The first week of the South London & Kent Pool Alliance summer season and our newest team, Greyhound won their first ever match, against a team that formerly played there to go top of Tier Three. 

Real Hustlers had a much better start, winning the first two frames and they went on to take the first set, 3-2. 

However, it was downhill from there, as the debutants won seven frames on the spin, to whitewash the second set and take the first two frames of the third. 

Hustlers pulled one back, but Greyhound won the last two for an overall, 2-1 & 11-4 triumph

For many of their players it was their first taste of league pool and they took to it like a greyhound to a track, none more so than John Reed and Velton Skeet, who both scored unbeaten hat-tricks. 

It was almost a dream start for another new team, Royal Oak, who re-joined us this season and took a, 3-2 lead in the first set against New Eltham New Boys in their first match. 

Royal Oak went on to take the sixth frame to go, 4-2 up, but the New Boys won three frames in a ow to secure the second set and take the lead by 5 frames to 4, before Royal Oak took the tenth to go into the final set all square. 

The New Boys had a slight edge when it came to experience and this showed in the final set, as they won the first three frames for the set and the match, before the last two frames were shared, making the overall score, 2-1 & 9-6. 

Royal Oak will need their Captain, Edward Segrue to continue his three out of three form, if they are to do well this season. 

New Boys will also look to their skipper, Michael Barnes for inspiration, especially after he won all tree of his frames this week, and they hope new signing, Billy Russell will also chip in with some more unbeaten performances, after scoring an unbeaten brace this week. 

With the winter season Premier Division champions, Allstars not entering a team this summer, Hotshots have made their Elite League title intensions clear, with an impressive, 3-0 & 11-4 victory over the returning Bull Tavern. 

Hotshots won three of the first four frames to get off to a superb start and secure the first set, but Adam Coppen pulled the Bull back to within one in style, with a break and dish. 

The second set continued in a similar vein, with Hotshots taking the first two frames, before Coppen pulled one back with a wonderful clearance from a dry break, for his second frame win of the night. 

Andre Cox secured the second set for Hotshots, winning his first frame of the night and they went on to take the set by 4 frames to 1 for an overall, 2-0 & 7-3 lead going into the final set. 

It was a great team performance and Hotshots continued to pile on the pressure, taking the final set, 4-1 giving them maximum points over a team that could be challenging for the title. 

Cox went on to win another frame in the final set to finish unbeaten on two frame wins, but team mate Jamie O’Donnell went one better with an unbeaten hat-trick.

After their poor winter seasons, both Pickwick and Eltham Terrace Nuthouse started the summer season with maximum points. 

Pickwick would have expected a closer match against Foxy Meatballs, but they played well, and in true Pickwick fashion, took their chances to run out, 3-0 & 10-5 winners. 

Dave Pile and Martin Storey both won all three of their frames and Paul Gafa was also unbeaten on two frame wins. 

It appears there was much more of a battle between Sharks and Nuthouse, with Sharks taking the opening frame in each of the first two sets, but Nuthouse ended up winning them by the odd frame, 3-2. 

Jon Syta secured the first set with a lovely clearance from a dry break and in set two Trevor Biggs potted a remarkable black when it was almost called a total snooker to win the final frame decider. 

Nuthouse took a, 6-4 lead into the final set and won the first three frames of the set to take maximum points, before the last two frames were shared, giving Nuthouse the, 3-0 & 10-5 triumph. 

Scott Reeves won his only frame for Sharks, but Zoe Healy and Paul Cook went one better with two frame wins each for Nuthouse. 

There was also a lovely cameo performance from Nuthouse’s Craig Jones, who won two of his three frames and will surely be missed throughout the season. 

Sitting in behind Pickwick and Nuthouse are Eltham Terrace Club A, who had a tough match against Falconwood Club. 

Each set was won by the odd frame, 3-2 with Falconwood taking the first and Terrace the next two for an overall, 2-1 & 8-7 victory. 

In SLKPA Tier Two East Fox & Hounds and Duke of Northumberland had to share the points this week. 

Duke must have thought they had the match won, after whitewashing the first, 5-0 but Fox pulled it back to, 5-2 with the first two frames of the second set, which they went on to win, 3-2. 

Despite it being one all in sets, Duke were looking for just one frame for the bonus point, but Fox won the first three frames of the final set, to win the set and the match, 2-1. 

This made the overall score, 7-6 in Duke’s favour and they went on to take the last two frames to give them the bonus point by 9 frames to 6. 

Fox & Hounds new signing, Martin Hession was their only unbeaten player, winning his only frame and Duke of Northumberland also had only one unbeaten player, Phil Tworek, but he won all three of his frames. 

The match between New Eltham New Stars and Rose Inn also finished, 2-1 & 9-6 but the bragging rights went to Rose Inn, as they scored higher in both frames and sets, with their Captain Neil Mundy finishing unbeaten on one frame win. 

Just Bellegrove thought they may have been on their way to a victory, when they took the first set, 4-1 against Rugrats Guardians however, Guardians fought hard to win the second set, 3-2. 

That made the overall score, 6-4 to Bellegrove which meant Guardians needed four of the last five frames to win the set, the match and the bonus point, and that’s exactly what they did, taking the set, 4-1 to win the match, 2-1 & 8-7. 

Keith Smith and Mark Porter both won two of their three frames for Just Bellegrove, but Rugrats Guardians’ Dave Beshaw went one better, with three out of three. 

These two team’s sister sides, Bellegrove A and Rugrats met in the opening match in SLKPA Tier Two West and the match was equally as close. 

After losing the first set, 3-2 Rugrats won the first four frames of the second set, to tie the match in sets and go, 6-3 up in frames however, Bellegrove pulled one back with the tenth and made it six all with the first two frames of the last set. 

The next two frames were shared, with Joe Hills giving Bellegrove the set and the match, by 2 sets to 1, but the bonus point was still up for grabs, with the overall frame score still in the balance, at seven all. 

Bellegrove Captain, John Skuza faced Josh Page and it was Page who held his nerve to give Rugrats the bonus point, 8-7 meaning both teams scored two points overall on the night. 

Two must have been the magic number, as no one won all three frames on the night, but three players from each side scored two out of three, Hills, Steve Hughes and debutant Stacy Redman for Bellegrove, with Page, Ashley Hewson and Scott Shephard doing the same for Rugrats. 

Not as close was the match between Sea the Angles and Crayford A, which ended up, 3-0 & 11-4 to Crayford. 

Sea the Angles was extremely grateful that their Captain, Angie Hobbs was in attendance, as she won a frame in each set to remain unbeaten and keep her team’s hopes alive, and their only other player to trouble the scorer was new signing, Dan Brown

That wasn’t the biggest victory of the night though, as that accolade went to the newly formed team from a merger between two Eltham Terrace sides, Eltham Terrace Rack Pack Rovers. 

Just like a double-barrelled marriage, no one wanted to lose out, so everyone kept their names and one of the longest team names in SLKPA history was created. 

Back to the pool and it seemed to be a marriage of convenience for both teams, as they thrashed Academicals, 3-0 & 12-3 but we will see how the season pans out once the honeymoon period is over. 

Tony Frost scored an unbeaten hat-trick and he was supported by Dave Avery, Chris Parlett, Lee Osborn and Graham Levingbird who all won both their frames 

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.