1st Team v Northwood

No. 7    Saturday 30th August 2014.     F A Cup – Preliminary Round
Northwood                        1  (Byfield 3)
Kings Langley                   1  (Cox 75)
Kings will take  Southern League Northwood back to a Gaywood Park replay after a battling draw in the F A Cup. Wood started at a furious pace and threatened to overwhelm the visitors, going ahead after three minutes when Sam Byfield found too much space on the left and slipped the ball home. They continued to spray the ball round, making intelligent off-the-ball runs, and were aided by a Langley back line that failed to learn its early lesson, seemingly being drawn to Northwood’s right and leaving their left understaffed. Alex Campana registered two attempts on goal, as did Northwood’s Nicholas and Murray, but Kings were holding on for the next half hour, their passing and possession retention uncharacteristically sub-standard.  Then came a defining moment, as Ant Ladyman pulled off a superb save in a one-on-one incident and inspired Kings to finish the half strongly, Campana bringing a flying save out of Berkley Laurencin. The second half brought a growing realisation that this tie was far from beyond them and with Lee Burgoyne continuing to inspire his midfield to match their opponents, Callum Adebiyi’s surging runs from defence causing problems, and Nick Jackson ever active pulling the strings behind the front two. Ant Ladyman still had to thwart the opposition with two more outstanding saves, but one sensed that Kings had ridden the storm and were competing on equal terms and so it proved with fifteen minutes left on the clock. Mitchell Weiss had seen his shot inches wide of the post, before a partially cleared corner fell to Ollie Cox and his twenty yard piledriver went in off the post. With both sides going for a winner, it was the Kings number one who had the last word, denying Rob Hastings in the last minute.