There was a feeling of déjà vu as the two clubs found themselves back where they
started a year ago to the day, contesting the opening round of the FA Cup. True to
form, that match was also drawn, leading to a replay at Kings Langley on the following
Tuesday night, a match won by Kings by the narrowest of margins.
As four days earlier, Kings got off to a flying start, although this time it took them three
minutes to take the lead. Some pacy interchanging between the front three saw the
ball laid back to George Ironton, centrally placed just outside the box and his shot was
straight and true past Connor Sansom. For the next few minutes the visitors looked
likely to add to that lead, but the first home attack produced an equaliser with Kendall
Gyamfi netting on the angle after his first shot had been blocked.
The game settled down after that, with both sides striving for an opening and it was
Fosters who took the lead just after the half hour mark. Gyamfi’s right wing run and
low cross caused havoc in the Langley box and youth product Junior Moses, by far
the Player of the Match, placed the ball home after a goalmouth scramble.
Kieran Turner continued to trouble the home defence and saw his shot well saved by
Sansom, but Kings showed more resolve in the second period and restored parity
when Luke Beckwith switched to the right wing and delivered a ground hugging cross
that was missed by attackers and defenders alike, but found Louie Collier virtually on
the penalty spot, to drill the ball home.
After that the game took on the mantle of a typical cup tie, with no quarter asked or
given, long balls dominating and a certain edge creeping into the contest, but tempers
were well controlled by referee Joanne Horwood and although there were half
chances at either end, neither side could find a further way to break the deadlock.
And so, the teams will battle it out all over again on Tuesday night at Kings Langley for
the prize of progressing to the next round.