Welwyn Garden City hit the woodwork an incredible four times as Coleshill Town produced a fine second-half comeback to draw 2-2.

Twice in the first half and twice after the break the Citizens saw efforts come back after the frame of the goal and they will wonder what would have happened if only one of them would have been an inch the other way.

However, even though Welwyn had got themselves into a two-goal lead, Coleshill deserved their point for a much-improved second-half display.

It was far from what the fans at Herns Lane had witnessed in the first half.

Two goals inside two minutes midway through it had looked like putting City on their way to a comfortable victory.

Their first was drilled low into the corner by skipper Danny Payne after a clearance fell at his feet just outside of the box.

But while that was a perfect example of technique, the second from Jon Clements was anything but.

It wasn’t even a shot.

That said it was a fantastic definition of perseverance of defending from the front and never giving up anything.

Coleshill had the ball inside their own box but with the defender facing his own goal.

Last year’s top scorer though refused to give him a moment’s peace and as Guy Clarke twisted and turned, Clements stuck in a foot which prodded the ball into the same corner as Payne found, and past the despairing drive of goalkeeper Paul Hathaway.

City could have had another couple too as they struck the frame of Hathaway’s goal twice.

Dave Corran was the first with a free-kick from the left-hand side of the area which went up and over the wall but came back flush off the crossbar while Nick Elliott, from roughly the same spot, sent one across the keeper but watched it come back off the post.

Had they gone in it would have been game over but that was a far cry from the opening quarter of the game where the Coleman were very much in the game.

Giovanni Dainty was their man attacking outlet and the big number 11 twice went close before the clock hit 15 minutes.

His first effort was an aptly-named dainty chip after spotting Dan Green off his line. That went narrowly over and his second attempt needed a fine block from Corran.

A third Coleshill attempt at goal was headed over moments after Jon Sexton produced a superb defensive clearance with Liam Molesworth breathing down his neck.

The goals had rocked the Birmingham side though and they looked relieved to hear the half-time whistle.

And after the break they upped the tempo to came right back into the game in the second half but only after Zanone, who had forced Hathaway into a fine stop on the stroke of half-time, become the third City man to strike the post.

But that let-off, coupled with a change of tactics and formation, seemed to be the catalyst for a Coleshill revival.

And it was no surprise when they pulled one back, Nick Seabourne with a delicious glancing header from a corner that lofted over Green and in.

It had been coming with the Welwyn keeper forced into a fine stop to deny substitute Kyle Hayden a few minutes before.

Afterwards it still looked like Coleshill were the most likely to get the next one but WGC still had chances on the break.

However, the expected equaliser did arrive and it was down to more desire from the visitors.

Green had made a fine save at full length to push a Connor Doyle shot out but Jack Smith was the only man on the move, getting to the rebound with nobody around him and sending it into the corner.

It sparked Welwyn into life again and Ash Kersey had a header bounce off the bar before Elliott stung the palms of the keeper with a shot from distance.

A draw though was probably the fairest result and the Citizens can take a lot of positives going forward.

WGC: Green, May, Sexton, Payne, Dada (Bond 61), Corran, Rolfe, Spaul, Zanone (Kersey 77), Elliott, Clements.

Sub (not used): Close

Goals: Payne 25, Clements 27

Booked: Payne 44

Coleshill Town: Hathaway, Webb (Hayden 46), Deakin (Doyle 63), Jackson, Clarke, Smith, Molesworth, Halsall, Seabourne, Washbourne, Dainty.

Subs (not used): Baldwin, Gibson.

Goal: Seabourne 66, Smith 82

Booked: Webb 40

HT: Welwyn Garden City 2 Coleshill Town 0

Attendance: 95

Referee: Ashley List (St Neots)