Langley denied in derby with Dunstable

Kings Langley were denied a deserved point at home to Dunstable Town on Tuesday despite a second half onslaught.
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After being somewhat fortunate to earn a point three days earlier, Kings experienced the other side of the coin when they failed to cancel out a 22nd minute Blues penalty.

Kings were again denied the space to express their trademark free-flowing football in an uncompromising Southern League Premier encounter apart from some lively moves down the left, one of which saw a Josh Chamberlain cross almost converted by Connor Toomey.

It was the visitors, though, who got the vital opener when Alex Cathline was brought down by Xavi Comas and Jack Hutchinson converted the penalty.

When they had the ball in the net again, albeit with the flag already raised, the omens didn’t look good as a well-built defence, containing former King, Joe Debayo, looked more than capable of handling the home attacks.

These problems were addressed with a double half time substitution, Gary Connolly and Lewis Toomey coming on for Dean Hitchcock and Ollie Cox, and the picture of the game immediately changed.

Sean Coughlin took the ball to the right corner flag and somehow got over a cross to Lewis Toomey, but the striker did not connect cleanly and the ball spun agonisingly past the junction of post and bar.

Ryan Plowright pierced the tight defence with a through ball for Connolly, but Jamie Head pulled off a superb save to tip the ball round the post. Then there was a double block from Plowright and Lewis Toomey as Kings applied unrelenting pressure.

Town made a double substitution of their own, but little changed as Kings introduced the pace of Oran Swales to tighten the screw.

But with 15 minutes to go, Langley began to sense that this was not to be their night when a side footed Connolly free kick to Connor Toomey saw the latter’s thunderbolt rattle the bar.

David Longe-King was dismissed for a second yellow in injury time that saw Josh Chamberlain take no further part, but the Blues left with the spoils of a well-matched and intriguing encounter watched by 122 spectators.

Kings go in search of their first win at home to Slough Town on Saturday, then visit Biggleswade Town on Tuesday.

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