Table topping Kings Langley battle back to sink Stotfold

The first 10 minutes produced goal attempts from Kings Langley trio Mitchell Weiss, Lewis Toomey and Alex Campana, and it was against the run of play when Ben L’Honore seized on a rebound to round Ant Ladyman and put the Eagles ahead.

The visitors were finding good football difficult on an extremely heavy pitch, but it was the sheer power and persistence of Weiss that pulled them level.

He robbed a defender, lost it when surrounded by three players, retrieved it from a grounded position, and then wriggled clear of all three to put a well-placed low shot past Adam Harpur.

However, an unfamiliar Langley back-four formation continued to look cumbersome, and L’Honore took advantage again as he won a 50/50 ball with Ant Ladyman and restored the Stotfold lead.

Kings had a penalty shout denied when Toomey was bought down, but it was Weiss again who came to the rescue, taking an astute forward pass by Danny Hutchins to turn with difficulty on such a heavy pitch and fire home past Harpur just before half-time.

The second half saw a change of formation for Langley, and within seven minutes they went ahead when a corner was cleared only to Hutchins, who ran at the defence and unleashed a low shot through the crowded box.

Less than a minute later, they extended their lead when Joe Debayo’s lobbed through ball was latched on to by Toomey.

The former Hemel Hempstead Town striker – back at Kings Langley after three and a half years – held off a powerful challenge to slot home and rekindle memories of times gone by.

Stotfold continued to battle hard, with Paul Morris hitting a post, while Kings had another rock-solid penalty appeal ignored before the final whistle brought relief to tired limbs at the end of an entertaining encounter.