WARRINGTON Town were forced to settle for a point at title-chasing Buxton despite taking the lead three times.
Jordan Buckley (twice) and Sean Williams had put the Yellows in front, but each time they were pegged back by the hosts and had to settle for 3-3 at full time.
It might be seen as both two points lost and a point gained for Mark Beesley’s side, who were hanging on at the end of an absorbing encounter.
Buckley, who scored a brace in the reverse fixture back in September, swept the Yellows in to an early lead after a superb move down the right involving Bohan Dixon and Jack Mackreth.
Dixon slid the ball inside the full-back for the dangerous Mackreth, and Buckley beat Dan Cowan to the front post to get on the end of a whipped ball in.
Mackreth caused Buxton a host of problems in the first half in a high-tempo game, with Williams fizzing a shot just over.
The returning Jamie Ward got Buxton back on terms on 21 minutes. His low driven ball from half way was took in by Warren Clarke, who was brought down by Mark Roberts in the box.
Ward, who was last in action a month ago, stepped up to send Dan Atherton the wrong way from the spot.
The game swung both ways and on the half hour mark, Buckley restored Warrington’s lead – getting a cheeky flick to divert Dixon’s wayward shot home.
They then looked to have some control over the game, only to concede five minutes before the interval when Atherton clawed out Clarke’s cross straight to Tom Elliott for a tap in.
The excitement of the first half didn’t end there though, as on the stroke of the half time whistle, Williams curled in a beauty from the corner of the box after a short corner routine with Jay Harris.
Buckley could have had his hat-trick five minutes in to the second half, but for a fine block by Matt Curley, and later another fine run was dragged behind Harris at the back post.
Buxton soon took command of the match and started chasing an equaliser.
It eventually came on 73 minutes when Clarke got down the left, swung in a cross and Ward was there to nod home at the back post.
The game lost its way after then, Buckley’s race was run and he was replaced by Josh Amis, who soon got involved in a skirmish with Ben Turner that saw both booked.
Ashley Chambers thought he’d found a winner for Buxton late on, his shot miraculously cleared off the line, though the former Leicester City man was adamant it had gone in; and then in injury time, a block by Matt Regan denied Buxton.
Both sides had to settle for a point in an increasingly tight play-off chase in the NPL, with the Yellows next in action at home to South Shields on Saturday.
Buxton: Richardson, Curley, Fox (Gilchrist), Cowan, Turner, Taylor (Dawson), Ward (Meikle), Hurst, Chambers, Elliott, Clarke. Unused sub: Granite.
Warrington Town: Atherton, Baillie, Duggan, Harris, Roberts, Regan, Mackreth (Mols), Williams, Buckley (Amis), Dixon, Duffy (Grivosti). Unused subs: Hough, Gumbs.
