Match Report

Kings Langley paraded their new signing, ex-Kettering Town striker Rene
Howe, for the trip to Dorchester Town and welcomed the return of skipper Gary
Connolly, while Josh Coldicott-Stevens came in for the injured Jacob Cook. The
Town’s impressive stadium is now graced by an artificial pitch and both sides
treated the pitch and each other with respect for the opening quarter before a
good move between Howe, Mitchell Weiss and Davide Pobbe ended with the
latter’s goal bound shot deflected for a corner. But the good work was undone
minutes later at the other end when Kavan Cotter failed to control the ball and
Cameron Murray picked his pocket to take the ball round the exposed Charlie
Burns, giving the home side the lead. Kings fought back with the pace of Weiss
and the experience of Howe giving the Magpies some anxious moments, but a
well marshalled defence coped adequately and Town were generally good
value for their interval lead.
The game continued into the second period in much the same way, with Burns
pulling off a tip round from a free kick and two needless fouls in dangerous
positions putting Kings under undue pressure. But the visitors were beginning to
retrieve the balance and a Mitchell Weiss break and shot was diverted for a
corner and a Renee Howe header plucked from the top corner by Kingsley
Latham. Town had the ball in the net in the 69th minute, but the effort was
offside and then almost immediately a good combination between Weiss and
Howe saw the latter’s header give Davide Pobbe the space to hit a tremendous
shot on the volley as it dropped over his shoulder, Latham was beaten and
Kings were level. The game had turned as Kings went for the winner, but it was
Dorchester who took advantage to break and Murray had time to double his
tally via the post. Once again facing the prospect of defeat on the road by the
narrowest of margins, Kings refused to lie down and saw their chance when
Tom Blair was booked for a foul wide on Kings’ left. Lee Stobbs took the
resultant free kick and the incoming Gary Connolly swept the ball past Latham
with a low first time shot. As both sides tried to strike a balance between going
for the points or holding what they had, Town came nearest when Burns pulled
off a good blocking save before the whistle signalled that vital first point for a
tenacious Kings.