Kings’ run of ten undefeated home games came to an end on another rain-soaked night at the
Sadiku Stadium, as Metropolitan Police strengthened their play-off position with a narrow
victory. Gary Connolly and Dylan Switters returned to the starting line-up and the Blues got off
to a quick fire start as they demonstrated the pace of John Gilbert and Jonathan Hippolyte
down the wings, the latter putting in a shot at the end of a surging run that was diverted for a
corner. However, it was Kings who struck the first blow with the game only five minutes old as
Stevie Ward put the ball out to Rene Howe on the right and his cross was given extra height by
the merest of deflections, to be met by a towering header from Mitchell Weiss for his third in
three. A Rene Howe volley from a Callum Adebiyi run and cross was deflected for a corner as
Kings looked to extend that lead, but suddenly the complexion of the game changed as a
Blues move across the face of the defence arrived at John Gilbert on the left and his shot
through a crowded box to caress the inside of the post was a masterpiece of threading the ball
through the eye of the proverbial needle. The game opened up even more as two confident
teams battled it out for the advantage with a dazzling Andronicos Georgiou run and shot
palmed round the post by Bertie Schotterl, but the goal that was to settle the match had an
element of fortune about it as an Ethan Chislett free kick seemed to be held by the leaping
Alex Tokarczyk, only for him to collide with the post. The resultant scramble ended with Luke
Robertson prodding the ball home and now Kings were chasing the game.
The conditions worsened in the second half, not helping the Langley cause, as they dominated
possession with the Blues confident of soaking up the pressure. The chance that the home
team had waited for duly arrived as the hour approached, but with Georgiou sent through by
Weiss, the former found that Schotterl was equal to his effort, blocking the shot. As Kings tried
everything in the closing minutes, the German keeper was outstanding, making a flying save
from a Mitchell Weiss shot and with a deflection sending Lewis Putman clean through, he won
his second one-on-one, deflecting what seemed to be the equaliser for a corner. So Kings
home run, saved from being a perfect ten wins only by Salisbury’s late, late equaliser, was
over, but both teams are to be congratulated for producing a galvanising match in poor
conditions.