Kings keep good run going

Coupled with their 1-0 triumph at home over Walton Casuals on New Year’s Day and a fantastic run that has seen the side win five of their last six games and nine of the last 12, Kings have now moved up to the heady heights of seventh place in the Southern League Premier Division South.

They completed their second league double of the season on Saturday when beating Hendon, with an enhanced second-half performance that earned all three points.

It was the first time since late September that they had to come from behind to seal a win.

Roy Syla regained his midfield spot in the absence of the suspended Dean Hitchcock, but with Barnet announcing their decision not to extend his loan, it was to be his last appearance in a Kings shirt.

Boss Steve Conroy made the bold decision of keeping faith with the youth of Charley O’Keefe and Louie Collier and consigned the experience of Junior Osborne and Mitchell Weiss to the bench.

Hendon had the better of the first 15 minutes on their artificial pitch and raiding wing-back Tenesheh Abrahams was enjoying acres of space on the left.

The exit of former Kings youth striker Connor Calcutt through injury on 18 minutes proved a blessing for Hendon as his replacement, Granadan international Elliott Charles, out-jumped Alex Tokarczyk to head home an Abrahams cross with virtually his first touch of the ball on 20 minutes to give the hosts the lead.

Abrahams continued to be a menace but with Jorell Johnson and Callum Adebiyi keeping the shackles on new signing and former Kings’ favourite Lewis Toomey, little was made of the threat, while it was to be five minutes from the interval before Rene Howe finally tested former Kings’ custodian Danny Boness.

The second-half introduction of Weiss changed the complexion of the game and it was little surprise when Kings equalised through an O’Keefe free-kick that saw Adebiyi rise imperiously to put a perfectly-placed header beyond Boness.

Syla had a good chance one-on-one with Boness minutes later but blasted wide, however the confidence had drained from the Dons, six straight defeats having seen their progress in the league diametrically opposed to Kings’ recent rise.

With 20 minutes to go, Kings hammered home their advantage. A Syla corner was headed against the bar by Howe and in the ensuing scramble Josh Coldicott-Stevens got a toe to the ball to force it over the line.

There was time for Matty Harriott to be dismissed for a wild challenge on Syla, but Kings were coasting to victory.

Langley have a break this weekend before the tough test of travelling to second-placed Weymouth next Saturday.