With three weeks left of the South London & Kent Pool Alliance summer season the first team to be relegated from the Elite League has been decided. 

 

The bottom two, New Eltham New Stars and Falconwood faced each other this week with only three points between them however, there were fifteen points between Falconwood at the bottom and safety. 

 

Falconwood didn’t help themselves in the basement battle by only having four players and New Stars piled on the pressure by winning the first three frames, including the bye, for the first set. 

 

Brett Crawley got Falconwood’s first frame on the board to prevent the set whitewash, before Steve Pearce took the fifth frame to give New Stars a, 4-1 first set lead. 

 

Luke Matthews pulled one back for Falconwood, but the bye restored New Stars three frame advantage. 

 

Steve Knight extended that lead to, 6-2 before Paul Baker halved it to tie the set at two all. 

 

Pearce won the deciding frame to give his team a, 2-0 & 7-3 lead going into the final set. 

 

In the last set, Falconwood left the bye until the last frame, so they needed to win three of the first four frames to get a point however, Knight took the first frame to ensure the bonus point for New Stars. 

 

Matthews got Falconwood back on track for the point, but Paul Carroll won frame thirteen to quash any chance of Falconwood scoring a much-needed point. 

 

Baker won the last frame played to make the final score, 3-0 & 10-5 which unfortunately for Falconwood was enough to relegate them. 

 

Pearce was the only unbeaten player, winning all three of his frames. 

 

Not only are Falconwood rooted to the bottom, seven points behind their opponents, but they have been relegated without winning a match, let’s hope they can pick up a victory in the last three games

 

Sitting third from bottom, in the last relegation spot and nine points ahead of New Stars were Bellegrove and they had a tough match this week against title chasing Terry’s Allstars in third. 

 

Bellegrove’s task was made even more difficult by only having four players and Allstars made the most of it by taking the first two frames including the bye. 

 

Barry Barham pulled one back for Bellegrove but Allstars were ruthless winning the next eleven frames, before Bellegrove Captain Barham won the last frame for an overall, 3-0 & 13-2 score. 

 

Barham was hoping for a bit more help from his teammates, after winning both of his team’s frames and they did have chances in almost every frame however, they couldn’t finish the frames off and got punished, as frame after frame slipped away. 

 

Allstars were rampant with five unbeaten players; Derek Power and Paul Cook both winning their only frame, Richie Mitchell scored a brace, and Stacy Redman recorded a hat-trick, with Phil O’Kane also winning all three frames, but he didn’t have to pick up his cue, as he was randomly given all three byes. 

 

Allstars keep the pressure on Sharks and Hotshots at the top, whereas Bellegrove are now only five points ahead of New Stars and two points away from The Cocked Hats and safety from relegation. 

 

Cocked Hats travelled to league leaders Sharks this week, hoping to pull away from the bottom three, but it wasn’t to be, as Sharks were the victors, 3-0 & 11-4. 

 

Just above Cocked Hats, in fourth are Pickwick and they travelled to second placed Hotshots this week. 

 

Before this match there was only two places and five points between the teams and this closeness was epitomised in the first set with, Ryan Francis and Tony Wilson winning the first two frames for Hotshots and Paul Gafa and Ian Chapman the next two for Pickwick. 

 

The deciding frame went to Neil Hall to give Hotshots the first set, 3-2.

 

The second set started in the same fashion, with Francis and Wilson taking the first two frames, but this time Danny Kelliher got the better of Gafa with a break and dish in frame eight to give them the set and a, 6-2 lead. 

 

Jamie Davis prevented the set whitewash, before Hall made it, 4-1 in the set and 7-3 overall. 

 

Hotshots only needed one more frame for the bonus point, but they had to wait until frame twelve to achieve it, when Francis secured his hat-trick in style with an unbelievable clearance, which included two monster doubles. 

 

Hotshots were now, 8-4 ahead and looking to power on for maximum points however, Pickwick had other ideas and Paul Dawson, Davis and Martin Storey won the last three frames to give their team the set and a much-deserved point. 

 

Hotshots had control of the match, but Pickwick’s regroup in the final set earned them a respectable overall score of, 2-1 & 8-7. 

 

Pickwick may be in fourth, seven points behind their opponents, but they still need to look over their shoulder, as Bellegrove are only two places and four points behind, with Cocked Hats sandwiched between them and one point behind Pickwick. 

 

Despite relegating Falconwood this week, it looks like New Stars will be joining them, as they are still eight points away from safety, with a maximum of twelve points to play for. 

 

Falconwood are now the only team in the league without a win, as Tier Two West’s Downham Tavern Terrors pulled off a shock, 2-1 & 8-7 triumph over third placed Bellegrove A. 

 

I reported last week that Terrors felt close to their first victory after narrowly losing, 2-1 & 8-7 and they achieved it this week however, the match did go down to a very nervy final frame decider. 

 

Despite the loss, Bellegrove did have two unbeaten players, Jack Taylor and Peter Moult, who both won all three frames. 

 

Bellegrove stay in third on the same points as New Eltham New Boys, after their match with Fox & Hounds this week. 

 

This was a very close and tense match where the points were shared, as Fox won the match, 2-1 in sets, but New Boys won the bonus point, scoring 8-7 in frames. 

 

Joining New Boys and Bellegrove on 23 points are Academicals, despite losing 2-1 & 8-7 to Farmhouse. 

 

The only thing separating the three teams are the number of wins, with New Boys on seven, Bellegrove on six, and Academicals on five, and Fox & Hounds aren’t far behind, two points to be precise. 

 

Unfortunately, Gun Pit have had to pull out, messing with this division however, Eltham Terrace Nuthouse would still be in pole position and are currently eleven points clear at the top, leaving the next four teams to battle it out for the play-off spot. 

 

The tussle at the top of Tier Two East got even more exciting this week, as after losing their first match last week, Bears have now lost two in a row, after going down to Rugrats this week. 

 

This was a very close game with each set being won by the odd frame, 3-2. 

 

Fifth placed Rugrats shocked the Bears with Dylan Suggars and Scott Foley winning the first two frames, but Gary Mason and Dean James levelled the score. 

 

The deciding frame of the set went to Shane Burnett to give Bears the first set, 3-2. 

 

The second set swung one way then the other, with the first four frames being shared however, Burnett couldn’t drag Bears over the line this time, instead it went to Pat Firth to tie the match. 

 

One all in sets and five all in frames, so all to play for and Suggars nudged Rugrats back into the lead with frame eleven. 

 

Paul Cobbold once again brought the scores level however, Steve Gibson and Ashley Hewson won the next two frames to give Rugrats the set, the victory and the bonus point. 

 

Burnett took the last frame to make the final score, 2-1 & 8-7. 

 

The victory was even more sweet for Rugrats, as they had the only unbeaten players, with Suggars winning all three of his frames and Hewson scoring a brace. 

 

Rugrats go up one place to fourth, seven points behind their opponents, who stay in second, but Duke of Northumberland have opened up a three point lead over Bears, after their victory this week. 

 

Duke hosted Eltham Terrace Rack Pack in fourth and it was a good match that was ultimately decided by the second set. 

 

The first and third sets were extremely close, with Duke grabbing the first, 3-2 having trailed 2-1, and Rack Pack won the final set, 3-2 after Duke had pulled it back from, 2-0 down to force a decider. 

 

However, the second set was the key in deciding the match with Duke whitewashing it, 5-0 for an overall, 2-1 & 10-5 result. 

 

Paul Clements and John Cochrane ended with unbeaten hat-tricks for Duke.

 

Bellegrove Flyers have closed the gap between them and Bears from five points to two after their victory over Hurricane Hustlers this week. 

 

Jason Brunton and Keith Smith were the inspiration behind their, 3-0 & 10-5 victory, and they were backed up by Alan Boltwood, who won two of his three frames. 

 

The bottom two teams faced each other, as Bexleyheath Working Men’s Club hosted Bell Ya Later, with the latter narrowly winning, 2-1 & 8-7 to go ten points ahead of their opponents and one point behind Hustlers. 

 

This division is still quite open, with three points separating the top two and eight points between the next four teams. 

 

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.