1st Team v Leverstock Green

No. 50    Saturday 4th April 2015.     Spartan South Midlands League – Premier Division
Kings Langley               2 (L Toomey 48, 68)    
Leverstock Green          0     
With the finishing line in sight, Kings produced a strangely subdued first half performance as Leverstock Green, 15 places and 51 points in arrears of their hosts, gave a spirited and cultured account of themselves, attacking from the off. Charlie Cowley was forced into a superb tip over in the third minute and Luke Ladyman made a perfectly timed recovery tackle on Sledge Mubama when the latter was through. Kings did produce a good move mid half that ended with Lewis Toomey netting, but that was disallowed for offside and apart from a Mitchell Weiss shot past the post, they ended the half as distinctly second best. The management duo of Ritchie Hanlon and Paul Hughes were not amused, making two substitutions and switching to a 4-3-3 formation and things improved almost immediately. Mitchell Weiss hit the bar and Lewis Toomey buried the rebound with a stooping, close range header, but Green refused to be daunted by that set-back and Callum Wright failed to capitalize on an error by his namesake as the usually reliable defence still showed an uncharacteristic vulnerability. Carl McClusky went close for the visitors, but Langley finally ensured that the form book was ratified when a Weiss cross from the left was headed home in emphatic style by the experienced Lewis Toomey. Dan McNicholas made a great fingertip save onto the crossbar to deny Ollie Cox, while Green went to the end, still putting together some neat interpassing moves, without a real cutting edge. For Kings, it was a case of not playing particularly well, but still grinding out a win and that is exactly the quality needed to become champions. Victories in the next two matches would see expectations exceeded and that title bestowed next Saturday.