Sunny Rhyl let their Collister & Glover Welsh Counties super league title challenge slip in a surprise 6-4 tumble at bottom-of-the-table Minydon Park.
The third-placed seasiders instead found themselves level 4-4 on the green. But when it came down to the two decisive bonus points for the aggregate, Sunny Rhyl were left 150-132 in arrears to further dent their championship ambitions.
Gareth Foster 21-14, Nick Hughes 21-16, Anthony Harper 21-17 and Jason Jones 21-19 delivered individual victories but two heavy defeats for Chris Charlton 21-8 and Trevor Heath 21-9 put Rhyl on the back foot.
St Asaph achieved a creditable 6-4 win over defending champions Conwy at Elwy Park. Consistent winner Lewis Scott carded a critical 21-0 contribution to assure Saints of a clear-cut 144-129 aggregate clincher after also finishing deadlocked on 4-4.
James Williams 21-13, Matthew Foster 21-14 and Robert Pearce 21-18 produced Saints other successes to keep them four places off the foot of the table while Ian Trickett was unlucky to be cruelly pipped 21-20.
Latests positions: Gresford 78, Conwy 78, Sunny Rhyl 72, Esclusham 70, Cunliffe 64, Beaumaris 64, Rhos Park 62, Llanrwst 52, St Asaph 49, Colwyn Bay RBL 45, Minydon Park 44, Llanfairpwll 42.
Champions St Asaph A were back to normal in the Vale of Clwyd League with a 11-3 derby victory over Trefnant A, just a week after being held to a shock 7-7 draw at Denbigh A.
Saints rattled up another emphatic double-figure success, again headed by Lewis Scott 21-9, Pauline Jackson 21-9 the pick for Trefnant.
Denbigh A in contrast were left trailing 9-5 at Rhuddlan A, where Jane Bowler 21-7 and her mother Betty Phillips 21-9 topped the Rhuddlan returns, Andy Jones 21-6 Denbigh’s pick.
Abergele A produced four single-figure winners in their 10-4 win over second-from-bottom Kinmel Bay A, Paul Wellburn 21-5, Mike Ellison 21-6, Dylan Pritchard 21-7 and Michael Tiernan 21-8 all impressing, Dave Senior 21-2 the best of the lot for Kinmel Bay.
Meliden A remain in relegation waters after falling 10-4 at Old Colwyn while Nick Williams 21-6 was unable to avert a 11-3 home defeat for Bryn Newydd at the hands of Llysfaen.
Kenn Betterley 21-14 was Highbury’s lone winner in a 13-1 blast at Copperfields while Division B leaders Grove Park had to battle to emerge 8-6 winners at Meliden B, Peter Fawcett 21-6 their ace, Sue Jones 21-9 taking Meliden close in a 190-206 split.
John Owen and James Earley both 21-9 helped Division C front-runners East Parade A sink Rhos Park 9-5 while Dave Jaggard 21-8 and Ann Hindle 21-9 landed Dyserth B a 10-4 verdict at bottom club Rhyl B, who have lost all 8 matches played.
St Asaph A missed out on the chance of breaking into the top three of the North Wales Coast League’s Section A after crashing to a disappointing 10-4 defeat at lowly Llanfairpwll.
Dyserth, in contrast, showed their promotion teeth with a storming performance against visitors Old Colwyn Bay that earned them a substantial 12-2 boost in Section C.
Top block Roger Griffiths set the tone with a crushing 21-2 success to land dominant Dyserth a decisive 246-165 aggregate margin over their second-from-bottom opponents.
Rhuddlan weren’t far behind as they floored lowly Prestatyn Highbury 11-3 to dim their neighbours survival prospects while Sunny Rhyl strengthened their mounting promotion charge in Section D with a 8-6 win over second-from-top Grove Park in their crucial derby date at the Botanical Gardens.
Fred Piggott 21-8 helped Sunny Rhyl secure a 209-195 aggregate for an eighth win in 11 matches as Jim Batey and Brian Jones both 21-10 took their town rivals close as these title rivals now go level on points, but bottom-of-the-table Rhyl fell 12-2 at over-the-bridge Kinmel Bay.
Bert Wilson 21-2 shone for the Bay, Lawrence Bennett also 21-2 doing his bit for Rhyl, while St Asaph B just pipped Bala 8-6, helped by Adam Smith and Di Johnson both 21-9.