Welwyn Garden City left Langford Road feeling they had been robbed of any reward from their rearranged Southern League fixture with Biggleswade Town.

They had Jack Vasey sent off in stoppage time at the end of the game, and then conceded twice to fall to a 4-3 loss.

It was tough to take for Welwyn who had led 2-0 in the opening stages and then retook the lead at 3-2 with 10 minutes to go.

Manager Marc Weatherstone was without the injured Ryan Kirwan (heel), skipper James Mulley (ankle) and the unavailable Alex Harris for the game, so Zac Brown and Josh Bryant retained their full-back positions and Ethan Kessel started in midfield.

WGC began in tremendous fashion, showing some of their best form in what has been a very disappointing start to the season.

In seven minutes they were ahead, new signing Lewis Taaffe splitting the home defence with a fine ball to Dernell Wynter.

He helped the ball on to Bailey Stevenson, whose low cross was put away in trademark style from close in by Brad Wadkins.

Ten minutes later Wadkins and Welwyn had doubled their tally.

A Kessel corner to the back post wasn’t cleared and as the ball bobbled around, the WGC skipper lifted a shot over Seb Stacey.

WGC were irrepressible at this stage and it took a tremendous save from Stacey, deflecting a Stevenson effort around the post, to prevent them going three up, on 18 minutes.

But from there, the Citizens’ grip began to loosen.

Just before the half-hour mark, the home Waders were back in it, JJ Lacey able to advance from midfield and fire low into the corner.

A possible handball handed Biggleswade a penalty in the half's closing moments but Crowley pulled off a fine save to thwart ex-Citizen Jon Clements, then tipping a shot over as the rebound wasn't cleared.

Crowley continue to preserve the lead in the early stages of the second half, beating away another Clements’ effort, and then WGC lost Josh Steele to injury.

Vasey also came on to add bite in midfield for the final 25 minutes but by this stage the momentum was all with the Waders.

And on 71 minutes they levelled, Brown’s poor clearing header from a crossfield ball latched on and punished by Luke Andrews.

A point looked the Citizens’ best outcome at this point, but Stevenson gave them hope of more as he got through, only to strike his effort straight at keeper Stacey.

But Welwyn did start to show more spark and after Cyrus Babaie was brought down to the left of the area, newcomer Taaffe stepped up to loft a fine effort over the home defence and into the far corner for 3-2.

But Taaffe wasn’t as impressive when he gave the ball away as the game moved close to stoppage time, Vasey earning a booking trying to retrieve the mistake and it proved a significant caution.

Moments later Biggleswade’s Brett Longden and Stevenson clashed over the delaying of a throw-in which ended with the Welwyn man on the floor but also in the book.

Vasey made his opinion known and got issued with his second yellow to leave WGC with 10 men for the final seven minutes of the game,

A low cross from the right in stoppage time saw Crowley fumble and Clements force an effort over the line for 3-3.

And worse was to follow two minutes from time, Damani Hunter crashing in the winner to leave WGC shocked and again pointless from a game in which they had shown much of their best side of for so long.

WGC: Crowley, Brown (Z), Kaloczi, Steele (Boodhoo 58), Bryant, Kessel (Pollock 67), Wadkins (Vasey 64), Taaffe, Stevenson, Wynter, Babaie.

Subs (not used): Olagunju, Mulley.