It’s only week two of the South London & Kent Pool Alliance winter season and already the number of unbeaten teams has been chopped from sixteen to five in just one week.

Two of the unbeaten teams from week one, Bellegrove Newbies and Large Lakhars met each other in a fascinating Division Three clash.

Large Lakhars had a fantastic start, winning the first four frames, with Lewis Garland scoring Newbies only frame in the first set.

However, that galvanised them, as they whitewashed the second set, including shot of the match from Jenny Pearmund, where she performed a great double, followed by a pressured black for her first win of the season

Newbies were, 6-4 ahead and they went onto win the next four frames to make it ten on the trot, before Large Lakhars took the last frame for an overall, 10-5 Newbies triumph.

Marc House and Josh Gardiner-Nutley played well for their two out of three, but star of the night was young Garland, going one better to score an unbeaten hat-trick.

Large Lakhars are one of the league’s newest teams and the other, Angerstein picked up their first victory, a narrow, 8-7 over White Hart.

Both Plough & Harrow and Average Joes had lost their opening matches, 8-7 so one of them would be opening their account this week, and Plough had a good start, winning the first two frames.

Rob More got Joes off the mark with a break and dish, before Glenn Reece and Royce Aluko won the next two frames to give Joes a, 3-2 first set lead.

Aluko made it a personal two in a row and four on the spin for his team however, Lynn Mather comfortably dispatched Reece to bring the score back to, 4-3.

Plough’s Lewis Mann and Joes’ Rob More played the frame of the night, enduring a 20-minute tactical battle, before Mann took a chance to clear, missed and More capitalised to win a frame that neither deserved to lose.

Ollie Powell played well on debut for Plough, but Rocky Singh was too strong and took the frame to give Joes the set, before James McGuire won frame ten to reduce the arrears to, 6-4.

The first three frames of the last set went to Joes, which included hat-tricks from More and Aluko, giving them an unassailable, 9-4 lead.

Mann pulled one back for Plough, before Reece made it, 10-5 after McGuire potted the black early.

Newbies have developed an early five-point lead at the top of the division, whereas there are six points separating the rest.

Surprisingly Bexleyheath Raiders are the only unbeaten team in the second division, after they beat Bell Ya Later, 8-7 this week however, Bell Ya Later stay top of the table, one point above their opponents.

Hurricanes Reborn hosted Farmhouse, after both teams had lost last week and this game was very close with the first four frames being shared, before Phoebe French took the set deciding frame to give Hurricanes the first set.

On his Farmhouse debut, Sam Kinsvile tied the match, before Lacey and John Denahy won the next two frames for a, 5-3 Farmhouse lead.

Arif Salih and Phoebe French with her unbeaten brace levelled the match at five frames all.

Farmhouse won the first four frames of the last set, which included a hat-trick from John Denahy to give them the match.

Charles French followed Phoebe’s lead and recorded an unbeaten brace, making the final score, 9-6 to Farmhouse.

There were mixed fortunes for Sundridge Park Working Men’s Club and Blackheath Sports Club last week, but there was an extremely close match between the two this week, with each set being won by the odd frame, 3-2.

The first four frames were shared, sending the first set into a deciding frame, which Elise Norris won to give Sundridge Park a, 3-2 first set lead.

Tony Savino and Simon McEvilly won the first two frames of the second set, making it four in a row for Sundridge Park, giving them a, 5-2 lead.

Joe Kane pulled one back for Blackheath with his second frame win, but Dave Sparey also won his second frame to give his team the second set.

After the thirteenth frame Blackheath had reduced the arrears to, 7-6 however, Sparey and McEvilly won the last two frames to record their hat-tricks and win the match, 9-6 to change the fortunes of the teams this week.

Already this division is proving to be a tight one, with just five points separating the six teams.

Teams from the Bellegrove are top of divisions two and three and also Division One, after Bellegrove Flyers beat Nolans this week.

Nolans will wish they had the full complement of players, as they lost each set by the odd frame, 3-2 giving Flyers the match, 9-6.

Jason Brunton had a personal battle with Rob Hearn, opening each set and Brunton came away with the bragging rights, winning all three frames.

Chris Panayiotou reversed Hearn’s misfortunes in each set, levelling the set score each time to record his own hat-trick, with two of his victories over Steve Pearce.

Flyers are the only unbeaten team in the division, after Nolans, Academicals, Pool Runnings, and Eltham Terrace Tigers all lost this week.

There was an Eltham Terrace derby, as Tigers took on Rack Pack, with the latter gaining the early bragging rights with an, 8-7 victory.

Cue-Ologists and Eltham Evolution secured their first victories of the season, both winning, 10-5 against Academicals and Pool Runnings respectively.

The Con Men secured their first win of the season, 8-7 against New Eltham New Boys, condemning them to the bottom of the table.

With everyone beating everyone in this division, it is also looking to be close, with three points separating tenth and second, whilst Flyers have a five-point lead at the top.

In their first season in the top division, Sundridge Park Pocketeers had a fantastic start against Hotshots, winning the opening two frames, but Hotshots fought back to take the last three frames of the set for a, 3-2 first set lead.

Pocketeers levelled the match again however, Hotshots put another three frames together, before they took frame ten for an overall, 6-4 lead.

The first three frames of the last set went to Pocketeers, putting them on the hill however, Danny Kelleher tied the match and Elliott Giles won the deciding frame for an 8-7 Hotshots victory.

The season’s early leaders, Bellegrove and Sharks faced each other this week, with Sharks winning, 10-5 to keep up their 100% record and take over at the top, whilst Bellegrove drop to sixth.

Falconwood Club are the surprise package in second place, after this week’s triumph over Royal Oak.

After narrowly losing last week, Falconwood were looking to bounce back, but it didn’t start well, losing the first frame to Paul Clements, after a great clearance.

Falconwood equalised, but Phil Tworek and Joe Hills put Royal Oak two frames ahead, before Brett Crawley pulled another back for Falconwood.

The first three frames of the second set went to Falconwood, which included an audacious shot by Crawley to get out of a snooker and pot the black, giving them a, 5-3 lead.

The next two frames were shared making it, 6-4 going into the final set, and Falconwood took the first frame of that to put them on the hill.

Then Akar Necati had the luck of the pool gods on his side, as he produced numerous flukes, before the shot of the match to take out a difficult black on the cushion and give his team the match.  

Falconwood went onto win two of the last three frames for a somewhat fortuitous, 10-5 triumph.

It was a night of controversy at the Pickwick, as they beat Foots Cray Bears, 9-6 to leave them bottom of the table.

Both Rugrats and New Eltham New Stars had won, 8-7 last week and they were just as evenly matched when they played each other this week, with every set going to a deciding frame.

In the first set each frame went with the break, with Paul Cook winning the deciding frame for New Stars.

New Stars’ Paul Carroll won the first frame against the break in frame eight and this trend continued with Steve Gibson for Rugrats and Cook taking the deciding frame, with their second frame wins of the night.

 The first four frames of the third set returned to going with the break and were shared, which included Cook recording his hat-trick.

Not to be outdone, Gibson also won his third frame of the night to give his team the set, 3-2 however, New Stars won the match, 8-7 to join Sharks as the only other unbeaten team in the division.

It is early days but only seven points are separating the ten teams in the Premier Division and if it stays like this it will be a very exciting season.

For more information on the SLKPA including league tables visit the website at www.slkpa.com or contact the 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.