DENBIGH TOWN U-16s 2

PRESTATYN ATHLETIC 3

DENBIGH Town Rhinos were undone by the finest of margins as their impressive unbeaten streak came to an end.

Top-of-the-table rivals Prestatyn Athletic left Denbigh with all three points in a pulsating 3-2 win.

Athletic - a side Denbigh have yet to beat - had the better of the opening exchanges, with home keeper Jake Jones being called upon to make near post stops on more than one occasion.

The visitors did take the lead when a whipped cross allowed the forward to head home in front of the outstretched Jones.

Jake Roberts dragged a shot and then Zac Thomas - the Rhinos' top goalscorer returning after a stint at Henllan - created a chance that was well saved.

Denbigh's hopes grew and Finn McCoole's powerful header was cleared off the line as the interval came.

The loss of injured Gruff Mars-Jones meant a Denbigh reshuffle and Athletic exploited this.

Firstly, a powerful Prestatyn shot cannoned of the home crossbar, falling kindly for an attacker to head home, but keeper Jones made up the ground across his goalmouth and sliced away with his feet.

However, he couldn't repeat the trick later as a wonderful far post header saw the away team two ahead.

Iwan Moores capitalised on a close-range free kick awarded for a back pass, with his low drive zipping into the net and Denbigh felt they had a massive shout for a penalty when a Prestatyn defender appeared to handle man of the match McCoole's cross.

That was moments before an Athletic counter attack, which saw them regain their two-goal advantage.

Denbigh threw everything at Athletic and they got their reward as Bradley Roberts played in McCoole, who curled a shot passed the diving keeper to set up a grandstand finish.

Denbigh's search for an equaliser was in vain, though, and their Athletic hoodoo continues.