1st Team v Harpenden Town

No. 15    25th September 2012.     Challenge Trophy - Round 1
Harpenden Town              1 (Martin Davis 72)
Kings Langley                   5 (Sakho Bakare 14,30,42, Jack Johnson 31, Jimmy Armstrong 45+2 pen)
Kings won’t be fooled by this result as Harpenden made nine changes from the team that edged the League encounter three weeks ago. Town got off to a bad start as a goal-bound tussle between Jimmy Armstrong and Elliott Smith ended with contact made as the striker got his shot away. The penalty was arguable, but the sending off of Smith seemed harsh and when calm was restored, Armstrong put his penalty against the post. Kings pressed home the numeric advantage and a Shaun Owens wing pass to Sakho Bakare saw him put a low angled shot into the far corner. On the half hour, Owens won a midfield ball, putting Armstrong through and when his shot was blocked by the keeper, Bakare was following up to net.,. Within a minute, one touch passing between Owens and Bakare put the ball out to Jack Johnson, whose right wing shot beat the keeper from a distance Firmly in control, Kings turned on a display of quick, interpassing football, giving Kevin Ayodele and Evan Connolly chances that skimmed the bar and hit the post respectively, before Jimmy Armstrong’s knock down to Sakho Bakare saw the striker complete his second consecutive hat trick off the underside of the bar. When Armstrong was tripped in the box for a clearer penalty, he made no mistake this time and although Town gave a gutsy performance in the second half, spoiling Ross Hampton’s clean sheet with a superb scissors kick consolation from Martin Davis, he was seldom troubled. Indeed, the young keeper seemed unaware of the introduction of an offside rabbit from the home end, who spent several minutes on the pitch behind him, before losing interest.           Line-up (4-4-2)