UPTON Town drew 3-3 with Cheltenham Association League Division One leaders Lakeside in an epic encounter.

The hosts had injury problems so Jamie Preece was recalled and Mark Watkins made his first appearance of the season.

Lakeside played well early on and Town had Chris Darby to thank for keeping his goal intact.

That was until the 25th minute when a deflected shot lobbed the keeper and landed in the corner of the net.

Town responded well as Simon Craddock and Luan Gashi combined to set up Preece for an eight-yard tap-in five minutes later.

The equaliser gave Upton a much-needed boost and they committed bodies forward in attack only for Lakeside to regain the lead on the break.

The hosts had a fine chance to level before the break from a corner when Ian Merrick’s header and Nicholas Chance’s scuffed rebound were saved by the keeper.

Town started the second-half well but conceded again on the counter-attack with an almost identical goal to the second.

They made personnel and formation changes, which seemed to work with Watkins giving much-needed width.

Watkins was involved in Town’s second goal, passing inside to Craddock, who shifted the ball on to his right foot and lashed it into the top corner from 20 yards.

New signing Pete Jeynes was handed his debut and impressed in the last 15 minutes as the leaders were pinned back in their own half by waves of attacks.

Jeynes played an inch-perfect pass through for the equaliser as Craddock drove the ball home low and hard from a tight angle.

Town went for late glory and Craddock missed a good chance from a free-kick, heading wide when unmarked.

In the dying seconds, Craddock cut in from the left and beat two men before firing over from 10 yards.

But it was a satisfying point as Town travel to third-placed RSG tomorrow.

Malvern Vale drew 2-2 at fellow title-chasers Fintan Reserves in Division Six.

Chris King and Daniel Stowe scored, while Ashley Jones was sent off for two bookable offences.

Meanwhile, Bromyard made the Herefordshire FA Burghill Cup final with a 3-1 win at Tenbury Town in the last four thanks to a Jack Muirhead hat-trick.