Match Report: Kings Langley 2:2 Biggleswade Town

A resilient Kings preserved their unbeaten League record by the skin of their teeth for the second consecutive game with another late equaliser in a four goal thriller.
There was an early blow for the home side when playmaker Sam Murphy was ruled out in the warm up, but the long running transfer saga of experienced centre back Matt Hall from Hanworth Town was finally completed in time for him to slot in alongside Jorell Johnson as Jordan Parkes switched to a back three for the first time this season.
The opening half hour was played at a high level of pace and intensity with Luke Andrews hitting the side netting when he should have done better and similar let offs at the other end when Rene Howe was just wide of the post and Louie Collier’s run ended with a shot over the bar. The Waders were to eclipse these missed chances when clever play by Liam Brooks put the ball on a plate for Jon Clements, but he miscued totally from a few yards out. The strike force of Howe and Collier was working well and saw the latter hit the post, but a moment of magic was to give the visitors the lead when Jonathan Lacey hit a measured shot from 45 yards out that sailed over the head of the back peddling Juliusz Pazio in a style reminiscent of a certain Kings’ manager. There was more drama in the last minutes of the half when another foul on a home player, this time in the box, was ignored by the referee, but the Waders didn’t learn and he had little option but to award a spot kick when Rene Howe was brought down in similar fashion a minute later. Up stepped Howe with three successful conversions under his belt, but Jack Berman, who was Kings’ player of the season last year, was equal to the task, getting a hand to tip it onto the post.
Kings were to put the disappointment behind them in the opening minutes of the second half when Rene Howe was to gain some consolation by taking a smart pass from Lorenzo Johnson and chipping the ball over the head of the keeper to put the game on a knife edge again and the Waders thought they’d done it with another fine goal twelve minutes from time as Luke Andrews took a diagonal run across the defence at speed and unleashed a shot that gave Pazio little chance. Cheyce Grant was pitched on five minutes later and was to prove another inspired substitution, as his ferocious cross was deflected into his own net by the Waders hero of nine minutes earlier to give a frantic finish with both sides going, unsuccessfully as it proved, for the winner.
A thumping Bedford win saw them ease further clear at the top and Dunstable drew level with Kings, but with resilience like this and a sideline of substitutions that have yielded five goals and three assists, the positivity and confidence remains high.

Roy Mitchard