The derby between Welwyn Garden City and Hertford Town often delivers - and there were definite moments of quality at times in front of the biggest crowd of the season at the Pexhurst Stadium.

It will be the visitors who will feel more aggrieved at the 0-0 stalemate after a far more enterprising opening 30 minutes.

But WGC are beginning to pull themselves together after an indifferent start to the campaign, and backed by 268 at Herns Lane, they recorded back-to-back clean sheets for the first time since February.

Manager Marc Weatherstone made changes for this clash, restoring Josh Steele to the heart of his defence and introducing new signing Lewis Taaffe to his midfield.

Taaffe, on dual registration with Isthmian League Premier Division Enfield Town, had a quiet debut but was involved in the game’s first noteworthy incident, going into the referee’s notebook on 15 minutes for an ill-timed challenge.

Hertford wasted a chance from a free header from a corner, Harry Gilzean heading straight at Charlie Crowley when left unmarked, and then good work by Manny Olagunju saw him find Taaffe with a through ball, but the newcomer struck his effort straight at Hertford’s Luke Mewitt.

Welwyn lost the impressive Olagunju with a knock to the knee on the half-hour and that forced a re-shuffle, James Kaloczi going into central defence alongside Steele and going on to play another blinder.

Bailey Stevenson, dropped to the bench, came on to give more pep to the Citizens’ attack.

Hertford continued to look the more likely to score and raiding full-back Kurainashe Musanhi, made a fine run into the WGC area only for Steele to get in the way, allowing to run to the safety of Crowley's arms.

City did begin to show improvement as the interval neared and four minutes from the break, Dernell Wynter did excellently to slip between three Hertford defenders and pull a cross back for Brad Wadkins.

He drove a powerful effort just past the far post.

The second-half was a much more even affair.

Hertford’s Sudayisi Sendege opened it with a fine run from the left, striking a 20 yarder that Crowley tipped over, while Welwyn brought two saves out of Mewitt in the space of two minutes.

Firstly, Cyrus Babaie put over a good cross from the right and Wynter, at full stretch, jabbed it goalwards where it was met by the keeper's legs.

Then full-back Ryan Kirwan, another of the home side’s better performers, made a strong run down the left with his pull back being fired at goal by Stevenson, Mewitt again using his lower appendages to diver t the danger.

Freddie Brown, who has seen little action since joining WGC, replaced Ethan Kessel on the hour before Kirwan produced one of the game’s highlights with an marauding run from inside his own half into the Hertford area.

He was just unable to lift his final shot over Mewitt.

The now very even contest saw Babaie get in a fine shot on the turn that Mewitt held comfortably while at the other end, Crowley went down well to tip away another Sendege effort.

And so parity remained until the final whistle.

It ended a run of three successive defeats for Hertford, leaving them 10th in the standings, while Welwyn are up to 14th.

WGC: Crowley, Harris, Steele, Olagunju (Stevenson 31), Kirwan, Kaloczi, Taaffe, Wadkins, Kessel (Brown F 60), Wynter, Babaie (Jones 84).

Subs (not used): Pollock, Martins.