Battle royal sees Kings slip to 3-2 loss but better display

They took the opportunity to include three of their in-form under-18s players in the match day squad in Aidan Collins, Harrison Kenny and Lewis Hodgins.

The youthful debutants witnessed a slow start from their senior colleagues which saw early pressure from the hosts quickly rewarded when Lynn’s Michael Clunan swept the ball home after Langley failed to clear.

The early breakthrough inspired the home side – fourth going into the game – to surge forward with the dangerous Tom Siddons a constant threat.

Langley had their moments and Mitchell Weiss was desperately unlucky when, after beating home keeper Alex Street to a Brendan Ocran pass, the ball somehow contrived to spin behind him and the chance was lost.

Street was again to the fore minutes later, tipping Ocran’s well executed free-kick onto the post.

The keeper’s interventions paid immediate dividends as Siddons deftly converted a low cross to double the host’s advantage with their next attack.

The setback galvanised the visitors into a period of sustained attacking play with both Ocran and Kieran Turner stretching the defence on the flanks.

Their efforts were rewarded when a deep cross from Turner was headed firmly goalwards by the marauding Callum Adebiyi. The ball was adjudged to have crossed the line by an attentive linesman despite desperate efforts to clear.

The reduction in arrears was just the tonic Langley needed and they started the second period with real attacking intent.

Sadly, the visitors’ enterprise was cruelly undone when an innocuous delivery into the box was scrambled home by Siddons to restore the host’s two-goal advantage.

That setback signalled the introduction of Stevie Ward and the Langley talisman made an immediate impact, sliding home an immaculate Weiss through ball with his first touch.

Kings strived manfully to restore parity right to the end, but the hosts remained steadfastly resilient in defence to deny the visitors the vital equaliser.

The defeat leaves Kings in 21st place in the league standings.

They were due to be in action again last night (Tuesday) when hosting 20th-ranked Dorchester Town. This Saturday they travel to fourth-plac ed Hereford.