1st Team v Buckingham Athletic

No. 32    Saturday 22nd February 2014.     Spartan South Midlands League – Division 1
Buckingham Athletic                        0  
Kings Langley                                   1 (Campana 16)
Kings held on to an early lead to record a gritty win against the odds at Buckingham. A Jack Johnson header and a Paul Insley shot off the bar were a prelude to Alex Campana’s perfectly flighted free kick that was to prove the match-winner after 16 minutes. Mark Odell was cautioned for a crunching challenge as the game became more physical and Lee Burgoyne was unlucky to join him a minute later as the book was balanced. When the midfielder was unwisely immediately involved in another incident, he was shown a second yellow and Kings were on the rack with 37 minutes gone. However, they still looked far the better side with Tom Carter putting a header wide and a good looking penalty appeal denied when Jack Johnson was brought down. Deputy custodian Andy Burnell justified his inclusion with a flying save from Odell in a rare home attack, but the second half then progressed with the ten men looking the most likely to score, keeper Tom Clarke using his legs to deny Johnson and then saving point blank from the same player. Alex Campana was still a good outlet up front and mention should be made of Under 18 graduate Sam Izzard, who slotted seamlessly into absent skipper Gary Connolly’s midfield role. But as the seventy minute mark was passed, the heavy and unpredictable pitch began to take its toll and it was backs to the wall as Craig Preston cleared a spilled shot off the line, Paul Dearlove missed a sitter and the referee awarded a home penalty in the last minute, only to change his decision thanks to an alert assistant. Not for the faint hearted, but a second win and a second clean sheet in four days in Buckinghamshire.