LEISTON'S hopes of making the most of their game in hand on the play-off pack above them didn't go fully according to plan at a cold Biggleswade Town on Tuesday night, as the Blues came away with a point in a 0-0 draw.

The Waders, well adrift at the bottom of the Southern League Central Premier division and with only three wins all season, kept the Blues at bay to complete a disappointing few days for Chris Wigger's side, following on from the 3-4 defeat at home to Barwell on Saturday.

Chances came and went for the Blues as the home side made life difficult for their visitors, and indeed it was the home side who could have grabbed all three points themselves late on.

However, the bigger picture is that the Blues are still in the play-off hunt in eighth place, five points off fifth. Leiston travel to Alvechurch on Saturday.

Blues midfielder Albie Armin spoke after the game: "We came here after a disappointing result on Saturday. We knew it was going to be tough, we fought hard, but perhaps didn't have enough quality.

"We probably maybe deserved a goal, we defended well. The lads up front stuck at it but it was just one of those nights."

Ollie Yun (injured), Kyran Clements and Ismael Fatadjo (on the bench) were replaced by Rossi Jarvis, Armin and Adam Mills respectively in the starting XI at Biggleswade, while Jack Manly came back into the squad.

The hosts won an early free kick after just two minutes but Blues captain Seb Dunbar headed the ball away from danger. A minute later and Eddie Jackson had a chance from a corner for Leiston but his strike was blocked from close range. Four minutes later and the Blues had a better chance, with Mills flicking on a corner but Jamar Loza couldn’t get a good connection with the ball and Biggleswade cleared their lines.

Dunbar’s cross was then taken by Jack Berman in the home goal while Albert Wood was off target a minute later at the other end.

Wood had a better chance on 13 minutes but volleyed the ball well over from a corner while Ben Fowkes broke away at the other end but shot wide of Berman’s right-hand upright.

Wood had another chance on the edge of the area but was wide with his shot before Biggleswade's Michael Adu went down and had to go off to be replaced by Tsagulm Guimdo Florian.

Halfway through the first period, Mills tested Berman from distance as chances were hard to come by. Fraser Alexander shot well over the bar before on 39 minutes and Fowkes got in on goal but Berman saved his strike well to his right.

Blues 'keeper Billy Johnson saved an early shot on goal inside 40 seconds of the second half before, on 53 minutes, a dangerous free kick went into the Blues box but the offside flag was raised.

Leiston nearly went ahead on 57 minutes when Loza was sent through on goal and Biggleswade made a good challenge in the box before Loza regained the ball and forced Berman into a good low save to his left. Loza went close again five minutes later after good work by Armin but his strike was deflected just wide.

George Quantrell, who was having a good game in midfield, got in the area but Charlie Briggs made a good challenge. Jackson cleared away a strike from the home side at the other end as time ticked away and on 86 minutes, Berman side footed away Quantrell’s low cross and then Mills’ effort was as deflected just wide.

Both sides then had half-chances from corners before Blues sub Kyran Clements headed just over for Leiston.

Both teams had great chances to nick all three points at the death. In the 88th minute Armin could only find Berman from six yards after good build-up play by Loza.

Leiston created a couple of corners in stoppage time and then Biggleswade almost grabbed a winner, but somehow a goal mouth scramble ended when the ball went past Johnson’s left-hand post, with the referee signalling the end of the match.

FT: - Biggleswade Town 0-0 Blues.

Line-ups: -
Biggleswade Town: - Berman, Ibrahim, Wilson, Simpson, Briggs, Doherty, Wood, Andrews, Steele, Adu (sub Florian 27 mins), Kufuor. Subs not used: - Fisher, Lewis-Burgess, Ademiluyi.
Blues: - Johnson, Rayworth, Dunbar, Armin, Rossi Jarvis, Eddie Jackson, Mills, Alexander, Fowkes (sub Clements 83 mins), Quantrell, Loza. Subs not used: - Fatadjo, Manly, Saunders, Ryan Jarvis.

Blue Man Of The Match: - George Quantrell.
Attendance: - 91.