YORK eased their Tyke Petroleum Men’s Tennis League’s first division relegation concerns with a victory over lowly rivals Copmanthorpe.

Adam Devries and Pete Hall’s 3-29 played a key role in their welcome win.

David Lloyd are second in the table with only Paul Birch and Greg Ashcroft (2-16) providing resistance for Dunnington.

In division two, top-of-the-table Racquets piled on the points in a close contest at Appleton Roebuck.

Two unbeaten pairs laid the foundation for the leaders, with Ryan Lonsdale and Jim Haddleton adding 2½-24.

Fulford and Starbeck nailed nine-pointers in their scrap for the remaining promotion place.

With three 9-3 rubbers, Govind Baker and Arran Tate were architects of Fulford’s demolition of Poppleton II.

There was a clean sweep too for Starbeck’s Doug Barker and Chris Noddings with 3-27, although a late injury spared David Lloyd II a whitewash.

Knaresborough’s Andy Cousins and Dave Hewson aced an unbeaten 2½-21 together against runaway division three leaders Wetherby, but split up at strugglers Rowntree Park II to optimise their points.

Hewson returned 3-29 with Matt Walton, while Cousins bagged 3-28 with Alex Kragiopoulos.

A key win for Wigginton II over hosts Boston Spa leapfrogged them up to second. Super-sub Matt Waudby was invincible with Trevor Watson as they scored 2½-23 during a dominant Wiggy display.

Racquets II fell further adrift of division four local rivals Academy II after losing a keenly-contested match-in-hand at home to Copmanthorpe II.

It was sweet revenge for Cop who’d lost their season opener at home to the Harrogate club and jumped up to second in the table as a consequence.

Wilberfoss missed a trick, but maintained their winning record with a nine-pointer at home to Wetherby II.

Averaging ten points per match, Foss were surprised by their only title-challengers who stormed a 2-20 first round, only to be hauled back.

Captain Alex Gurnell and Charlie Dodds returned a confident 3-23.

Dark horses Riccall galloped up to third, sweeping nearly 19 points against single-pair defences put up by York III and Boston Spa II.

Fulford II gained the upper hand over Poppleton III in the battle to secure one of just three promotion places for division five that are available to the 19 teams in the bottom tiers.

Successive wins for Fulford at the top and bottom of division seven saw them push past Popp’s division eight total so far.

A captain’s 3-25 from Fulford’s Paul Ruff with Alex Herriott saw off second-placed Pocklington, who were bolstered by former top-flight player Ross Gleig.

Poppleton III were held at home in division eight by Wilberfoss II who nabbed an extra point thanks to two unbeatable pairs.

John Laytham and Robin Walker, with 2½-23, were a game better than teammates John Huffington and John Rennison.

Division six’s top guns were Chris Reynolds and Alex Priestly with 3-31 for Harlow in a priceless away defeat of Bubwith II.

York IV, meanwhile, defeated division eight’s Wheldrake in the first of the season’s inter-divisional matches.

Dave Duffy and Chris Hughes did the damage, with 3-26, in a ten-point win for York.