RUNAWAY Rowntree Park were stopped in their tracks by a shock defeat to lowly Poppleton in the Tyke Petroleum Men’s League.

Poppleton debuted 18-year-old Liam Earnshaw, who nailed 3-28 in tandem with captain Nick Turnbull, to defeat the leaders for the first time this season.

Two crucial wins eased David Lloyd’s relegation anxieties.

A 12-point whitewash of holiday-hit Fulford was followed by a 55-53 nail-biter at Wigginton. Dave Porter, playing his second match in two years, partnered Trevor Watson to 3-24 against Wigginton as the 2013 champions pinched 7½ points.

York’s defeat of beleaguered Wetherby means certain relegation for the Castlegarth club after just one season in the top flight.

Dunnington’s claim to home advantage in the end-of-season level two promotion face-off, took a boost with an 11-point battering of four-man Rowntree Park 2. Harlow’s surge for second stumbled again as Boston Spa’s Pete Smith and Gordon Milne wrested a precious final-round point off Harlow’s top pair Ivan Dechovsky and Chris James.

The return of young talisman Huw Attwood perked up Pocklington to their first win of the year, at home to Wigginton 2 in division three. Attwood and John Kaye were the only unbeaten pair in the fixture, scoring 2½-23.

A fantastic finale looms in division four, with Appleton Roebuck pocketing 26 points in three matches to open an eight-point gap over promotion rivals Academy.

The Roebuck ranks almost toppled unbeaten Harrogate, despite facing their hosts’ coach Richard Bancroft and their 18-year-old star, Adam Rider who took 3-32 at first pair.

Paul Dadvar and Rob Jones excelled for Roebuck with 2-24 in the narrowest of defeats.

Consecutive defeats at Stamford Bridge and Appleton Roebuck mean Riccall will drop a level next year.

Wetherby 2 have teed up a second promotion in consecutive seasons.

They prised a superb nine-point win from a 56-52 home defeat of Heworth, despite a maximum from visiting duo Nick Latcham and James Grice.

Rivals Wilberfoss are rudderless after both their teams took penalties for failing to turn out.

Veterans Charlie Dixon and David Laws bagged maximum honours to help Rufforth to ten points at Cliffe.

Sutton hit the top in division six after consecutive wins against four-handed sides Wigginton IV and Wheldrake.

Knaresborough II fell 20 points behind, despite a nine-point win against a full Bishopthorpe II team.

New Earswick won their basement battle against Wigginton IV, with experienced hands Keith Pearson and Anthony Georgiou leading the way with 2½-23.

Cawood celebrated their elevation to level three with a hefty hammering of Heworth II in their penultimate division seven match.

They surged past 100 points and shredded their opponents’ own promotion aspirations in the process. Captain Tim Tillett and Adam Raistrick posted 3-28.