The South London & Kent Pool Alliance turned its attention to the first round of the team knockout competition, the Founders Cup and there were no real shocks, but some huge victories, including two whitewashes. 

 

The first one came in a match between two teams from the first division, Academicals who had not won since the opening week of the season and three points and one place ahead of them, Falconwood Club. 

 

Academicals have been struggling for form, so they didn’t do themselves any favours by playing with just four players against a team that had won their last two matches. 

 

In the end it wouldn’t have made much difference, as none of the players that did turn up managed to win, while Akar Necati and Ryan Sullivan both won two frames with no byes for Falconwood, to give them the, 8-0 triumph. 

 

The other whitewash came in the match with the biggest difference in league placings between the teams, as Division Two’s Royal Oak played hosts to Crayford A from the Premier Division, with fourteen places between the two. 

 

Crayford have been struggling in their first season in the topflight, but they did win last week, and they took that form into this match to win, 8-0 and continue their cup run into round two. 

 

Fairing slightly better were Academicals sister side, Pickwick who managed to put one frame on the board against Hotshots. 

 

Hotshots flew out of the traps with a break and dish by Richard Chapman, followed by a reverse dish from Jamie O’Donnell. 

 

Very few chances were offered to Pickwick and when they were, they failed to take them, and the first set finished with Pickwick on zero and Hotshots on five frames. 

 

Paul Durrance made a good long pot to rescue frame seven for Pickwick but other than that it was Hotshots all the way, winning the match, 8-1. 

 

Also winning, 8-1 was Eltham Terrace Nuthouse, who were unbeaten in Division One, playing the bottom team in the division, winless Rugrats Guardians. 

 

The match went to form, as Nuthouse won the first seven frames without reply, which included a break and dish by Jon Syta in frame three. 

 

Ross Webster prevented the whitewash in frame eight, but Shane O’Reilly finished the match off with another break and dish. 

 

As you would expect there were several unbeaten players with O’Reilly and Syta winning two frames and they were backed up by Danny Kent, Alex Biggs and Dave Sparey who all won a frame each. 

 

Eltham Terrace Rack Pack had been doing well in the first division, but they came up against it when they met Premier Division, Sharks. 

 

The damage was done in the second set, with Sharks whitewashing it, 5-0 on their way to an, 8-2 triumph. 

 

Rahat Munim, Geoff LaPorte and Alex Dobbins were the inspiration behind the victory, all winning their two frames. 

 

Second bottom of the second division, Anglesea Arms hosted eight places above them, Bellegrove A of Division One and Anglesea did well to take three frames, but Bellegrove were just a little too strong, winning the match, 8-3. 

 

Aglesea Arms sister side, Sea the Angles did slightly better against their opponents, New Eltham New Stars, who coincidentally were also eight places ahead, in fourth place in Division One. 

 

New Stars were the stars on the night, seeing the angles slightly better than their opponents, finishing up, 8-5 winners. 

 

Despite the two divisions and eleven places between Premier Division Rose Inn and Division Two’s New Eltham New Boys, this match was pretty close. 

 

New Boys are sitting at the top of their division, whereas Rose Inn are winless at the bottom of theirs and Rose Inn will be hoping they can build on the confidence this, 8-5 triumph has brought, and they can kickstart their league season. 

 

Rose Inn Captain, Neil Mundy led from the front, recording an unbeaten hat-trick and he was joined by Dean Greany-Parr on the same score. 

 

The only all Premier Division clash between Eltham Terrace Club A and Bellegrove meant that the loser of this match would be the only topflight team to go out in the first round. 

 

This week Bellegrove did not get off to their customary slow start, instead they won the first set, 3-2 thanks to Kieran Evans, who performed a break and dish in frame five. 

 

However, Evans was the only Bellegrove player to win a frame in the second set, as they lost it, 4-1 to go into the last set, 6-4 down. 

 

Terrace extended that to, 7-4 with frame eleven, so yet again Bellegrove would have to come from behind if they were to win the match and enter the draw for round two. 

 

Evans completed his hat-trick in frame twelve and this inspired his teammates as they tied the match at seven all, before James Couch cleared his last three colours along the cushion before potting the black in a superb finish to win the match for Bellegrove, 8-7. 

 

The final team to go into the hat for round two was the team sitting bottom of the league, Farmhouse, whose opponents, Bexleyheath Working Man’s Club had previously withdrawn from the league. 

 

The draw for round two takes place on Sunday 1 December during the committee meeting and should be shown live on the LKPA Facebook page and the second-round fixtures will be played on Thursday 2 January. 

 

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.