RUGBY Town were pegged back on three separate occasions as Valley were held to a 4-4 draw by Oadby Town in an eight-goal thriller.
The visitors led through Caine Elliott’s penalty before Luke English and Jordan Wilson put Valley two goals ahead at the break.
However, Oadby levelled with the two goals in the space of a minute before Tom Fielding thought he had won the game for Rugby only for the home side to equalise for a third time at the Riverside Football Ground.
The result means Rugby lead the United Counties League Premier Division South table by eight points although second-placed Coventry Sphinx have two games in hand.
Valley took the lead through Elliott’s penalty on 18 minutes after David Kolodynski was fouled in the box.
However, Oadby equalised on 40 minutes when Tyrel Francis poked home after Rugby goalkeeper Matt Hill spilled the ball at a corner.
Rugby struck twice in the space of the two minutes at the end of the first half as English scored on the rebound after Liam Francis’s initial header was saved before Wilson finished Kolodynski’s cross at the far post.
The home side scored a quickfire double of their own in the second half as Jay Bruce fired a low shot into the corner from the edge of the area before substitute Lotredge Muteera scored virtually from the restart as he fired into the roof of the net.
Valley took the lead for a third time on 72 minutes when Fielding smashed home after MJ Semahimbo surged into the penalty area.
There was still time for Oadby to peg Rugby back again as Blaike Boulter headed in at the far post on 82 minutes to complete the scoring.
The visitors almost snatched the points in injury time only for Oadby’s Ben Whitehead to make a superb goal-saving tackle to prevent what looked to be a certain goal.
Rugby are next in action at home to Newport Pagnell Town on Saturday, March 25 with kick-off at 3pm at Butlin Road.
