Denbigh Town suffered just their second home defeat in the JD Cymru North this season with a 5-2 pasting at the hands of Gresford Athletic.

Despite leading with 25 minutes to play the visitors blew Town out of the water with four goals in the last 23 to take home maximum points.

Manager Dewi Llion made one change to the side that lost at Holywell on Saturday with suspended Keiron Roberts making way for the returning Nathan Brown. Meanwhile youngsters Owen Herbert and Rhys Lloyd found a place on the bench.

Town began the brighter of the two sides with a couple of good chances in the opening ten minutes. Owen Davies did well down the right before cutting the ball back inside to Matthew Worrall, and the latter fired just wide after opening up for a shot. Four minutes later, Brown came close when he unleashed an effort that went just over from distance.

Denbigh continued the early pressure when Brown launched a superb diagonal pass to Davies who struck the ball right at the keeper, before Josh Lock raced through before firing just wide one-one-one.

With 23 minutes on the clock Denbigh were calling for a penalty as Lock looked to be sythed down in the box, but referee Richard Wright adjudged it to be just outside, and from the resulting set-piece Brown hammered the right post.

Gresford despite the early onslaught did have chances, Haci Ozlu darted down the right before laying it to Dominic Deacon who stung the palms of Aaron Jones with a shot.

Finally just before the half hour mark Town took the lead. Davies made his way through the middle before threading the ball to Lock, who swept the ball into the bottom left corner.

The lead would last 13 minutes, as the visitors as they would prove to do so well on the night battled back. Charlie Edge’s free-kick from the right evaded everyone and ended up in the top left corner of Jones’ goal.

Town looked to reply and Worrall tested Lewis Dutton at the other end but the two sides went into the break level.

Half-Time: Denbigh Town 1-1 Gresford Athletic

After the break the game was open to anyone. As the rain began to trickle before driving down through the final 45, it felt like the next goal was going to be crucial. Instead, it proved to be a red herring.

With nine minutes of the half gone Town retook the lead as Lock and Davies reversed roles from the first goal, with the former passing inside to the latter who slammed it home from the middle of the box.

Denbigh now wanted to put it to bed with efforts coming from Brown going just wide before Lock latched on to a ball from Dion Gibbins and struck the post with his effort.

Ruining those missed chances, Gresford once again levelled. Former Town manager Eddie Maurice-Jones made a quadruple change on the hour mark and it proved to be a stroke of genius.

On 67 minutes substitute Callum Mannion levelled who fired home from the right before six minutes later substitute Joe Chaplin put the Colliers in front.

Suddenly the game was all Gresford and in the dying embers, a header from Adam Hesp and a second superb effort from Chaplin killed off the game.

It proved to be revenge for Gresford who lost in stoppage time to Denbigh earlier in the season, with Town now moving on to take on Guilsfield away on Saturday.

Denbigh Town: A.Jones, S.Jones, Lockley, Parry-Jones, Holmes, Gibbins, Fleming, Lock, Brown, Davies, Worrall

Subs: McHarrie, Cooke, Hansen, Herbert, Lloyd

Referee: Richard Wright

Attendance: 223