HONOURS were shared in a thrill-a-minute contest between these close neighbours and rivals at the Racecourse last night as Wrexham three times came from behind to earn a point that keeps them very much in the hunt for promotion.

That they did not make it three points was due to the spirited performance served up by their opponents, which made a mockery of their lowly league position.

One of the few teams in the division to have more games in hand than the home side, due to prolonged and presumably profitable runs in both the FA Cup and LDV Vans Trophy, the Shrews saw their last chance of silverware this season bite the dust at Carlisle United last week.

Whether that's a blessing in disguise will be revealed only a few weeks hence when the bread-and-butter of the league is resolved. But it must be a mystery to the visiting fans last night why their side have regularly failed to reproduce their knockout form, and a similar level of commitment to last night, in the Third Division, where they find themselves too close for comfort to the relegation dogfight.

Like the Dragons, who have Shaun Pejic and Paul Whitfield, they boast a couple of promising Welsh U21 internationals in Jamie Tolley and Darren Moss. The experience in the side is provided by the likes of Nigel Jemson and Ian Woan, who struck an early blow as Shrewsbury opened with the philosophy that attack was the best form of defence, particularly in a derby watched by Wrexham's largest league crowd of the season.

Not three minutes had passed before the visitors went ahead, when Pejic, recalled in place of the suspended Dennis Lawrence, conceded a corner and Woan's in-swinger, aided by the gusting wind, beat Andy Dibble to dip into the net at the near post.

Boosted by the goal, Shrewsbury chased and harried their opponents at every opportunity and it was 10 minutes before the home side threatened, when Darren Ferguson's centre was dropped by former Racecourse regular, Mark Cartwright, although the keeper recovered quickly to snatch the ball off the toes of the in-rushing Carlos Edwards.

When Wrexham had the ball, they were faced by a wall of six or seven blue shirts and, using the wind as an aid to the quick counter-attack, Luke Rodgers drove an 18th-minute effort not too far over the crossbar.

The Dragons had thus far been unable to use their wide men, Paul and Carlos Edwards, but their potential threat was underlined when Lee Trundle sent Paul Edwards down the left after 21 minutes.

His excellent cross seemed destined for the head of Andy Morrell until Matt Redmile intervened, conceding the first of two corners that signalled a steady build-up in momentum by the home side.

Jim Whitley saw a powerful drive deflected behind by Woan after 26 minutes and it was all-square four minutes later. Tolley was booked for bringing down Carlos Edwards in full flight and Ferguson's quickly-taken free kick was instantly controlled by Trundle, who turned to beat Cartwright from the edge of the penalty area with his trusty left foot.

But Wrexham undid all their hard work within four minutes when their defence was caught horribly square and Jemson did well to retrieve a harmless-looking cross, heading it back into the danger area where Tolley atoned for his earlier error to restore the visitors' lead.

Despite losing Steve Thomas, who was replaced by Scott Green five minutes before the break, the Dragons kept up the pressure, and when Carlos Edwards won another corner with a deflected shot, Darren Moss headed away Brian Carey's goalbound header from under the bar.

Shrewsbury found themselves under the cosh from the restart, but Redmile muscled Morrell aside fairly as the striker homed in on Green's low centre. The defensive wall did its job to block Ferguson's free kick when Cartwright was penalised for time-wasting, and the keeper then went down to gather a Steve Roberts effort from 18 yards.

It was no real surprise when the visitors cracked again in the 58th minute after Stewart Talbot was pulled up for a foul on Carlos Edwards and Jemson was then booked for not retreating. Ferguson took the ball forward 10 yards before curling it up to Morrell whose fine, glancing header gave Cartwright no chance.

Great movement from the home side conjured up another chance but when Carlos Edwards lifted the ball over the keeper, Redmile was there to clear the danger. It was an important clearance as Shrewsbury then took the lead for a third time.

The visitors had men to spare on the left and it was Alex Smith who arrowed the ball into the middle for Jemson to outjump Brian Carey and send the ball past Dibble.

This time, though, their advantage lasted just three minutes as the home side hit back again, Trundle doing well in a tight space to pick out the unmarked Paul Edwards for a close-range header.

Wrexham swept forward again and only a fine save from Cartwright denied Green as he burst forward to meet Ferguson's precise pass. When the ball ran loose, Morrell's follow-up effort came back off the inside of the upright.

The action showed no signs of subsiding and substitute Phil Jagielka went close for the visitors with a stunning drive before the woodwork denied the Dragons again with four minutes left when Trundle's fierce effort was deflected on to the bar by David Artell's outstretched foot.

WREXHAM: Dibble; Roberts, Carey, Pejic; C Edwards, Whitley, Ferguson, Thomas (Green, 40), P Edwards; Trundle, Morrell. Subs: Rogers, Homes, Jones, Morgan.

Booking: Ferguson.

SHREWBURY: Cartwright; Moss, Smith (Van Blerk, 77), Redmile, Artell; Wilding, Tolley, Talbot (Jagielka, 77), Woan; Jemson, Rodgers (Lowe, 90). Subs: Atkins, Aiston.

Bookings: Tolley, Jemson

Referee: Graham Salisbury (Preston). Att: 7,024.

Man of Match: Paul Edwards. For an outstanding, energetic performance, both defensively and going forward, topped off by his late goal that earned Wrexham a point.