ABERYSTWYTH Town maintained their charge towards a UEFA Europa League play-off spot as they picked up a valuable point from an engrossing goalless draw with bogey side Cefn Druds.

The result guarantees Aber an eighth place finish this season, and their destiny remains in their hands if they win at Cardiff Met on Saturday to climb above the students in the penultimate league game.

A big crowd of just under 500 supporters responded to Aber’s “Footy for a Fiver,” and it was always going to be a tough test against a Druids side that had beat them three times already this season.

In a close-fought encounter, defences were on top as remarkably few clear cut chances were created. Geoff Kellaway and Ryan Wollacott went closest for Aber, and despite a late power cut both teams stayed switched on to take a draw.

Druids, who had done Aber a favour by beating Cardiff Met the previous weekend, took the initiative from the start and home keeper Terry McCormick came out well to deny Jack Kenny early on.

With the Druids buzzing around, Aber were mostly threatening on the break and Mattie Jones made a lung bursting run down the left before pulling out a super cross, but Druids’ Neil Ashton dived in to deny the in-form Kellaway a tap in.

Jones then picked out Kellaway again, but the striker was ruled to be offside.

Kenny then fired wide from a great position, set up by Dean Rittenberg, but in general it was Aber’s holding players who were shining, with Paolo Mendes and Declan Walker both very prominent.

There were half chances as Marc Williams lobbed just over for Aber, and Jamie Davies forced a save out of McCormick.

Wes Baynes set up chances for Walker and Ashley Ruane with free kicks, and Mendes headed over from Jones’ corner.

Kellaway curled wide and Kenny headed over for Druids, with shots on target at a premium as the stalemate continued.

After the break, Williams curled a header just wide from Baynes’ free kick, and home keeper McCormick did well to deny Kenny and Davies for the visitors.

Aber’s Steff Edwards saw a rare effort drop just over the crossbar, and as home supporters in the Dias stand started to make themselves heard, another Baynes free kick whistled past the far post.

A Ryan Wollacott header brought Druids keeper Michael Jones into action with a smart save, and ball from Walker so nearly picked out the dangerous Ruane.

With two minutes to go the floodlights dramatically cut out, but after five minutes of darkness, to cheers from the supporters, they mercifully came back on.

In injury time sub Niall Coleridge almost got his head on to a Jones cross, and Ryan Kershaw fired over the bar for the visitors before the game ended all square.

ABERYSTWYTH TOWN: T McCormick, W Baynes, S Edwards, R Wollacott, G Kellaway (J McDaid 72’), P Mendes, M Williams, D Walker, R Edwards (N Coleridge 90’), M Jones, A Ruane. Subs not used: A Walters (gk), L Jenkins, H Cottam, C Morgan.

DRUIDS: M Jones, N Arsan, N Peate, D Rittenberg, J Evans (J Owen 28’), J Davies, R Kershaw, I Cartwright, D Gosset, N Ashton, J Kenny. Subs not used: M Owen, A Simpson, F Hajdari, A Piskorski. Ref: K Parry. Att: 495.