The Yellamen's assistant manager described Ascot’s first-half performance as "the worst 45 minutes of the season" and they were indebted to Grace for keeping them level as the Moles looked to take advantage.

The second-half saw a much-improved Ascot denied by a fine Dan Weait save in the Binfield goal as he pushed away a Damien Markman effort that looked destined for the top corner.

With neither team able to break the deadlock it finished 0-0, and McGrotty admitted that it was a fair result in the game dubbed the "B3034" derby.

He said: "It's one of those games where both managers will probably feel they could've won it as both sides had some great chances.

"But in the end I think you have to accept that a draw was a fair result. In the first-half we just weren't at the races. For whatever reason we didn't get started and we could've easily fallen behind.

"It was without doubt the worst 45 minutes we've had this season but Chris made some great saves and got us to half-time level."

He continued: "We just counted ourselves lucky to get in at half-time level.

"We regrouped and had a good go in the second-half but it wasn't to be.

"We've been quite disappointed with our league form recently and it seems that any hopes of the league title are over as there's a lot of teams in better positions than ourselves in the table."

The Moles were dominant in the first-half and went close in the opening stages as Jemel Johnson’s drilled effort went just wide of Grace’s left-hand post.

Ian Davies was then denied before Seb Bowerman’s stinging effort was tipped past the post by the commanding Grace.

The keeper was excelling and he was twice forced to make crucial one-on-one saves before half-time as he denied Josh Pearson and Davies.

The second-half continued in a similar vein as Grace pushed away a Carl Withers effort in the early stages.

But Ascot were much-improved in the second-half and they had chances to win it themselves, with Grace's opposite number called into action late on.

Weait had already saved from Jon Bennett and Daryl McLean before he made the save of the match from Markman to earn Binfield a deserved point. A long clearance reached the Ascot striker and he fired towards goal from close range but Weait was equal to it to tip the ball round the post and ensure the game ended goalless.