MANAGER Gari Lewis said Penrhyncoch’s last-gasp defeat at Denbigh was ‘tough to take’ after slipping back into basement danger within the HG Cymru Alliance.

In rain-swept conditions at Central Park, they twice clawed their way back in the second half through Mark Gornall and Jonathan Evans, before finally being downed by an injury time strike from sub Jake Eyre.

Defeat saw Penrhyncoch slip to fifth bottom in the table, but still five points above the bottom four clubs.

“Had we got a point, it would have been huge, so to lose it like we did was hard to take,” admitted Lewis.

“I couldn’t have asked for any more, the lads kept going in difficult conditions and were dead on their feet.

“It was a tough night. The traffic was horrendous due to an accident, and we didn’t arrive until 20 minutes before the game, and the kick-off was put back.

“We were playing against the wind and rain in the first half, then in the second, when we should have had it behind us, it died down, which sums up the night.”

The Roosters were trailing after just three minutes of the delayed 8.15pm kick off when Andrew Swarbrick rounded Leigh Jenkins to score, after they had failed to deal with a long ball.

Playing against the elements, Jonathan Evans had a couple of chances, with one being saved by keeper Jamie Clayton - and they earned parity four minutes into the second half when Mark Gornall drilled home a low free kick into the bottom corner of the hosts’ net.

On 52 minutes, however, Antonio Corbisiero was sent off for handling Gareth Partridge’s shot on the line.

Denbigh twice spurned the chance of going ahead as keeper Jenkins saved Craig Pritchard’s penalty. The referee ruled that the spot kick should be retaken due to an encroachment, and this time Pritchard fired over the bar.

Denbigh did retake the lead on 66 minutes when Aaron Hassall’s low, hard cross was deflected into his own net by Sion James.

Yet, despite injuries to Liam James (hamstring) Sion Meredith (calf), the visitors were level again on 79 minutes when Evans steered home his shot, after the hosts failed to deal with a long kick from Jenkins.

Ten-man Penrhyn looked to be returning with a crucial and deserved point, but substitute Eyre had the last word in injury time when he took a touch from Hassall’s cross, before smashing the ball into the net from 10 yards to stun the visitors.

After their midweek match against Porthmadog was called off on Wednesday, the Roosters entertain Llanrhaeadr in the quarter-final of the Central Wales Cup on Saturday - and they may field several of the club’s younger players.