Welwyn Garden City missed the opportunity to go top of the Southern League Division One Central table after being held at home by long time rivals Biggleswade.

The point from the hard fought, no quarter given 0-0 draw means they are level on points with leaders Hadley but behind on goal difference.

And while it ended a run of three straights wins, it was a fourth game unbeaten, the last three all with clean sheets.

And there will be plenty of disappointment in the WGC camp that they didn’t take full points from a very close contest, having just shaded it on both territory and goal chances.

The Citizens were without two of their scorers from Saturday’s 4-0 home win over North Leigh, both skipper Brad Wadkins and Lewis Taaffe unavailable.

Matty Whichelow started in midfield in place of Taaffe and Henry Jones was recalled from a loan spell at Harpenden Town to fill Wadkins’ absence up front.

In addition, Jack Green and Ryan Sellers were deemed not fully fit to start and had to be content with places on the bench, alongside the club’s latest recruit Eddie Corbit, the WGC based midfielder, just signed from Real Bedford.

WGC had the first opening of what proved a feisty game, central defender Aiden Read getting his head to a seventh-minute Whichelow free-kick, it directing it wide.

Benjy Crilley picked up the first booking of the game for not retreating from a Biggleswade free-kick that found their skipper Lawrie Marsh in space, but he couldn’t get a solid touch to it and the effort ran harmlessly through to WGC keeper Joe Welch.

Chances were certainly at a premium, but the best of the first 45 minutes saw Jones hook the ball on for Bailey Stevenson to run clear for the only time in the half.

Biggleswade's rangy defender Dan Carey-Evans got in a tremendous, last gasp challenge to deflect the final effort wide for a fruitless corner.

The deadlock continued into the second-half and on the hour, WGC boss Marc Weatherstone gave new boy Corbit his second WGC debut in place of a tiring Whichelow.

Biggleswade broke menacingly through forward Lee Northfield, but when he squared his final pass, there was a weak finish from Martucci that caused keeper Welch no trouble.

There was a controversial moment on 68 minutes, when referee Evans initially awarded a penalty to WGC, when Stevenson was fouled as he turned on the edge of the box.

But after consultation with his assistant, Mr Evans judged it to be outside the area and gave a free-kick, and Stevenson struck that attempt poorly wide.

The Citizens top scorer did much better with a spectacular dipping volley that was just deflected over the bar five minutes later.

From the resulting corner, WGC had shots from Jones and Stevenson both blocked, before defender Crilley put the final effort wide of the far post.

It seemed likely, long before the final whistle, that a goalless deadlock was going to be the outcome, but midway through five minutes of stoppage time, WGC introduced Green, for his heading prowess, for a last minute corner.

He met it and powered his header goalward, but it was just off target, as all other efforts had been all evening.

WGC: Welch, Otseh-Taiwo, Eadie, Crilley, Read, Kirwan, McDonald (Green 90+3), Bennett, Whichelow (Corbit 60), Stevenson, H.Jones (L.Jones 79).

Subs (not used): Steel, Sellers.