Four teams separated by four points and three-quarters of them have four games to play. The race for the Southern League Division One Central title couldn’t be tighter and Kings Langley remain in the thick of the hunt despite being held to a goalless draw at Fleet Town last night.

Paul Hughes and Ritchie Hanlon’s side had begun the evening top after beating Uxbridge 3-1 on Saturday, but slipped to second on goal difference behind Egham Town after they beat the team Kings replaced at the summit, Royston Town, 3-1 yesterday.

Royston, arguably, still have a marginal advantage – as long as they win their game in hand – but fourth-placed St Ives Town are also poised to pounce if any of the three teams above them slip up during the run-in.

Last night’s fixture originally took place three days before Christmas, but was abandoned at half-time due to torrential rain, with Kings leading by a Mitchell Weiss goal.

Last night’s rearranged game saw Kings line up without the injured Ryan Plowright and Connor Toomey, while Fleet had the worries of a lengthy injury list added to by losing Craig Martin after seven minutes.

The visitors began with a 3-5-1-1 system that looked cumbersome, and Fleet, attacking from the off, exploited the right flank when a pacey run and shot by Rob Carr was met by a flying block by Xavi Comas.

Tactics were adjusted, but the keeper was beaten by a lob hit back in from a rebound that saw Danny Hutchins clear off the line and a Simba Mlambo shot was tipped over as Town asked the majority of the questions.

Kings gradually responded, with a Dean Hitchcock shot just over, a four-man move seeing Gary Connolly fire just wide and a rampaging run by Callum Adebiyi almost break the deadlock.

Town’s number 9 Ben White was posing a variety of problems, but received a head injury in an attack on the stroke of half-time and was to take no further part in the contest. He would probably have made more of a poor clearance by Comas, blocked by his replacement Craig Stanley, but the danger was scrambled clear.

The game continued at a ferocious pace with Fleet having good chances through Carr and a Liam Gilbert free-kick, while Stuart Deaton was agonisingly close with a header at the other end, having come up for a corner.

Lone striker Weiss looked increasingly isolated as Kings attempted to find a way through, but there was late drama as Comas had to vacate his area to clear a break, the ball was pumped straight back to the goal, but Hutchins had dropped to the goal-line to repeat his rescue act.

Then, in the fourth and final minute of time added-on, Fleet had the ball in the net from a scrambled corner, only to have it disallowed for a foul on the keeper.

Both sides were applauded off for their part in a contest that was anything but a no-score bore draw and a gritty Kings performance won a hard-earned point as Egham beat Royston to wrest the top spot on goal difference.