SUMMERTIME’S OVER AND KINGS FEEL THE CHILL!
Saturday 27th October 2018. F A Trophy – First Qualifying Round
Kings Langley 0 Needham Market 2 (Mills 77, Marsden 83 pen.)
As an arctic wind blew across the pitch, there was little to choose between Kings Langley and Needham Market in the first half, but Kings had edged a match in which both teams had tried to play fast flowing interpassing football. A cagy opening twenty five minutes looked to have been broken when a telling Gary Connolly cross fell to Mitchell Weiss, who picked his spot but was thwarted by a fine save by the spread-eagled Jake Jessup. The keeper nearly went from hero to zero when he spilled a Lee Stobbs cross minutes later, with Rene Howe snapping up a shot on the turn only to see it blocked on the post. Market had their chances when a shoot on sight policy saw Adam Mills and Tariq Issa fire narrowly over, but Mitchell Weiss ended the half with another shot that produced a full length tip round from Jessup.
The visitors stepped up their possession rate in the second half, with Kings struggling to mount any attacks of note and new goalkeeping signing Alex Tokarczyk pulled off a spectacular flying save from Luke Ingram. With the game still finely balanced, Mitchell Weiss’ instinctive volley on the turn was only inches the wrong side of the bar, but with thoughts turning to a replay, the deadlock was finally broken when a cross from the right caught the home defence napping and travelled across the goalmouth to the unmarked Adam Mills, who drilled the ball home. When Mills was needlessly brought down in the box by Max Ryan six minutes later, Joseph Marsden effortlessly converted the penalty and Needham’s place in the next round was assured, while Kings miserable week ended with a second cup exit. RM