The champions had lost for only the second time this season but it was a 7-0 loss which main rivals Red Alert took full advantage of.

This time a half-smile returned to their faces as an improvement in form gave them a recovery win.

It did not come easy however as their opponents were Red Alert in a match of five 600s out of six.

With Craig Knowles shooting 671, Craig Wilson 632 and Adam Saxton 596, Happy Boys went 4-0 up which means no way back for the other team in a seven-point league.

Red Alert always looked capable of the damage limitation exercise to 4-3, Jay Carnelly hitting 673, Dave Buckley 637 and Mark Wakefield 616.

The win keeps them at seven points arm’s length from the champions with work still to do for Thee Ox, 11 points behind Red Alert.

Their 7-0 beating of Happy Boys had lifted Ox to third yet while they actually bowled better this week, Bryn Derbyshire on 587 and Roger Chaplin 567, they were surprised 4-3 by Undepants who won two of the three games by slim margins of four and two pins.

Bye week for leaders Chippy Tea enabled Fingertips to reduce the gap to two points at the top of the Derbyshire Trios.

Fingertips are after restoring their early lead and will do on current form, Paul Snell hitting 681, Steve Norton 616 and Jim Soar 576 in a 5-2 win over Snoopy’s Doghouse.

Only Steve Johnson, in cracking a 366 in a 654, saved Snoopy’s from a pointless venture, and they slip to fifth.

X-Iles go third, Mick Le-Good on 639 as they overcame RAS 7-0.