Hayes & Yeading 3-3 Rushden

Elliott Buchanan's hat-trick was not enough for Hayes & Yeading as Rushden staged a thrilling comeback.

Buchanan slotted the hosts ahead from Jamie Hand's pass before he slammed home his second just before the break.

He wrapped up his treble, but not the game, when he side-footed home from six yards, but Diamonds hit back when Sam Smith converted Curtis Osano's cross.

Smith added his second with a precise strike from 12 yards, and the point was salvaged when Luke Prosser poked home.

Rushden & Diamonds boss Justin Edinburgh told BBC Radio Northampton:

"I can't fault the spirit and the togetherness of the players. That's been proved over the last couple of weeks.

"To come back from 3-0 down with 30 minutes to go shows what we have - but we need to do it from the start, which we're not doing at the moment.

"Sam (Smith) has made a big impact in the last two games - he's got two goals today and changed the game for us."

Hayes & Yeading: Harrison, Ferrell, Cadmore, Bygrave, Wassmer, Green, Holmes (Appiah 76), Hand, Pritchard, Wright, Buchanan (Hyde 84).
Subs Not Used: Preddie, Yiadom, Webb.

Booked: Hand.

Goals: Buchanan 5, 43, 58.

Rushden & D'monds: Joe Day, Osano, Thorne (Mills 62), Prosser, Jamie Day, Porter, Power (Johnson 90), Corcoran, Charles (Smith 58), O'Connor, Gash.
Subs Not Used: Evans, Farrell.

Booked: Charles, Smith, Mills.

Goals: Smith 68, 78, Prosser 85.

Att: 307

Ref: Warren Atkin (West Sussex).