1st Team v Hemel Hempstead Town

HALLOWEEN HORROR FOR HEMEL
No. 19    Tuesday 31st October 2017.     Herts Senior Challenge Cup – Round 1
Kings Langley         3 (Ocran 31 pen, Adebiyi 39, Karagozlu 42)          Hemel Hempstead Town        0
Kings Langley pulled off a shock result in the Herts Senior Challenge Cup when they dispatched National League neighbours Hemel Hempstead Town by a three goal margin in the Herts Senior Cup to book themselves a second round tie at home to Watford. Manager Paul Hobbs was without both first choice strikers and switched to a 4-2-3-1 formation, with first starts for Ceykan ‘Jay’ Karagozlu and Warren Plowright and new signing Michael King leading the line on his second start in a young team with an average age of 22. Hemel fielded five of the team that saw action on Saturday with three more on the bench and started in blitzkrieg mode that saw both Sam Tring and Gary Connolly clear off the line in the first seven minutes. Paul Walsh had the ball in the net soon after, but the referee had spotted an infringement and as the pressure continued, Ebby Nelson-Addy watched an inswinging shot pass just over the bar. Kings had to wait until the 26th minute for their first serious effort, which ex-King Danny Boness blocked, but  minutes later had to be at full stretch to deny a Michael King shot. The home side were now showing far more confidence and when another attack resulted in a goalmouth melee and defensive protests at a clash between Emmanuel Folarin and Boness, the discussion between referee and assistant was the prelude to the award of a penalty for a previous handball. Danny Boness got a hand to Brendan Ocran’s spot kick but couldn’t prevent its passage and the game had been turned on its head! Within ten minutes, another series of blockaded shots saw the final ricochet fall to Callum Adebiyi on the edge of the box and he met it sweetly on the volley to give Boness no chance. Kings’ fans thought they were still dreaming when the ball was played forward to an incoming Ocran on the left and his intelligent cross-goal acute diagonal pass was buried with a maturity beyond his years by the 18 year old Karagozlu. The latter then turned Kyle Connolly in the box, the trip led to another penalty and this time the Ocran rasper hit the underside of the bar and was held by the keeper. A shell-shocked Town were able to steady the ship but offer little more in a second half that was tame by preceding standards and Kings defence, in which the central pairing of Gary Connolly and fit again Sam Tring were outstanding, held firm. Jorell Johnson was a revelation in midfield, Josh Coldicott-Stevens grew into his No. 10 role and Michael King was always available as the lone striker, while the introduction of Under 18 starlets Harrison Kenny (16) and Aiden Collins (17) on the hour was a testament to the future as both acquitted themselves well. All in all, it was a treat for Kings’ fans, but a Halloween horror for Hemel.   RM
KLFC Man-of-the Match Award sponsored and nominated by A2B Performance :- Brendan Ocran