THERE’S more than just pride at stake as relegation threatened duo Chirk and Gresford go head-to-head in the top-flight on Saturday.

The rivals meet at Holyhead Road with rock-bottom hosts Chirk and ninth placed Gresford both in need of vital points.

Chirk remain rooted to the foot of the division after failing to win a game this season, while Gresford are hovering above the drop zone, just 16 points clear of the bottom three.

Surprise back-to-back away wins at table topping Menai Bridge and Llandudno have boosted Gresford’s survival hopes and confidence is high ahead of their next fixture.

Captain Chris Ellwood said: “Things are picking up, but we have to keep going now and not get complacent.

“The bowling has clicked into place in the last three weeks and that has been the major reason for the two impressive wins.

“It’s a big game this weekend and we need a third win on the spin.”

Chirk look destined to be back playing in Division One next season, but that won’t stop captain Andrew Swarbrick from trying to pull off the great escape.

And the Chirk skipper is in no mood to lose to Gresford on home soil, saying: “I can’t wait. A victory against Gresford would be very welcome.”

Chirk suffered a 12th defeat of the campaign when they were thumped by 225 runs at Northop last weekend.

Swarbrick insists his side must improve in the field, saying; “Jordan Evans scored 164 but we dropped him five times and we dropped eight catches in total.

“We aren’t getting much luck at the moment, but we aren’t helping ourselves either. We will be staying positive though, we will be fighting until the end of the season.”

Steve Kelshaw, Chris Pritchard and Shaun Walker are back for Chirk.

“It will be good to have some experienced players back, but the youngsters like James Carter, Wynn Jones, Frank Macdonald-Brown and Ollie Gough will keep their places,” added Swarbrick.

St Asaph will be looking to put pressure on league leaders Menai Bridge by securing a home victory over Dion Holden’s men, while Bangor make their way to Pwllheli.

Brymbo captain James Claybrook has called for a “massive push” from his side between now and the end of the season.

Five victories in their last six games have left Brymbo third in the table, and with Claybrook believing his team are playing their best all-round cricket of the season, he wants a strong finish.

Ahead of the trip to Denbigh, a side which Brymbo have already beaten in league and cup this season, Claybrook said: “We’ve beat Denbigh twice this season, so we are quietly confident we will make it three.

“I definitely believe we are playing our best all round cricket of the season and we are peaking at just the right time to make a massive push towards the end of the season.”

Brymbo beat Connah’s Quay last Saturday, before losing by six runs to Ynysygerwn in the Welsh Cup quarter-finals the next day.

Claybrook declared: “Sunday was extremely disappointing, we pushed them all the way until the last over and looking back the game could have gone either way.

“But saying that it was a great run, extremely enjoyable day at the club and the experience will stand us in good stead for bigger things in the years to come.

“I definitely believe it’s not the last the Welsh Cup has seen of Brymbo in the not so near future.”

Revenge is high on the agenda for Connah’s Quay as they welcome Northop to Central Park.

Northop clinched a three-wicket home win over Connah’s Quay when the Flintshire rivals met back in May.

And Quay captain Martin Burger wants to make amends for that defeat by boosting his side’s survival hopes.

“It should be a really good game,” said Burger. “We want to return the favour for what they did to us at their place.

“But they’ve had a reasonable season and we can’t take anything away from them and we know it will be a good game.

“They are looking the part and they are doing the right things, but we are always confident at home.

“We’ve got a strong side out and we are looking to win.”

Opening bowler Darren Leach and all-rounder Matt Redinger are key for Quay, who were boosted by the return to form of David Fox last weekend.

Fox hit a season best 79 in defeat to Brymbo, Burger adding: “We will see him kick on now.”

Struggling Hawarden Park are looking to complete an unlikely double over Llandudno.

Victories have been few and far between for the Flintshire side, who remain embroiled in the relegation scrap, but they clinched a two-run win over Llandudno back in May.

Now Ian Martin’s men want to boost their survival chances with victory at The Oval.

He said: “We beat them earlier in the season, so there is no reason why we can’t go to their place and beat them again.

“Gresford have gone there and beaten them last Saturday and we are confident we can do likewise this weekend.”

But captain Martin knows his side have to improve significantly on last week’s nine-wicket loss to St Asaph, who cruised to 83 for one after Hawarden were bowled out for just 81.

“We aren’t playing to our full potential, that’s obvious for everyone to see,” said Martin. “We’ve been bowled out for under 100 in each of the last two weeks and we’ve got to start putting a score on the board to give ourselves a chance of victory.”

Craig Wilson misses out for Hawarden, who are boosted by the return of Campbell Marr.

St Asaph will be looking to put pressure on league leaders Menai Bridge by securing a home victory over Dion Holden's men, while Bangor make their way to Pwllheli.

Division One: Bersham v Abergele; Bethesda v Conwy; Mochdre v Llay Welfare; Pontblyddyn v Llanrwst.

Division Two: Carmel and District v Gwersyllt Park; Buckley v Llangollen; Corwen v Bodedern; Mynydd Isa v Halkyn; Ruthin v Marchwiel and Wrexham.

Second XI Premier Division: Hawarden Park 2nds v Carmel and District 2nds; Bangor 2nds v Pontblyddyn 2nds; Brymbo 2nds v Buckley 2nds; Gresford 2nds v Mochdre 2nds; Menai Bridge 2nds v Llay Welfare 2nds.

Second XI East Division: Castell Alun v Rhewl; Gwersyllt Park 2nds v Ruthin 2nds; Halkyn 2nds v Connah's Quay 2nds; Marchwiel and Wrexham 2nds v Chirk 2nds; Mold 2nds v Maeshafn Argoed.

Seconds XI West Division: Abergele 2nds v Bethesda 2nds; Caernarfon v St Asaph 2nds; Conwy 2nds v Pwllheli 2nds; Llanrwst 2nds v Llandudno 2nds.