TAMWORTH THE WIN

Kings travelled to table toppers Tamworth, who are beginning to open up a lead on the back of four straight league wins. For a team in transition and still suffering from a lengthy injury list, it was always going to be a tough task and when a powerful, hard running, hard pressing side, displaying some incisive passing, took the lead after seven minutes, away support feared the worst.

A Louie Collier inswinging cross had caused the Lambs some concern when it ran along the crossbar, but midfielder Bilal Yafai’s fairly ordinary shot found its way past a hesitant defence and keeper to give the home side the lead minutes later. Melvin Minter then denied Daniel Creaney with a fine tip round the post as Tamworth continued to press, but Kings finally found some answers on the quarter of an hour mark with a Callum Adebiyi header just wide and a like effort from Stevie Ward after Collier had delivered a good cross while under pressure. These were merely interludes as Minter pulled off another fine save from home skipper Ryan Beswick and desperate defending cleared the ball off the line after it had hit the inside of the post. Saul Williams, making his debut after an exchange deal the previous day had seen Max Hercules travel the other way to Berkhamsted, provided the only other effort of the half on target, his header comfortably taken by Jasbir Singh. The second half began in similar fashion, Tamworth slicing through the Kings ranks, but suddenly the tide turned and a different looking Langley side actually had far the better of the next twenty minutes, creating several opportunities, the best of which was a Kane Farrell free kick inches over and a Mitchell Weiss shot blocked at the last minute. But Tamworth, proving to be the best team Kings have faced this season, showed their class by absorbing the pressure and then counterpunching with a Tyrell Waite goal slipped home from a free kick with fifteen minutes to go. Kings still refused to give up the cause and reverted to matching their opponents in everything apart from finishing as full backs Alex Anderson and Kane Farrell made several penetrating runs and crosses that front men Mitchell Weiss and Saul Williams were just unable to convert.

For Tamworth, it’s a four point lead at the top, for Kings, it’s a glance over the shoulder at those below, but the second half performance will have strengthened the manager’s belief that a difficult period has been weathered and better times are just round the corner.