By Roy Mitchard

With a total of five strikers ruled out, as Saul Williams and Louis Yamfam joined the list, the irony of meeting a hitman who had been their nemesis over the last five years was not lost on Kings Langley.

Conor McDonagh had scored against the Kings on each of his three meetings when with Banbury United and made it three in three for Marine with two stunning goals either side of the break.

With options limited, Langley fielded six teenagers with a further two on the bench and although they started well enough with attractive approach play, little headway was made against an experienced looking defence. On twenty minutes, a corner found the head of McDonagh and although Alfie Marriott reacted to tip the ball onto the bar, it bounced down instead of over and Jamie Edge converted the loose ball for the goal to be given after the referee changed his mind upon consultation with his assistant.

McDonagh broke free fifteen minutes later, but although a superb saving tackle by Jorell Johnson robbed him of the ball, the striker made no mistake when a right wing cross by Henry Spalding was powerfully headed home to give Kings a mountain to climb.

Young forwards Coree Wilson and Tecane Shrowder were replaced by Jack Moriarty and Kyal Williams and although the latter injected some pace into the proceedings, the tide was now flowing one way, as Bradley Hooper fired over and David Pratt hit a post. That proved to be a stay of execution, as the visiting midfield lost the ball and the irrepressible McDonagh unleashed a screamer from outside the box that gave Alfie Marriott no chance.

Roddy Collins forced Martin Horsell into his first save just after the hour and Kyal Williams combined with Kyle Connolly for the latter to fire just over, but the home side resumed the pressure with Matt Liddiard hitting woodwork again. Skipper Roddy Collins had switched to a right wing role and his cross gave a glimpse of goal to Leo Farruch, but he was closed down by the powerful defence.

A Kyle Connolly angled piledriver was gathered at the second attempt by Horsell, but Marine finished comfortable winners, while for Kings, the continuing form of 17 year old Leo Farruch was one ray of sunshine on an grey August afternoon.