An intriguing, closely matched and hard fought contest ended with Kings getting back to winning ways thanks to a Jordan Parkes strike twelve minutes from time. Manager Chris Cummins was able to welcome several key players back from injury and suspension and Kings started at pace, anxious to show that their recent run of results was behind them and fashioned the first real chance when a Stevie Ward shot was well saved by Ben Heath almost at the feet of the incoming Mitchell Weiss. Roddy Collins’ forty yard piledriver was just over and a looping header by Jordan Parkes seemed to adopt slow motion as it beat Heath but hit the post, before Diamonds, who had looked dangerous without finding a finish, wasted a free kick on the edge of the box when Matthew Slinn blasted it over the bar. Still Kings looked the most likely to score as the half played out, a Parkes diagonal free kick resulting in an enterprising Jorell Johnson back-heel well saved by Ben Heath and a Collins shot shaving the outside of the post, but the interval arrived with honours even.

Diamonds came back out with more intent, seeing more of the possession ratio, but the Langley back four, with Johnson and Lloyd Doyley at the centre and Kyle and Gary Connolly on either side, held firm, while Melvin Minter was in commanding form behind them, his kicking setting up several forward runs. As the three quarter mark duly arrived, Langley gradually wrestled back the initiative, with a Parkes-Ward one two from a free kick almost reaping reward, but the game was still poised on a knife edge as Diamonds’ lively winger Ben Acquaye was proving a handful and brought an athletic tip round from Minter. Mitchell Weiss, central up front and supported by Ward and Parkes, had run his socks off all afternoon and his insightful through ball put raiding wing back Kyle Connolly one on one with Heath, but the keeper’s save was out of the top drawer.

However, that was to prove to be the prelude to the game’s defining moment, as Saul Williams cut down the same left wing sixty seconds later and delivered a cross that over-reached the goal. Seemingly from nowhere, the opposite wing back, Gary Connolly appeared and headed the ball back for Jordan Parkes to convert from close range and cue home euphoria. One goal had always looked likely to settle it and it seemed that the visitors knew that, as although they continued to plug away, the Langley defence, well screened all afternoon by Dean Hitchcock, held out comfortably to embrace a very welcome three points.