Now there are just two weeks left in the South London & Kent Pool Alliance Premier Division winter season and the race to stay in the top division has really stepped up a notch, with all of the teams now passing 100 points and only 15 points, one match worth, separate bottom from fourth. 

Second from bottom, Eltham Terrace Nuthouse put the cat amongst the pigeons this week, with a shock victory against the league leaders, Allstars, only their second defeat of the season. 

Nuthouse suffered a, 13-2 thrashing in the reverse fixture, so were not relishing the trip so close to the end of the season and while they are fighting for their Premier Division survival, but they got off to a great start, with Jon Syta taking the first frame. 

Allstars won the next two frames, but Louis Wilbourne pulled off a wonderful finish under pressure to equalise, after Tony Halpin left the black hanging while on a break and dish. 

That put the first set into a decider, which Jamie Simmons won to give Allstars a, 3-2 lead. 

The second set followed a similar pattern, with Allstars taking a, 2-1 lead to go, 5-3 up overall, but Nuthouse won the last two frames of the set, which included an excellent clearance from Zoe Healy against Halpin to win the set decider and tie the match at five all. 

Allstars restored their two frame advantage with the first two frames of the last set, but man of the match, Wilbourne started the comeback, with his second victory over Stacy Redman on the night for his hat-trick. 

Danny Kent equalised for Nuthouse to send the set and the match into a final frame decider, which Shane O’Reilly won with a break and dish to give Nuthouse the unexpected, 8-7 triumph.  

As well as Wilbourne, Paul Cook was also unbeaten for Allstars, winning all three of his frames. 

It was an unexpected win for Nuthouse, but well deserved and you would never have known there was 56 points and eight places between the teams at the start of this match. 

This result gave Hotshots the chance to close the gap on Allstars and they did just that, with a, 9-6 victory over sixth placed, Rugrats. 

Hotshots didn’t have it all their own way, as Rugrats took a, 4-1 lead, but Hotshots reversed that score in the second set to tie the match at five all. 

Rugrats won the first frame of the final set but that would be it for them, as Hotshots took the last four frames for the match. 

Rugrats’ Captain Scott Shephard would have wished he gave himself more match time, after winning a frame in the first set but didn’t play again in the match. 

Hotshots looked to Jamie O’Donnell for the inspiration to win this match, as he scored an unbeaten hat-trick. 

As a result, Hotshots have closed the gap between themselves and Allstars to 13 points and they play each other in one of the remaining two fixtures, so who knows what might happen. 

On the other hand, Rugrats have been dragged back into the relegation quagmire and are in equal seventh place, with Sharks, after they pulled off an, 8-7 triumph over New Eltham. 

Both Sharks and Rugrats are on the same points as New Eltham, but New Eltham are in sixth, as they have won three more matches than the other two. 

Fourth played third as Hustlers hosted Eltham Terrace Club A and you would have thought there was more than seven points between the two, as Terrace triumphed, 11-4. 

Dan Foley won all three of his frames for Terrace. 

Eltham Terrace Rovers took full advantage of Hustlers loss by beating bottom side Pickwick to leapfrog Hustlers into fourth by five points. 

Rovers controlled the match on a very quick table, with the damage being done in the first set, which they took, 4-1 and Pickwick couldn’t recover. 

Darren Porter, Rovers Captain led from the front, winning all three of his frames. 

Pickwick are now two points behind Nuthouse at the bottom and eight away from safety. 

We probably won’t know who will be dropping out of the top division until the last ball has been struck in two weeks time but we do know that Rose Inn will be replacing one of them, as they secured promotion this week. 

Rose Inn are currently sitting top of SLKPA Division One and are a step closer to clinching the title, after they totally outclassed Academicals this week. 

The score was, 10-5 which flattered Academicals, who felt they were lucky to get five. 

Rose Inn ended the night with two unbeaten players, Jack Wilson and Neil Mundy, who both scored hat-tricks. 

Crayford Arms are still second, after this week’s victory over Eltham Terrace Rack Pack and are looking to secure the other automatic promotion spot. 


Crayford took the first set, 3-2 and extended their lead to, 5-3 midway through the second set, but Rack Pack fought back and the set ended all square at five all. 

Kev Nankoo won frame eleven, his only frame, despite his mental block, after being awarded two visits when his opponent went in off with the cue ball and he decided to play the ball from where the referee placed it, tight on the top cushion, rather than taking the cue ball in hand. 

Despite this he potted an outrageous black for the frame and Crayford went on to win the next three frames to secure the match, before Rack Pack took the final frame to make the overall score, 9-6. 

As well as Nankoo both Paul Baker and Ian Stringer were also unbeaten, scoring a brace and a hat-trick respectively. 

Crayford are now 18 points behind Rose Inn, but they both only have one game left, whereas the rest of the division have two and New Eltham Club are now just five points behind Crayford, in the promotion play-off spot. 

New Eltham played bottom team, Just Bellegrove and did their chances of catching Crayford the world of good, with a, 12-3 victory. 

On the other hand Just Bellegrove are eight points away from safety and their neighbours, Bellegrove A did them no favours by beating Fox & Hounds to join them on 91 points. 

After taking a, 3-2 lead in the first set, Bellegrove A whitewashed the second to go, 8-2 up and have the match won by the end of the second set. 

Bellegrove extended their lead to, 10-3 in the final set, but Fox won the last two frames to make the score a more respectable, 10-5.

Clive Forrest won his only frame for Fox and the only other unbeaten player was Bellegrove’s Steve Hughes, with three frame wins. 

With just two matches left, any two of the bottom four could still finish in the relegation and play-off spots. 

New Eltham Social Club took a massive step towards the League Cup final with a massive, 11-4 victory over Real Hustlers in Group B. 

In Group A New Eltham New Boys hit the top spot with a narrow, 8-7 triumph against Happy Hustlers. 

It was a close match as each set was won by the odd frame, 3-2 with New Boys taking the first and Hustlers the second. 

New Boys went on to win the first three frames of the final set to win the match, but Donna Mullins prevented the whitewash, with her third frame win of the night and Reece Stewart won the final frame leaving his opponent with seven balls still on the table. 

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.