Welwyn Garden City's four-match winning run in the Southern League came to an abrupt end as they lost away to Aylesbury United.

There were plenty of goals again, Welwyn's 15 Division One Central games have yielded just shy of four goals on average.

However, the 3-2 loss stopped their push towards the top half and would have left manager Marc Weatherstone scratching his head as to why.

The Citizens failed to make a dominant first-half performance count and had somehow turned around 2-1 down.

A poor second 45 left any hopes of a comeback still boxed and was a far cry from blazing opening to the contest.

Bailey Stevenson, who had scored all four at Kings Langley in Welwyn's last outing, collected a pass from Jack Vasey on two minutes but sent his effort skewing past the far post.

It was only a temporary reprieve for Aylesbury though and WGC went in front five minutes later, Stevenson and Dernell Wynter switching passes after a corner before the latter crossed for Josh Steele to score on the turn.

From that point on though, keeper James Callan, on loan from Barnet, foiled the Citizens constantly.

He turned away a powerful effort from Vasey in fine style and then did the same to thwart Josh Bryant, when the full-back intercepted a wayward pass from the Ducks’ Max Cavana.

Little had been seen of the home side until a fumble from WGC keeper Charlie Crowley was forced in by Kennedy Feyi.

He though was offside.

WGC matched that, when they had the ball in the Aylesbury net a second time, Gucci Soulya-Osekanongo sweeping it home from a Wynter pass.

He too saw the flag raised, cutting short the celebrations.

The next excitement in a thrill-a-minute opening half, saw Cyrus Babaie look certain to add a second with a low effort past Callan, only for home skipper Jack Wood to clear spectacularly off the line.

But, just past the half-hour mark, Aylesbury suddenly got themselves undeservedly level.

Crowley had pushed a David Pearce shot behind but from the resulting corner, slack WGC marking allowed Derek Feyi to beat Crowley with a short range header.

Almost immediately, the Citizens came within an ace of restoring their lead.

Debutant full-back Vinny Baker, in for the suspended Alex Harris, sent a cross to the back post for Babaie to head back and make Soulya-Osekanongo look a certain scorer.

Callan had other ideas and a spectacular save on his line kept the scores level.

They weren't level at the break though as the Ducks added insult to injury in first-half stoppage time, Kennedy Feyi reversing his shot back past Crowley into the corner.

But, for as undeserved as that lead was, Aylesbury were the better side after the break.

Wynter did force Callan into an early save and Stevenson had a deflected shot clip the crossbar on its way over.

But Crowley had to make a save to thwart Kennedy Feyi before Aylesbury scored their third from the penalty spot on 72 minutes, a push handing Pearce the opportunity.

Three rapid changes from Welwyn were designed to ignite their hopes late on but all they could muster was a strike from Babaie deep into stoppage time, one that seem to catch Callen out.

What follows is two home games, against Barton Rovers on Tuesday before Ware, fresh from a 3-1 win over AFC Dunstable where former Citizen Jon Clements scored twice on his debut, visit the Pexhurst Stadium on Saturday.

WGC: Crowley, Baker (Mulley 83), Kaloczi, Steele, Bryant, Vasey, Soulya-Osekanongo (Jones 74), Wadkins, Stevenson, Wynter (Jordan 66), Babaie.

Subs (not used): Kirwan, Green.