Kabir Kareem, one of several players signed for the midweek League Cup encounter, impressed Chris Cummins enough to be handed a start at right back in place of the injured Eli Hearn.

But it was his goal early in the second half that was good enough to rank as a match-winner that separated the teams until Taunton grabbed a late equaliser that their performance scarcely merited.

The first chance fell to the visitors, a rocket punched over by Kings keeper Jack Berman, but Kings picked up the pace and a neat move between Harry Crawford and Roddy Collins saw the skipper blocked in a one on one with keeper Will Buse.

A like interchange between Arel Amu and Kyle Connolly resulted in Buse preserving parity again, but when Connolly’s weaving run and cross set up Amu, the striker put the ball over the bar from close range.

Kings were dominating the game and the overworked Buse was off his line again to save from Collins, but the Peacocks came back to test the credentials of Jack Berman with two good chances that he dealt with competently. The flow returned as the break approached, with Collins relishing his wide role and just wide with a snap shot after an Alfie Williams drive had been blocked by Buse.

It was likely that the visitors had been given a half time lecture that included the words ‘position in the table’ and ‘complacency’, but it was Kings who made the dream start. Kabir Kareem received the ball wide right and turned inside to beat his marker. The cross was expected, but Kareem bent an exquisite shot into the far top corner that looked a goal from the moment it left his foot.

Mindful that they had been in this position twice before at home and surrendered a telling result, Kings went all out for the vital second with powerful shots on target from Roddy Collins, then Kyle Lincoln, but that man Buse held them both and after an Alfie Williams long shot was deflected onto a post, Taunton sensed a reprieve.

A fierce mid-air volley from Lee Lucas would have been an equaliser to savour, but resulted in a narrow miss and a match ending injury, before the visitors forced four consecutive corners. From the last, Jacob Wannell headed home from the pack and although Kings claimed a push, loose marking was more to blame.

Kings threw everything forward and Crawford was thwarted by Buse again, but home fans were cheered by the first appearance of the season of Bradley Wadkins and he was inches away from a heroic return, firing Harry Crawford’s knock down just over in the dying moments, leaving a feeling of two points lost, rather than one gained.