Match Report

After the upturn in results of the previous two matches, Kings travelled to Frome
(yes, it does rhyme with gloom!) in optimistic mood and made just one change,
Dean Hitchcock back in for Stevie Ward. The Robins started on the same
number of points, their form somewhat erratic, with a mauling at home to
Basingstoke followed by a win at high flying Merthyr. A sunny afternoon formed
the backcloth to what promised to be an entertaining game, but unfortunately
what followed was mediocre to say the least. There was no doubting the workrate put in by both sides, but the game cried out for some midfield creativity to
open up two sets of defences that were always in command. Town managed
one shot on target in the first half, a Kane Simpson low effort that Charlie Burns
saved, while Kings were unable to trouble James Carey at all. The home side
certainly had the best of the first half, a not unusual situation of late for Langley,
and strung series of passes together to little effect, but the ball generally spent
much of its time airborne, as if not willing to be part of such proceedings.
The second half opened with Kings at last getting into passing mode, but to
much the same limited effect, although a Callum Adebiyi cross gave Mitchell
Weiss a volley well saved by Carey. The pendulum was now swinging Kings’
way as they came more into the game, exerting a lengthy period of pressure,
but Sam Teale at the heart of the home defence was effectively soaking up all
that was thrown at him and Gary Connolly and Jorell Johnson were doing the
same at the other end. As the clock ran down, a goal-less draw seemed
increasingly likely, give the inability to fashion good chances, but Town were
operating with more width, both wide men hugging the touchline at times and
this policy was to pay off with five minutes to go when Kriss Miller’s deflected
cross from the right found Rick Davies on the far side to half volley into the
opposite corner. There was controversy five minutes into time added on when
newly introduced Stevie Ward bust into the box with pace and he and the
attending Ollie Knowles clattered to the ground. It was a 50/50 decision for the
referee who chose to come down on the side of ‘np penalty’ but added salt to
the wound by unjustly booking Ward for simulation. It was a cameo that
summed up a day for Kings that had started in optimism and ended in
disappointment and the frustration of the M25 at its worst.