IT'S going down to the wire in the Tyke Petroleum Men's Tennis League after Wigginton pipped Poppleton, leaving the leaders just one point short of an historic third successive men's championship in a row.

With a sacrificial third pair, Poppy set out to win the five points they needed to wrap up this year's title against the team they'd thumped just three weeks earlier.

On their sand-blasted carpet though, Wigginton gained early traction, winning 21 first-round games off the bat, with Phil Langley and James Walker narrowly edging opposite numbers Nikki Rohlfing and André Earnshaw.

Third pair Ben Storey and Andy Withers aced a second round 8-4 as Wiggy claimed another 21 games to beach Poppy's title aspirations for at least another week.

Every little helps as David Lloyd-2 and Poppleton-2 scrambled for safety in a precarious Division Two.

Winning 24 first-round games, Lloyd looked set for a big haul and safety from relegation, but Poppy made a clean sweep of round two, and in the last round, Lloyd hung on for a slender win.

The result leaves both teams still needing to fight to stay up.

Paul Turnbull and John Anderson stood out for Popp with an invaluable 2½-21.

It's close to boiling in Division Three as Wetherby boosted their lead after a ten-point battering of second-placed neighbours Boston Spa.

Although a keenly-contested derby, Wetherby edged the important games and boasted two unbeaten pairs.

Roger Fawcus led from the front, returning 3-25 with David Corbyn.

With Spa spent, it's Sherburn, who are gunning for the leaders after shooting down York-2 at Clifton Park.

Returning Plamen Yourdanov was on target for Sherburn, scoring 2½-25 with Chris Harper. Just ten points behind, but with a match in hand, all eyes will be on Sherburn's showdown on Sunday at home to the leaders.

Harrogate Racquets-2 hoovered points from the tail-enders, jumping to second in Division Four, but unable to catch crowned rivals Academy-2.

Max and Will Marshall excelled on Sutton-on-Derwent-2's grass courts, taking maximum points and winning 27 games.

Jamie Pert and Andy Chapman did the honours with 3-26 at home to endangered Appleton Roebuck=2, who'll be hoping Racquets will be similarly ruthless in their final match against drop dodgers Starbeck-3.

Heworth hauled themselves to second in Division Five after filling their wellies at Bishopthorpe.

Alastair Greenhough and Wes Casey were one of two unbeatable Heworth pairs with 2½-22. The headline though, is that Bish also boasted an unbeaten pair: Tim Mandle and Tim Brown, who battled their beans off to get 2-19 for the basement bashers.

David Lloyd-3's ten-point inter-divisional has boosted them into Division Five promotion contention, displacing Selby's 99 points, and confirming that opponents Knaresborough-2 will start in Division Eight next year.

Simon Gray and Clive Christison proved too strong with 3-27.

Wilberfoss-2 signed off with a decent win at Division Six's Harlow.

Foss will have fingers crossed that 107½ points will be enough to get them into Division Five next year.

Bubwith-2's whitewash of short-handed Bishopthorpe-2 keeps their hopes alive of a Division Seven start in 2018.

Promotion contenders Poppleton-3 left visiting Harrogate Spa at the altar, and are deducted six points for the discourtesy.