After the positivity generated over a Bank Holiday weekend in which Kings Langley accrued four points from a possible six, the frustration of conceding a late goal in a 1-0 defeat on Saturday will be especially difficult to take.
Kings’ latest Southern League Premier South fixture saw them travel to face a Frome Town side who have had a knack already this season of scoring late, and history would repeat itself in a game that had a distinct absence of clear-cut chances.
In truth this was a drab contest, but Kings did grow into the game in the second half as Mitchell Weiss tested Frome goalkeeper James Carey on the volley.
With a goalless draw looking a formality, the hosts snatched an unlikely winner with five minutes to play as Kris Miller’s deflected cross was finished by Rick Davies.
The game’s final moments weren’t without controversy, though. Kings substitute Stevie Ward went down under pressure in the area but the referee booked him for simulation rather than awarding a penalty.
Kings were then in Southern League Cup action in mid-week ahead of Saturday's FA Cup First Qualifying Round trip to Northwood, only to suffer a narrow 1-0 loss to Welwyn Garden City at Gaywood Park.
Rene Howe and Ward saw early headers flash wide for the hosts but Dan Bond netted what proved to be the winner for City after 28 minutes.
Berkhamsted will look to respond themselves when they travel to Coggeshall Town in the FA Cup on Saturday after slipping to a 3-0 defeat to Kempston Rovers last time out.
The Broadwater club have had a mixed start to life at step four and currently sit 13th with four points from as many Southern League Division One Central games.
Berko were behind inside the opening five minutes and would have been deeply aggrieved with the manner in which it came.
Ben Shepherd whipped in a deep corner and found an unmarked Robbie Goodman lurking to give Rovers the 1-0 lead.
The Comrades struggled to create chances with Matt Bateman going closest and they had their work cut out once Kempston added a second.
It was fortuitous in how it arrived as an innocuous Shane Bush shot took a wicked deflection off Goodman to make it 2-0 midway through the first half.
Ben Acquaye had a goal disallowed for offside and Ty Deacon crashed an effort off the post, before a match-clinching third goal courtesy of Shepherd came in second-half stoppage time.
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