KINGS FOLLOW THE SUN TO SHADE PROMOTION
LAST DAY DRAMA SEALS RISE TO THE PREMIER

A season of dramatic twists and turns went to the very last Saturday and saw Kings achieve promotion to the Premier at the expense of their matchday rivals Bedford. After a year retired from the game, former Kings Langley manager Paul Hobbs returned to football at the helm of neighbours Sun Sports and enticed six first team players (Jimmy Armstrong, Craig Lynskey, Nathan Pooley, Liam James, Ross Hampton and Gary Wallace) to Cassiobury, prompting an atmosphere between the two clubs, that was to last all season as they battled it out for the title, accompanied by the wallflowers of Bedford, who were to be the wild card in the duel. With Ben Long and Gary Coyle not retained, the management signed Lee Burgoyne, Dean Hitchcock and Danny Hutchins from AFC Dunstable and Dunstable Town, while welcoming back Lewis Pritchard after a four year absence. Lewis was a former product of Kings Langley Youth F C and an integral part of the treble winning side of 2007-08 that also featured Craig Preston. Jordan and Connor Toomey, brothers of former favourite Lewis, joined from Leighton Town and Berkhamsted respectively, along with Paul Insley from Leverstock Green and Ricardo Bailey from Barking.

JULY
With so many changes, pre-season friendlies took on an even greater importance and victories were recorded against CB Hounslow, North Greenford United, Aston Clinton, Sarratt and Hillingdon Borough, with reversals against Hemel Hempstead Town and Bedmond.

AUGUST
It was then down to the serious business as Sawbridgeworth Town were the visitors in the Herts Charity Shield. It was rather a let-down, as Kings finally lost a match they should have won, losing Jordan Toomey to an injury that halted the match for forty minutes and then by agreement, going straight to penalties, losing 5-4. Danny Hutchins and Joe Gallagher had twice given Kings the lead, with the Saws equalising for a second time eight minutes from the end.

Buckingham Athletic were soundly beaten 6-2 in the opening League match, with Joe Gallagher (2), Lewis Pritchard and Paul Insley on the scoresheet before joint manager Ritchie Hanlon scored two after coming off the bench.

A midweek victory over newly promoted Risborough Rangers by 3 goals to nil continued the good start, with Connor Toomey, Callum Adebiyi and Sam Warrell the scorers.

It then got even better when United Counties Premier side Long Buckby arrived at Gaywood Park for the first round of the F A Cup and must have found the coach journey home a long one, as they were on the wrong end of a 3-1 scoreline that frankly flattered them. Jack Johnson had a good afternoon, scoring two and setting up the other for Tom Carter.

Back to League action and in a highly entertaining game of flowing football, Kings dispatched previously unbeaten Broxbourne Borough by three goals to one. The pace of the visitor’s front men was awesome, but Kings established an early two goal buffer through Ritchie Hanlon and Jack Johnson and Sam Warrell scored late to record a significant victory.

Langley hit the top of Division One after the midweek fixture at Bedford, but surrendered their 100% record in a thriller. Joe Gallagher hit two contenders for goal of the season so far, as the visitors dominated with a flowing display, but a penalty brought Bedford back into it and they forged ahead with a confident second half display. Adam Hallissey rescued a deserved point in the last ten minutes.

There was further F A Cup joy when the scalp of another Combined Counties Premier side, Newton Pagnell Town, was added to Kings belt with a battling display after being in arrears. Lee Burgoyne equalised and Adam Hallissey won it with another late goal.

SEPTEMBER
Southall visited in midweek and frustrated Kings with a scoreless draw that seemed to be what they came for, as they too remained unbeaten in the League.

The following Saturday was very disappointing as Kings crashed out of the F A Vase at the first hurdle to Colney Heath, who scored three goals in twelve first half minutes to effectively kill the game. A late Gary Connolly strike was scant consolation and even allowing for the loss of five first team regulars, it was a poor display.

It was possible that some of the team had half an eye on the following Saturday’s fixture, the F A Cup 1st Qualifying Round at Ryman Premier leaders Wealdstone. This was certainly the big one for most of the Kings players in front of 332 spectators in a compact stadium. After punching above their weight in defeating two clubs from a tier above, taking on a side three steps above was always going to be a mountain to climb and when the influential Joe Gallagher was lost to a deep knee gash, the gamble to try and patch him up misfired as two goals were conceded while down to ten men. Stones ran out 6-1 winners, Shaun Owens pulling it back to 4-1, but Kings battled to the end and left the field to a standing ovation from the travelling faithful.

Back to League duty and several games behind the rest, Kings looked to have laid the Crawley Green hoodoo to rest with a 2-0 lead through Adam Hallissey and Jack Johnson, but when they again saw the opposition come back to take the lead, this time there was no late rescue act as a season ending injury to Ritchie Hanlon saw the ten men unable to get back on terms.

Spirits needed to be lifted and former Watford Academy product Alex Campana was signed to shoulder the goalscoring burden and he made an immediate impact at Amersham Town, scoring a hat-trick and making the other for Connor Toomey in a 4-2 win.

When he did it again four days later, the conditions were a little easier as a thumping 11-1 home win was registered over Harpenden Town. Rampant Kings were three up before Town’s Golder was dismissed just before the break and went for the jugular as Adam Hallissey and Tom Carter also scored trebles and Connor Toomey and Lewis Pritchard completed the rout. Unfortunately, Sam Warrell’s season was also ended through injury as the last twelve minutes were played as ten a side.

OCTOBER
Three days later there was an 8-1 drubbing of Buckingham Athletic in the League Cup. This time it was Paul Insley who grabbed his chance with a hat trick, with two from Lewis Pritchard and one apiece from the subs Mitchell Weiss, Dean Hitchcock and Alex Campana.

A physical Winslow United were the next visitors and Kings won a battling encounter 2-0, with goals from Jack Johnson and Dean Hitchcock, but finished the game with nine men after a controversial refereeing performance handed reds to Paul Insley and Alex Campana.

The next difficult match was away to F C Broxbourne Borough, already emerging as one of the promotion favourites. Kings had inflicted their only defeat on them earlier in the season and looked likely to do so again, producing their best first half display of the season to batter Borough, hitting the bar and having three cleared off the line. Borough got an early second half goal, Kings immediately equalized through Adam Hallissey and it was a bitter pill to swallow when the relieved home side stole the points in injury time.

The attention then switched to the Herts Senior Centenary Trophy, which Kings won two years ago, and the visiting Wormley Rovers from the County League put up stubborn resistance, before goals from Hallissey, Campana and Insley saw Kings safely through to the next round.

A dour game at Risborough Rangers’ picturesque ground resulted in the visitors holding on to an early Adam Hallissey supplied lead and three days later Stony Stratford Town went down 4-0 at Gaywood Park with Gary Connolly and Dean Hitchcock putting down markers for the Kings Langley Goal of the Season and Connor Toomey and Lewis Pritchard also being on target.

The month closed with high flying Welwyn Garden City visiting on a run of ten wins and a draw in their last eleven League matches. Kings were without long term injury Sam Warrell, the suspended Alex Campana and skipper Gary Connolly and Connor Toomey, both injured four days earlier. Dean Hitchcock dispatched another rocket, this time from forty yards and Kings held on to take the points and move into fourth place in a tight top-of-the table group.

NOVEMBER
The month opened with Kings moving another place up the table to third position, as they comfortably dispatched Kentish Town at the Middlesex Stadium. Jack Johnson gave Langley the lead from the penalty spot and Lee Burgoyne’s volley ensured a 2-0 interval advantage. Alex Campana and Adam Hallissey saw Kings in cruise control with two more goals, but a bizarre last five minutes saw both teams hit two apiece (Campana and Insley for Kings) to give a 6-2 scoreline.

Kings rested a few players for the following week’s Herts Senior Centenary Trophy at Sun Sports and turned in their comprehensively worst performance of the season so far to exit the tournament by five goals to one, with Paul Insley scoring the consolation.

However, they were back to their best three days later as Wodson Park were swept aside in the Division 1 Cup in a 7-1 scoreline. The strike pairing of Lewis Pritchard (3) and Paul Insley (2) were too hot to handle and Jack Johnson and Adam Hallissey added two further goals in time added on.

The next Saturday saw basement boys Langford visit Gaywood Park and against all expectations come away with a point. They grabbed a goal from a breakaway on twenty minutes and then withstood everything that Kings could throw at them. Keeper Adam Harpur, signed from Premier League Biggleswade United the previous day, had a stormer and was finally beaten by Lewis Pritchard to set up a frantic finish, but Kings couldn’t find a way through.

After a two week break, Kings brushed aside Arlesey Town Reserves with a 5-0 home victory. There was a penalty by Gary Connolly and goals from Paul Insley, Adam Hallissey, Alex Campana and Lewis Pritchard, whose late strike ensured that all four of the goalscorers from open play reached double figures for the season so far.

DECEMBER
Kings avoided any Challenge Cup upset by comprehensively beating Division 2 leaders Kent Athletic to progress to round 3. They again struck early goals, with Mitchell Weiss on the end of a free kick and a powerful Craig Preston header converting a corner. Kent kept themselves in it until half time, but Weiss added his second in the last minute of the half and Kings rode some physical second half attention to add further goals from Campana, Pritchard and Carter to set up a home tie with Broxbourne Borough.

The goals continued to flow as a ruthless Kings Langley showed no mercy in demolishing a Stony Stratford side under new management, hitting double figures for the second time this season. Alex Campana scored three and had a hand in four more, while there was a brace for Adam Hallissey and Lewis Pritchard. Tom Carter, Gary Connolly and a Callum Adebiyi solo rounded off the performance.

The last match of the year saw the much awaited clash of two of the top four at Sun Sports. Sun fielded no fewer than eight ex-Kings, including the prolific Jimmy Armstrong, with a further two on the bench and if the atmosphere was a little chilly, the pace of the game was hot, with Kings dominating the first half, but Nathan Pooley giving Sun the lead against the run of play and Gary Connolly equalising from the spot. The second half was a much more even affair with one goal likely to settle it and it fell to the head of Ashley Lewis from a free kick with ten minutes to go, leaving Kings ruing missed chances.

JANUARY
Nine points separated the top eight as Kings entertained contenders Baldock Town, but when Alex Campana scored, then set up Tom Carter for two goals in a minute, Kings drove on to record a 4-1 victory with further goals from Ben Long and a second from Campana. Kings moved back up to third and received their third ‘Division 1 Team of the Month’ award of the season.

Paul Insley gave Langley an early lead against Chesham United Reserves, the home side equalised and Gary Connolly and Craig Preston restored the advantage, before a second half brace from Alex Campana secured the points in wet and windy conditions that were the portent of a raft of postponements over the next four weeks.

FEBRUARY
After four weeks of enforced inaction, Kings were understandably rusty on the visit to Winslow and United’s long ball tactics were more suited to a predictably heavy pitch. Having to forsake their usual interpassing game, Kings were over-hitting the long passes, but were given a bonus when Ash Farmer was shown a straight red for kicking a prone Lee Burgoyne on the half hour. The visitors immediately turned the screw and as the second half ground on to the background of constant verbal complaints from the home team and its management, the deadlock was finally broken 15 minutes from time when Jack Johnson lashed home a loose ball from a goalkeeping block. Danny Hutchins, making a welcome return from Dunstable Town, unleashed a 25 yard guided missile into the net as Kings reaped the rewards from keeping their heads when all about them were losing theirs.
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Four days later, Kings held on to an early lead to record a gritty win against the odds at Buckingham Athletic, as Alex Campana’s perfectly flighted free kick was to prove the match-winner after 16 minutes. Lee Burgoyne was dismissed for a second yellow after 37 minutes and the visitors had to produce a backs-to-th-wall performance to hold on to the points. It was certainly not for the faint hearted as the referee awarded a home penalty in the last minute, only to change his decision thanks to an alert assistant.

MARCH
After only two matches in February, it was inevitable that it would be a busy month, with revised fixtures coming thick and fast. In the clash of third v fourth at Welwyn Garden City, Kings were without leading scorers Campana and Hallissey, but the pace of the replacement duo, Jack Johnson and Paul Insley troubled City from the start and they looked good value for a 1-0 lead through Gary Connolly as half time approached. But City grabbed an equalizer in time added and two second half uncharacteristic errors from the defence left the visitors with too much to do, despite a second goal from Gary Connolly.

The weather had another trick up its sleeve, when fog saw the game at Arlesey Town abandoned after 68 minutes with Kings leading 3-0. With a schedule of three games a week beckoning, the re-played fixture was the last thing needed!

Such disappointments were put behind them as Wodson Park were soundly beaten 7-0 at Gaywood Park and although Alex Campana notched a hat trick, it was Connor Toomey with two goals and numerous assists, who was the star of the show. New signing Nick Jackson and Tom Carter got the others.

The pursuit of the top two was continued with a vital win against a Harpenden Town side on the crest of a run of six wins and two draws and keen to avenge their early season drubbing at Gaywood Park. Town mastered the heavy conditions to take a first half lead, but a change of tactics saw Kings equalise through Craig Preston as the hour passed and with the game on a knife edge, Kings stole it with a 25 yard Danny Hutchins free kick with ten minutes to go.

Two days later, Kings made seven changes, gave youth a chance, and still had too much for Broxbourne Borough, going through to the quarter final of the League Cup with a single goal by the prolific Alex Campana.

Fortune and officialdom failed to smile on Kings Langley as they hosted bogey side Crawley Green and lost their home record and vital ground in the title race, as well as finishing with nine men. Yet it had begun so well, when Nick Jackson scored in the third minute, but as Green’s physical and verbal tactics gave an edge to the game, they levelled with a cross deflected off the head of Callum Adebiyi. A hotly disputed penalty saw Danny Hutchins dismissed for his protest and proved to be the winner as Lee Burgoyne followed him soon after for a second yellow.

Kings Langley had to cram three fixtures into the last week in March and made six changes for their Division 1 Cup Quarter Final at Baldock Town. A young side performed above themselves to go through with a 2-1 win after extra time, with current Under 18 striker Matt Bateman getting the 99th minute winner, after Tom Carter had pulled Kings level on the stroke of half time.

Two nights later, Kings fielded a full first team and trounced Kentish Town at Gaywood Park, Alex Campana hitting the net four times. Tom Carter, Connor Toomey, Jack Johnson and Paul Insley were the other scorers.
Another two day break and the last Saturday of the month saw the journey to Chesham United Reserves, where Connor Toomey hit a brace in the first quarter of an hour in a 3-0 victory that was closer than the scoreline suggests. Paul Insley supplied his customary goal after vacating the bench to seal the win in the second half.

APRIL
As April commenced, another midweek game brought Premier side Stotfold to the Park in the League Cup. Kings fielded another young side, who again acquitted themselves well, taking the lead through Matt Collier but ultimately going down 2-1, thus giving Stotfold the fixture congestion headache.

With the promotion race now down to a three horse race, Kings were in ruthless mood against bottom club Langford, who had parted company with their manager three days earlier. Alex Campana and Gary Connolly grabbed hat-tricks in an 8-0 rout, with Tom Carter and, of course, Paul Insley scoring the others.

The return visit to Baldock Town, this time in the League, followed a similar pattern to the Cup game, with Lee Harman again giving Town the lead, which they held until the 75th minute. As the clock ran down, a Connor Toomey cross was converted by Gary Connolly and Kings were still going for an unlikely winner in time added on as Callum Adebiyi launched himself and the ball over the line to complete the great escape and keep the team on the tightrope.

As the relentless pace continued, Codicote were dispatched 6-0 at home, with this time Paul Insley registering a hat-trick and Carter, Campana and Weiss completing a second half avalanche of goals.

It was the same scoreline when Kings travelled to Wodson Park four days later and rotation gave Under 18 Billy Stevens a chance that he grabbed with two hands and two goals! Connor Toomey also bagged a brace, with the experienced Nick Jackson also on target. Mitchell Weiss again demonstrated that the step up from the Reserves was no problem and his goal was just reward for an all-round display.

And so to the return leg of the local derby with Sun on Easter Saturday before a large crowd. Sun’s line up was again dominated by ex-Kings Langley players with eight on the pitch and three on the bench. Both teams had passed the one hundred League goals mark, but it was defences that dominated and one goal by Jimmy Armstrong was to settle it in Sun’s favour as they again made the most of the fewer chances.

Kings showed character to bounce back with a 3-1 victory at Southall on Easter Monday as Nick Jackson calmed nerves with a first minute strike and Gary Connolly and Jack Johnson produced a second half buffer before a very late consolation for the home team.

The last fortnight of the season saw the pace of three games a week continue and Kings took time off from the League to travel to Chesham United Reserves, booking their place in the Division 1 Cup Final for the third consecutive season by winning 5-2 in an entertaining game. Nick Jackson again got Langley off to a good start and Mitchell Weiss (2), Paul Insley and Under 18 Matt Bateman rounded off the visitors’ scoring.

On the day that Sun cemented the title, Kings continued their battle for the second promotion spot with a win at Codicote. Mitchell Weiss broke the deadlock with a goal either side of the break, settling the side’s nerves as they went on to win 4-0 with further goals by Alex Campana and Paul Insley.

Amersham Town came to Gaywood Park two days later, on the Tuesday evening and felt that they had little option but to ‘park the bus’ inviting Kings to find a way round it. Despite possession and incident it seemed a long time before Nick Jackson found the way with two first half goals and Paul Insley’s double completed the job. The surprise news that Bedford had emphatically ended Sun’s 25 game unbeaten run three miles down the road with a shock 4-1 scoreline, meant that it would all be decided with the visit of Bedford.

MAY
Fate had decreed that the fog abandoned match at Arlesey Town Reserves had to be slotted in two days later and a Town side that showed no resemblance to that which had been trailing 0-3 previously, fought for every ball and held a weary Kings to a goal-less draw. In the event, the two points that Langley felt they had lost made no difference as a draw would still suffice against Bedford in the final League match two days later. Both sides were equal on points, but Kings goal difference was the best in the division.

So to the day of destiny, Saturday May 3rd, in front of a bumper Bank Holiday crowd Kings Langley and Bedford lined up to decide which of them would achieve the prize of promotion. Although the draw would suffice, stacked against Kings was the fact that they entered the match having had to play four games in the last week and a punishing and unbelievable schedule of 21 games in the last 56 days and without regulars Jack Johnson, Craig Preston and Dean Hitchcock. The management made the bold decision of selecting Steve Bourke in goal over regular Ant Ladyman and gambled on the fitness of Callum Adebiyi, who was subsequently immense throughout the whole afternoon.

Bedford opened confidently and dominated for the first twenty minutes, but keeper Steve Bourke pulled off two outstanding saves to keep Kings in the game. The first, from Ashley Kersey was good, but the second, a minute later, bordered on the unbelievable, as wrong footed, he tipped the ball onto and over the bar. Kings recovered and came close when Gary Connelly’s lob was just wide with the keeper beaten and then Nick Jackson’s snap shot was tipped round for a corner and finished the half in the ascendancy, but did have an anxious moment when Bourke was called on yet again for a break resulting from a poor offside call.

A long first half finally finished and Kings were forced to substitute an unwell Connor Toomey as the war of nerves continued. As the contest moved to midfield and chances became fewer, Kings seized the season’s defining moment in the sixty sixth minute. Summing up an unpredictable and dramatic campaign, it fell to the experienced defender Jonny Munday, who was born within a stone’s throw of the ground, was recalled to the squad this week, and was making only his third appearance of the season as a replacement for Craig Preston. Tom Carter took a ball on the left flank and teased the defender with at least six changes of direction before releasing the perfect cross for Munday to deliver a powerful header past Bodger to the delight of the players (see below) and the home support. Surely this was it, the dream had been realised, but no, Kings delight in doing things the hard way and a quick corner saw Luke Knight rock them with a snap shot equalizer with twelve minutes to go after their attack seemed to have shot its bolt. As the long afternoon ground to a tumultuous conclusion, it would be reflected that Kings probably had the most dangerous moments and dealt fairly comfortably with Bedford’s attacks for the last minutes, but at the time, it was a precipice waiting to be fallen over and after an interminable five extra minutes, the final whistle sounded, signalling scenes of celebration for a promotion that was thoroughly deserved.

The season was ended on a high as the Division I Cup was retained in the third consecutive Final appearance. Risborough Rangers brought an army of vociferous travelling support to London Colney’s Cotlandswick ground, which added to the atmosphere, but in the event Kings had the greater say where it mattered – on the pitch. It probably counted in their favour that they’d used up their quota of nerve jangling tension in winning promotion and looked more relaxed than Rangers, who were last season’s runners up in the Division 2 Cup Final. Nevertheless, the ‘twelfth man’ of support gave the Reds a quick-fire start, but Kings took the lead through Mitchell Weiss in the twentieth minute and doubled the advantage on the half hour with a swerving Danny Hutchins 20 yarder off the inside of the post. The second half saw an assured display from Kings as the defence demonstrated why they have the best record in the division, frustrating an attack that never really got going. Rangers support and players went to the end, but it was fitting that as the last playing minute of the season was entered, substitute Nick Jackson put Gary Connolly through and the skipper made it 3-0 with a powerful shot As the curtain came down on an impressive season, the celebrations were a little quieter than the promotion aftermath of four days previously, but after weeks of hopes and fears and calculations, the Kings Langley faithful, drained of emotions, probably felt that they had earned the right to relax at the end of a historic season.

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