A second half Dan Twigger hat trick helped Kenilworth Wardens salvage a point against runaway league champions Folly Lane, to secure a third place finish in the Coventry Alliance Premier.

The Glasshouse Lane outfit had looked set to finish their first season in the top division in second, but lost six points after Coventry side Jet Blades folded midway through the campaign.

Wardens knew a victory against unbeaten Folly Lane would guarantee them the runners up place, but found themselves two behind at the break.

It took the dominant hosts 22 minutes to take the lead. Jack Thomas was tackled on the half way line, and the subsequent counter attack was bundled into the goal despite two tackles from Ryan Oldham and captain George Shelton on the line.

Despite Thomas finding half chances from tight angles, Wardens rarely threatened, relying heavily on Mark Hickey's physical presence up top to win balls in the air.

Folly doubled their tally on 44 minutes when a long pass down the channel was pulled back to captain Lewis Ludford who passed into the bottom corner.

At half time the game looked done, but Wardens came out with a renewed game plan and it immediately paid off.

A 10-pass move from kick off went to the left to Toby Wells, who passed to Thomas. Thomas beat two players on his run to the byline and crossed to Twigger who slid in at the back post to bring a goal back.

Wardens began dominating the game, with Roger Kingston leading the game from right back. And just five minutes later Wardens had their equalizer.

Thomas won a free kick 35 yards out in the centre of the pitch. Player-manager Eamonn Richards' ball to the back post found captain Shelton, his header across goal was turned in by Twigger for his second of the game.

On 60 minutes Wardens nearly took the lead. After good build up, Wells found Butler in the left midfield position, he beat his man to cross to Hickey. The Wardens forward bullied his two two defenders in the box, and volleyed the ball towards goal, only for it to be stopped on the line by what looked like a hand from the Folly defender.

However, the referee correctly decided it was not a penalty due to the positioning of the arm.

Having been rocked by Kenilworth's resurgence, Folly Lane went back on the front foot, dominating play and attempting to get their lead back. Only two outstanding Andy Whitehouse saves kept the game level.

On 73 minutes minutes Folly lane had a corner, which was cleared by substitute Sean Povey to Thomas on the edge of the area. He rode a tackle and sprinted towards goal.

In the four-on-two situation Thomas expertly found Twigger, who took a touch and hit into the bottom corner, for his hat trick and 13th goal of the year.

With 17 minutes left to play, Wardens began to soak up heavy pressure from the hosts, with substitute James Smith on at right back making two vital stops for goals and the excellent Butler doing the same from left back.

Folly Lanes' best chance to equalize came with six minutes left, but a combination of a great save from Andy Whitehouse, the post and Oldham's clearance kept the game at 3-2.

With three minutes left to play the excellent Thomas took the ball in his own half and ran at Folly Lanes defence. Beating three players he entered the box, being pushed from behind, his momentum beat the keeper but off balance couldn't find the net from the open goal. Despite protests, the referee argued he had played advantage.

But as the final whistle loomed, a long ball forward was not dealt with by Wardens, allowing the hosts to bag a last-minute equalizer with the game ending 3-3.

And despite the last-minute heart break, player-manager Richards was still upbeat after the final whistle.

"If at the start of the season you'd told me we'd be pissed off we didn't win the Prem cup competition and didn't finish second because of the last 90 seconds of both games I would of taken that in a second," he said after the game.

"With the rebuilding work we've done over last preseason and the key players we lost, also being promoted I was worried we'd be struggling this year.

"Today's game was a game of two halves. Shoutout to Jack Thomas who was absolutely brilliant the second half, best 45 minutes I've almost ever seen from a player.

"And Dan Twigger who's worked so hard at his game, he deserved his hatrick today and to finish our top scorer and third top scorer in the league.

"Feel confident for next year, we'll recruit, build on the progress this year and be a better team for it."