OSWESTRY Tennis Club Men's first team emulated the ladies first team by gaining promotion from the Shropshire Men's League Group 4N to Group 3.
The team went into their last fixture, at home to High Ercall 3, knowing that a good result would be enough to clinch promotion.
Captain Paul Hampson partnered Simon Pierpoint as first pair and they had a torrid start against a strong High Ercall first pair, losing the first set 0-6.
But they recovered some composure in the second set making it a much closer contest before conceding it by 4-6 and hence the rubber. They were far more successful in their second rubber, taking it convincingly 6-3, 6-3.
The second pair, brothers Adam and Ollie Pierpoint, were forced to battle hard in the first set against the High Ercall second pairing before taking it on a tie-break but then went on to close out the rubber with a 6-3 victory in the second set. They then had a tough encounter against the High Ercall first pairing, losing 0-6, 2-6.
With the match finishing level at two rubbers each and four sets each the result was decided on the number of games won with High Ercall the victors by 39-31 and five points to three.
Oswestry's three points from the fixture was all they needed to cap an excellent season and promotion.
The men's second team travelled to an away fixture at Wollerton knowing that they were no longer able to get promotion but were safe from relegation in Group 6N. The match proved to be one of the most closely fought and lengthy matches the team has played all season.
The Oswestry first pairing of John Hewett and Gareth Hampson matched the Wollerton first pair all the way before succumbing to a 5-7, 6-7 defeat in the first rubber. They then went on to lose the first set of their second rubber 2-6 before making an impressive come back to convincingly win the second set 6-1 before closing out the rubber in deciding third set super tie-break.
The Oswestry second pairing comprised the experienced Huw Lloyd playing with Saffron Rainey who excelled in his debut match for the club. They stormed to a 6-2 opening set score against the Wollerton second pair but could not keep up the momentum against a youthful pairing, losing a close second set by 4-6 and then the super tie break third set to lose the rubber. They were also unsuccessful in their second rubber, going down by the closest of margins 4-6, 5-7.