No. 36 Thursday 20th March 2014. SSML Challenge Cup – Round 3
Kings Langley 1 (Campana 79)
F C Broxbourne Borough 0
With three games a week now the scheduled norm, Kings made seven changes from the Tuesday’s line-up against Harpenden. A full debut was handed to current Under 18 wing back Tom Bourke, while Matt Collier, now a regular at the heart of the Reserves defence , made his first appearance this term. They still had enough to dominate possession and while Borough are vastly changed from the team that led the table before Christmas, they have a solid defence and an impressive keeper in Michael Ball. He pulled off a superb double save from Alex Campana and Lewis Pritchard and soon was to deny the latter again, saving his shot on the run. Mark Brennan gave Kings a scare when through on goal, but Sam Izzard seemingly came from nowhere to avert the danger. The pattern continued to a backcloth of continual rain, the home side pressing but being inches away with cross conversions or just missing chances they should have converted. Under 18 keeper Charlie Hoskins also made a second half debut, as did Bradley Hedges, who was instrumental in the late winner. Borough had burst into life in the seventieth minute, Ross Price just wide and then Fred Dooling bringing a reaction tip-over from Hoskins, before the spectre of extra time was finally banished as Hedges sent a long through ball from his own half into the path of Alex Campana. In a race with three defenders, he was forced marginally wide, but cut back to beat his man and deliver a shot that Ball got his hand to, but couldn’t hold. There was time for some drama, as Gary Connolly prevented an equalizer with a goal-line clearance and Ball repeated his double save trick, this time from Matt Collier and Mason Bush, before Kings advanced to the Quarter Final.