Denbigh Town were denied bragging rights in the Vale of Clwyd Derby with a late leveller as the biggest attendance in Wales packed in to Central Park.

Town led by two goals in the second half after strikes from Sam Duffy and Nathan Brown but two in the late stages including a 93rd minute effort saw the points shared.

Dewi Llion made two changes to the side with Aaron Jones returning to the XI along with Sion Jones who picked up a knock two weeks ago.

The first chance of a scrappy contest came on 16 minutes when Iwan Roberts did well to turn on the edge of the box and fire towards goal, but his effort ran wide. With limited glimpses at goal in the first half Denbigh just about edged it when it came to creating anything of substance. With 25 gone Brown’s corner met the head of Ben Lockley but his effort glanced wide.

Brown’s corners caused problems as it connected again with Lockley just after the half hour mark but again the target wasn’t met. Town were in fairness getting balls into the box, Max Cooke’s delivery from the left was dangerous but Owen Davies couldn’t steer it towards goal.

A moment after Davies’ chance came the best of the game so far when Brown was set through one on one, with only the keeper to beat a brilliant recovery from a defender saw a last ditch effort thwart any shot.

The closest Denbigh came was on 40 minutes when another Brown corner this time met the head of Alfie Vaughan, his header crashed off the underside of the bar before being scrambled clear. Vaughan remained down after landing and was forced off early, being replaced by Calum Butler.

Half-Time: Denbigh Town 0-0 Ruthin Town

Whilst it remained goalless at the break it didn’t last for very long. With 48 minutes on the clock a corner from Brown met Duffy whose first time volley was smashed right down the middle to give Denbigh the lead in style.

Ruthin now had to fight back and tested Aaron Jones for the first time with a low effort from Llyr Morris on the edge of the box that was comfortably dealt with.

‘Keeper Jones was now being called upon far more regularly and with 56 minutes gone had to be on hand to deny Harry Martin low at his near post. From the resulting corner Town cleared their lines before a long ball found Morris who before meeting the ball to pull the trigger was able to smother the ball well.

Denbigh needed a cushion and it came on 63 minutes when Brown found the net with a deft touch. Duffy turned provider with an excellent run down the right before his low cross met the foot of Brown to turn it in for a second.

Now the visitors had to get into gear and in the final fifteen minutes peppered the Denbigh box. A free-kick hit the Town wall from 25-yards before a rebound deflated goalwards only for Jones to make an outrageous stop. From the resulting corner the ball wasn’t cleared before Jones again made a brilliant save to keep it at 2-0.

However, with 13 minutes to play Ruthin did have one back. Town fell asleep at the back before a ball was pulled across the face of goal and Morris was on hand to tape home.

Morris, an old haunt of Denbigh’s for years was on the hunt for his second and on 87 minutes almost had a leveller when his one on one was matched by Aaron Jones.

However, Denbigh faltered in the third minute of stoppage time when a cross from substitute Josh Evans flew across the box and crept into the back of the net to level things up.

Both sides battled for the fifth goal of the game but it never came, and each had to be happy with sharing a point for the first time since 2016.

Denbigh Town: A.Jones, Williams, Cooke, Lockley, Vaughan, K.Roberts, S.Jones, Brown, Duffy, I.Roberts, Davies

Subs: Wilmot, I.Jones, Stark, Butler, Salisbury, Fricker, Kanli

Attendance: 1,046

Referee: Richard Wright

POTM: Aaron Jones - A sublime performance with a string of outstanding saves in the latter stages of the game.