent him from winning the match for his team, 8-7. 

 

Levingbird wasn’t the only unbeaten player, winning his only frame, as teammate Evans went one better with an unbeaten brace. 

 

Despite the victory, Bellegrove still finished in sixth, one point behind Cocked Hats, with Pickwick ending up in the prize money, two points ahead of Cocked Hats. 

 

An exciting end to the season, with hard-fought battles all over the division, now we turn our attention to the lower division’s League Cup and there are still five unbeaten teams, who are likely to finish in the qualifying positions for the cup final. 

 

Bellegrove Flyers had won promotion from Division Two and were sitting unbeaten in fifth in the League Cup table. 

 

In the random three fixture draw, they faced fellow second division side Farmhouse, who finished 38 points below their opponents, and this was evident in this fixture, as Flyers flew to an, 11-4 victory. 

 

This put Flyers on 28 points and still in contention for the final, but only just, being three points ahead of their nearest rivals before this week’s matches. 

 

Division Two champions, Duke of Northumberland were unbeaten and looking to finish in the top two and qualify for the League Cup final, but Eltham Terrace Rack Pack got off to a fantastic start by winning the first three frames. 

 

Dave Avery and Paul Clements pulled Duke back into the game with the last two frames of the set. 

 

Adam Watts restored Division One Rack Pack’s two frame advantage however, Dave Pearce and Sam Kinsville won the next two frames to tie the match. 

 

Rack Pack’s Chris’s, Parlett and Unwin won frames nine and ten to give them the set and a, 6-4 lead going into the final set. 

 

Duke’s Kinsvilles, John and Sam won the first two frames of the third set to get them back into the game, levelling it at six all. 

 

Shaun Hammond edged Rack Pack back into the lead and Watts sealed the victory with the penultimate frame. 

 

At this point the two teams were level on points in the table, so the last frame became even more important. 

 

Parlett held his nerve to score a personal hat-trick, give his team the, 9-6 triumph and put them one point above their opponents. 

 

It was a great night if your name is Chris, as not only was Parlett unbeaten, but Unwin was too, winning both his frames. 

 

This result ruined Duke’s chances of qualifying for the final, finishing in seventh, with Rack Pack ending up in fifth. 

 

Bellegrove A finished in third place in the league behind today’s opponents New Eltham New Stars, both winning promotion to the top division however, Bellegrove had lost both their matches in the League Cup, whereas New Stars had won both of theirs and were sitting top of the pile.  

 

Dave Jandu and Gary Dixon got New Stars off to a good start with the opening two frames. 

 

Peter Moult pulled one back for Bellegrove, but New Stars took the last two frames of the set, giving them a, 4-1 lead. 

 

Moult won his second frame of the night and Jack Taylor took frame seven to reduce the deficit to, 4-3. 

 

However, Paul Carroll, Steve Knight and Steve Pearce won the last three frames of the set to put New Stars on the hill. 

 

Frame eleven went to Jandu, making it four on the spin to give New Stars the victory. 

 

Moult recorded his hat-trick to pull one back for Bellegrove, but Dixon and Knight won the next two frames to put New Stars into double figures. 

 

The last frame went to Bellegrove’s Ben Walsh, making the final score, 10-5. 

 

Moult wasn’t the only unbeaten player on the night, as New Stars’ Steve Knight also scored an unbeaten hat-trick. 

 

A poor League Cup has left Bellegrove A sitting in tenth without a win, whereas New Stars have remained unbeaten, amassing 35 points to go top of the table and qualify for the League Cup final. 

 

Both Fox & Hounds and Falconwood Club were unbeaten and looking to qualify for the League Cup final, so something had to give and this was reflected in each set being won by the odd frame, 3-2. 

 

Falconwood got off to a flyer, with Ian Stringer, Akar Necati and Dave Selby winning the first three frames. 

 

Fox Captain, Kerry Wyatt and Clive Forrest took the last two frames of the set to bring it back to, 3-2. 

 

Stringer increased Falconwood’s lead back to two frames however, Glen Ward and Melissa Barnes won the next two frames to tie the match. 

 

Frames nine and ten went to Falconwood, who had Ross Webster and Paul Baker playing their first frames of the night. 

 

Falconwood had a, 6-4 lead going into the last set and Stringer won his third frame of the night to put his team on the hill. 

 

Necati secured the victory, then Webster won his second frame of two, giving Falconwood a, 9-4 lead. 

 

Kerry Wyatt and Forrest once again won the last two frames of the set to make the final score, 9-6. 

 

Falconwood ended the night with two unbeaten players, Webster winning two frames and Stringer who went one better with three frame wins. 

 

This result qualified Falconwood for the League Cup final, two points behind New Stars in second, in a reversal of their league positions. 

 

Fox ended their fantastic League Cup campaign in fourth, seven points behind this week’s opponents. 

 

The final two matches were dead rubbers, with three-man Bexleyheath Working Men’s Club getting thrashed, 14-1 by New Eltham New Boys and in a much closer match Happy Hustlers recorded their first League Cup victory this season, beating Academicals, 8-7. 

 

This left Bexleyheath bottom of the table; that extra point proved vital for Hustlers, as they finished one point and one place above their opponents in eighth; and New Boys massive victory catapulted them up to sixth, five points ahead of Hustlers. 

 

The 2021/22 winter league season is now over and the SLKPA turn their attention to the cup competitions, with New Stars and Falconwood in the League Cup final and the Silver Salver and Founders Cup at the semi-final stage.

 

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.