Greyhound going great guns

 

This week was a top of the table clash, as they played hosts to New Eltham New Boys, with both teams currently unbeaten and New Boys two points ahead of Greyhound. 

 

The first set was close and went to a final frame decider, which Greyhound Captain, Shelton D’Costa won to give his team a, 3-2 lead. 

 

That soon became, 5-2 before New Boys Captain, Michael Barnes pulled one back. 

 

Greyhound won the last two frames of the set to take it, 4-1 and go into the final set, 7-3 ahead. 

 

New Boys staged a comeback with the first two frames of the last set, but John Reed secured the bonus point for Greyhound and Mel Ma tied the set at two all. 

 

Mike Peka was looking to steal a point for New Boys, but Danny D’Costa had other ideas, giving Greyhound maximum points with a, 3-0 & 10-5 victory to end New Boys unbeaten run and extend theirs. 

 

Reed and Ma top scored for Greyhound, with three out of three to help send their team two points ahead of their opponents. 

 

Third and fourth also played each other this week, as Bexleyheath Working Man’s Club played Royal Oak. 

 

Bexleyheath took a, 2-0 lead but Royal Oak equalised, before Dave Graham won the set decider for Bexleyheath. 

 

The second set started with Royal Oak winning the first two frames to take the lead for the first time. 

 

Graham made it two out of two, pulling one back for Bexleyheath, but Oak took the last two frames of the set to make it one all in sets, but Oak were, 6-4 up in frames 

 

The third set started the same as the first with Bexleyheath winning the first two frames and Oak taking the next two. 

 

The set decider was a battle between the captains, with Ed Segrue beating Tony Hodsdon for the, 2-1 & 9-6 victory. 

 

Despite finishing on the losing side, Graham went on to win all three of his frames. 

 

Royal Oak Captain, Segrue led from the front, winning both his frames, with Ronnie Bingham also unbeaten in his only frame. 

 

Oak join Bexleyheath on seven points, but leapfrog them into third, having won one more match. 

 

Also losing their unbeaten streak and place at the top of SLKPA Tier Two East was Rose Inn, losing to Duke of Northumberland, who picked up their second win on the spin. 

 

Rose won the first frame, but Duke took the next two, before Rose equalised to send the set into a deciding frame, which John Cochrane won for Duke. 

 

The second set went the opposite way to the first, with Duke winning the first frame, Rose the next two, before Duke made the set score, 2-2. 

 

Lewis Hearn was looking to gain revenge on Cochrane, after losing to him in the first set decider, but it didn’t go his way, giving Cochrane two from two and Duke a, 6-4 lead. 

 

Jack Wilson brought it back to, 6-5 but Duke won the last four frames of the set for the, 3-0 & 10-5 triumph. 

 

Cochrane and Hearn had their own little battle, playing each other in all three sets and it wasn’t Hearn’s night, as Cochrane won all three frames, which included a break and dish and he was backed up by Paul Clements scoring an unbeaten brace.

 

There was a consolation for Rose, as Wilson also won all three of his frames. 

 

After their poor start to the season, Duke have risen to third, just two points behind their opponents. 

 

Replacing Rose Inn at the top are New Eltham New Stars, who beat Just Bellegrove, 2-1 & 8-7 to go two points clear at the top of the table. 

 

It was a close game as points were shared between Fox & Hounds in fourth and bottom team Rugrats Guardians, which was a good result for Guardians as they only had four players. 

 

Understrength Guardians stunned Fox by taking the first three frames for the set, but Fox brought it back to, 3-2 by the end of the first set. 

 

The first two frames of the second set were shared however, Fox went on to win the next three frames to take the set, 4-1 as well as a, 6-4 lead into the final set. 

 

Three of the first four frames of the last set went to Guardians, only giving away their bye. 

 

This gave them the match, 2-1 in sets but it was still seven all in frames. 

 

The battle for the bonus point was between the two captains, with Kerry Wyatt beating Luke Matthews to give it to Fox, 8-7. 

 

Not only did Kerry Wyatt win her team the bonus point, but in doing so she scored an unbeaten hat-trick and she was joined by Guardians’ Aaron Shephard on the same score. 

 

This impressive result means that Guardians are now only one point behind Just Bellegrove and two behind Fox, who are three behind Duke. 

 

Still unbeaten at the top of SLKPA Tier Two West are Bellegrove A, who were at home this week to second place, Crayford A. 

 

Bellegrove raced to a, 3-0 lead to secure the first set and that became, 4-1 when they won the fifth frame. 

 

The same three players won the first three frames of the second set to give Bellegrove a two set and, 7-1 frame lead however, Crayford won the last two frames of the second set to reduce the deficit to, 7-3. 

 

That became, 7-4 with the first frame of the last set, but Stacy Redman won the next frame to give Bellegrove the bonus point. 

 

Joe Hills made it nine and gave Bellegrove a, 2-1 lead in the final set, but Crayford won the last two frames to take the set, 3-2 and steal a point. 

 

Both Redman and Hills won all three of their frames, with Steve Hughes supporting them on two out of three. 

 

Unfortunately, a point wasn’t enough for Crayford to hold onto second, with both Rugrats and Eltham Terrace Rack Pack Rovers overtaking them, knocking them into fourth. 

 

Rack Pack Rovers are actually on the same points as Crayford but are ahead as they have won four more frames after this week’s victory over bottom team, Sea the Angles. 

 

The 3-0 & 10-5 score line was not a true reflection of the match and Sea the Angles were unlucky not to take the first set, after going, 2-1 up but Rack Pack Rovers won the last two frames to steal the set. 

 

Rack Pack Rovers did the damage in the second set, taking it, 4-1 to go, 2-0 up in sets and, 7-3 in frames. 

 

Sea the Angles brought that back to, 7-5 with the first two frames of the last set and they thought they might nick the point their efforts deserved, but it was not to be as Rack Pack Rovers won the last three frames to cruelly take maximum points. 

 

This was the first week of the season that Sea the Angles didn’t have a hat-trick hero, instead each of their five players, Donna Mullins, Angie Hobbs, Claire Stork, Jade Holmes and `Reece Stewart all chipped in with a frame each. 

 

Sea the Angles stay winless at the bottom, two points behind Academicals, who suffered their own, 3-0 & 10-5 defeat to Rugrats this week. 

 

Academicals won the first frame, but Rugrats took the next three for the set, before Academicals won the last frame of the set to bring it back to, 3-2. 

 

The scores were still tight after the first two frames of the second set, with each team taking a frame, but Rugrats pulled away winning the next three to give them the set, 4-1 and an overall, 7-3 lead. 

 

Dafydd Ruffell secured the bonus point for Rugrats and Steve Gibson made it, 9-3 with the first two frames of the last set. 

 

Academicals staged a mini comeback with the next two frames and could have nicked a point but Ashley Hewson won the final frame to give Rugrats maximum points. 

 

Gibson was the only unbeaten player on the night, scoring a hat-trick. 

 

Rugrats have jumped into second, on the same points as Bellegrove A, but they have two more wins. 

 

Hotshots are only the third team in the entire league with an unbeaten record after beating Falconwood Club this week to go three points clear at the top of SLKPA Elite League. 

 

Most frames were evenly contested, so the 3-0 & 11-4 score was not a true reflection of the match and Falconwood were disappointed not to get a point from the second set, after being in a winning position. 

 

That point may have kept them off the bottom of the table, as Sharks picked up a point against Eltham Terrace Club A to swap places with Falconwood. 

 

The 3-2 first set victory for Terrace turned out to be the difference between them and Sharks, after Sharks took the second set, 4-1 and Terrace matched that in the third set to give them the, 2-1 & 8-7 triumph. 

 

The high point of the match was a brilliant break and dish from Terrace’s Jack Pople. 

 

Bull Tavern’s return to form continued, as they rose to third after a, 3-0 & 10-5 triumph over Pickwick. 

 

Pickwick won the first frame, but Bull took the next two, before Pickwick won the fourth to send the set into a final frame decider, which Tony Bailey won for Bull. 

 

The first four frames of set two went to Bull, giving them the set and a, 7-2 lead with Dave Pile prevented the whitewash for Pickwick. 

 

Jordan O’Connor secured the bonus point with frame eleven and Bull went on to take the set, 3-2 for an overall, 3-0 & 10-5 triumph. 

 

O’Connor was outstanding in winning all three of his frames, not missing a shot all night, which included an outrageous black down the rail, and Naf Ayieko was not far behind him also scoring a hat-trick, as did Bailey. 

 

With three hat-trick heroes it was very difficult for Pickwick to keep up, but their five frame victories came from five different players. 

 

Bull have joined Eltham Terrace Nuthouse on thirteen points, just three behind the league leaders, but Nuthouse are second having won one more set, after this week’s victory over Foxy Meatballs. 

 

At 2-2 in the first set, Adam Hewson won the set decider for Foxy Meatballs, and George Taylor made it, 4-2 with the first frame of the second set. 

 

However, Nuthouse took the next three frames for the set and the lead, 5-4. 

 

Hewson became Mr Reliable, winning frame ten to tie the match at one set and five frames all. 

 

The match was very close but there were to be no heroics from Foxy Meatballs in the final set, as Nuthouse whitewashed it, 5-0 for an overall, 2-1 & 10-5 victory. 

 

The unbeaten heroes for Nuthouse were Alex Biggs and Paul Cook, who won two and three frames respectively. 

 

Apart from Hotshots at the top, positions are changing weekly in this division, with the teams in second to fifth all having the same three wins from five matches record and only four points separate second from sixth. 

 

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.