Welling United secured a hard-fought point as they played out a goalless stalemate with Maidstone United at the J Hearnden Skip Hire Community Stadium on Tuesday evening.

It proved to be a real battle under the lights with neither side finding the breakthrough in an entertaining Kent derby.

A keenly-contested first half saw much of the action played out in midfield as a real battle for possession ensued.

19 minutes were on the clock when Lewis White registered the first shot on target for the Wings as he tested Stones keeper Lucas Covolan with a low drive from the edge of the box, before Kain Adom sent a follow-up towards the bottom right-hand corner from similar distance which was also saved.

For Maidstone’s part, Sam Bone saw an effort skimming well wide, while Levi Amantchi’s glancing header was held by 19-year-old academy graduate Javarn Pitterson, who was making his league debut for the Wings between the sticks.

The cagey nature of the encounter continued into the second half with little to separate the sides.

A Maidstone counter-attack 10 minutes after the restart saw Pitterson get down well to keep out Sol Wanjau-Smith, before Lachlyn Byrd proved to be the hero, keeping out the goal-bound follow-up with his face.

Youngster Pitterson continued to give a good account of himself as he plucked a plethora of Stones crosses into the box out of the air, before keeping out Amantchi again, getting down low to his right to keep the forward out from distance.

At the other end, White came close for Welling when he saw a shot saved by Covolan, but the Wings came closer still in agonising fashion seven minutes from time when they hit the woodwork.

A break forward saw the ball put into the box for the winger in a good position, only for it to get caught under his feet. Adom, however, recovered well to spin and smack his shot off the left-hand upright.

There would be one more big chance for the home side in third minute of additional time when Crossley Lema was played into the right-hand side of the box with just Covolan to beat, but the keeper made the save to save a point for his side.

In truth, it was a great battle between the sides with the point apiece probably a fair result on the night.

The Wings will now prepare for another test on home turn in four days time when Chippenham Town visit DA16.

Welling United: Pitterson, Lema, Byrd, Burchell, Green, Kassarate, Bramble (Papadopoulos 61), Odusanya, Bramble, White (Tanga 72), Adom, Abrahams.

Subs (not used): Idem, Curran, Muwonge.

Maidstone United: Covolan, Hoyte, Ezennolim (Brown 72), Greenidge, Fowler, Corne, Wanjau-Smith, Aransiba, Kyprianou (De-Graft 67), Bone, Amantchi (Gbode 79).

Subs (not used): Earle, Petrasso.

Booked: Aransibia 59 (foul), Bone 70 (foul)

Referee: Morgan Conn

Att: 818