Welwyn Garden City lost their unbeaten start in the Southern League Division One Central but there was a bank holiday weekend treat for supporters at Berkhamsted.

Both teams had arrived at Broadwater with 100 per cent records and it was the hosts, most people’s favourites to reclaim the Premier Division spot they lost with relegation last season. who took the honours with a 4-3 success.

But they were holding on desperately for maximum points at the death, after the Citizens battled back from 4-1 down with 10 minutes to go, thanks to two Bailey Stevenson goals.

And WGC will have left with a feeling of what might have been but for some missed first-half chances and some rather puzzling changes.

One of those clear cut chances came within three minutes of the start. A fine winning header from Jack Green,  retained in central defence after his performance in the win at Real Bedford, put Stevenson clean through one on one with Josh Bowler.

The home keeper foiled him with a goal-saving body block and Berko capitalised four minutes later with their first attack.

They forced a left-wing corner and although WGC keeper Donny Green blocked the first effort, Josh Chamberlain was on hand to force the rebound in.

It required some fine work by keeper Green to prevent WGC going 2-0 down shortly afterwards when Charlie McDonald sold him woefully short with a loose back pass, the keeper doing well to block Luke Andrews’ effort and then showing nifty footwork to clear the danger.

A fine through ball by Jack Vasey put WGC skipper Brad Wadkins in for another gilt-edged chance, but his attempted lofted effort over Bowler, saw the keeper just claw the ball away.

And there was even more galling luck for the visitors to withstand as Wadkins found strike partner Stevenson with a slick pass.

He shot past Bowler this time, only to see the effort strike the foot of the home post, bounce along the line and come out.

The Comrades again stuck the knife in after these misses, making it 2-0 on 27 minutes with a quick counter attack that JJ Lacey finished off.

However, WGC kept themselves in the fight two minutes later.

Good work by Wadkins got Zuriel Otseh-Taiwo down the right. He slipped his marker and pulled a low cross back for Lewis Croucher to drive a shot confidently into the far corner, for a debut goal for the Citizens.

WGC immediately replaced Vasey, suggesting an injury, with Lucas Jordan just past the half-hour, and Berko scorned the chance of a 3-1 lead when a slick move put Matt Bateman in.

His effort beat Donny Green but also the post as well.

WGC closed an exciting half with a chance for Jordan, set up by a fine pass from Ryan Sellers, but he struck his effort straight at home keeper Bowler.

Unfortunately, the opening stages of the second-half couldn’t match the first 45 minutes for either quality or excitement.

In an attempt to pep matters up, both sides made changes, Berko making a trio of substitutions, while WGC replaced McDonald with Aiden Read, but a little surprisingly he went into midfield, rather than change their central defence.

With 25 minutes remaining, manager Weatherstone gave his latest signing, attacking full-back Layne Eadie his WGC debut, in place of Josh Bryant.

Berko struck the visitors’ woodwork from a right-wing free-kick, central defender Sam McClelland’s bullet header crashing against the crossbar, although keeper Green may have got fingertips to it.

Then a mix-up in midfield between substitute Read and skipper Wadkins saw them concede possession, Berko again broke quickly and played in the dangerous Lacey, who crashed in his second for a 3-1 lead.

WGC introduced Henry Jones with 12 minutes left, for Jack Green, but initially his introduction only heralded a Berko fourth, when home substitute Lewis Thorpe’s long clearance set Lacey away again to outpace Sellers down the WGC left and reach the ball before keeper Green to poke it past him for the Berko striker’s hat-trick goal.

A 4-1 deficit, with 10 minutes left, was very harsh on the Citizens’ efforts in the game, but they were far from finished.

With eight minutes to go, a second goal gave them a new lease of life.

More fine work by Otseh-Taiwo down the right saw him get over a long cross, Eadie rescued it with a back post header into the centre and Stevenson struck the ball home in fine style, from the edge of the area for a 4-2 margin.

As the game moved into five minutes stoppage time, WGC struck again. This time the ball was played down the middle, Jones won a vital header and knocked it down for Stevenson to control and drive his second of the game high above Bowler for 4-3 and set up a grandstand, stoppage time thriller,

The Citizens pressed for the remainder of additional time and had Berkhamsted holding on desperately.

It was a very game effort from WGC, but it ended with no reward.

WGC: D.Green, Otseh-Taiwo, Ejjayha, J.Green (Jones 78), Sellers, Bryant (Eadie 65), McDonald (Read 52), Croucher, Vasey (Jordan 32),  Stevenson, Wadkins.

Sub (not used): Steel.