CHALLENGE CUP ROUND THREE
KINGS LANGLEY 7 LONDON LIONS 3 AET (3-3 after 90 minutes)
London Lions pushed Kings Langley to the wire in a pulsating cup game, which eventually saw the visitors run of steam in extra-time and so ending their run in the Challenge Trophy this season.
The final score was by no means a true reflection of the previous 90 minutes proceedings, as Kings Langley will justify, but in extra-time their superior fitness and strength told.
With the scores level at 3-3 following an excellent 90 minutes from both teams, the game moved into extra-time. Unfortunately for Lions, several unlucky injuries during the course of the game and the fact they had to play the final 30 minutes with 10 men due to a further injury to Jon Kurrant, proved a step too far.
Langley have come a long way since Lions last memorable trip to their patch. Top of the Spartan South Midlands Premier League and with a good, strong, well organised group of players, the future looks bright for Langley.
Lions turned up and were in the mood. Lions themselves have been going through somewhat of a makeover and Tony Gold, Andy Landesberg and Steve Grenfell have started to relay their own foundations with what looks like a really promising group of fresh new players. The visitors lined up strongly and had excellent options on the bench.
Omri Brinner made his full debut and looked lively, until his game was cut short by an unfortunate groin injury. The game exploded into life on 20 minutes when Charlie Kasler fired an outstanding shot from all of 25 yards into the goal. The Langley keeper flew through the air in a desperate attempt to save it but the shot was just too good.
It would be fair to say that Lions were on top, taking the game to Langley at every opportunity. Andy Glynne, Kasler and Brinner were on top in midfield, then the latter picked up a groin injury and had to be replaced by Benji Weinberger. Within five minutes of his introduction Weinberger was on the score sheet and Lions were 2-0 up. It was another fabulous finish this time from 20 yards.
Lions certainly didn't want the half to end but Langley were delighted when the referee finally brought a close to the first 45 minutes. There is something to say about a team being top of their league and Kings Langley response in the first 20 minutes of the second-half showed why.
To be fair Lions didn't quite have the intensity and tempo too their game as they had in the previous 45 minutes and further injury to Kasler and Ben Binder added to the swift change in the pendulum. Credit to Langley though as they really upped their game and a blinding 15-minute period saw them race into a 3-2 lead.
Lions would be disappointed at the momentary blip in concentration and the slight ease in which two of Langley's goals presented themselves, however their response to hit back was extremely pleasing.
The visitors could easily have fallen on their sword and given up the ghost but instead they rolled up their sleeves and stuck at the task. Eventually their fight and endeavour was rewarded with a terrific equaliser five minutes before the end. A neat passing move ended with Josh Kennet releasing Max Kyte who used his frame to hold off the covering defender allowing him to get off his shot which smacked the underside of the crossbar and dropped nicely into the goal.
It was a brave and gutsy effort from Lions to force the game into extra-time. In hindsight and given the final 7-3 score line which was extremely harsh, perhaps Lions would have settled for losing the game 3-2 in normal time.
As it was, Lions simply had nothing left in the tank and with Kurrant just able to walk the task ahead was impossible. Langley used the extra 30 minutes as shooting practice and if it wasn�t for the exceptional Mario Cenolli in the Lions goal making great save after great save, the final score could have been more.
In the end Lions had nothing to be ashamed of. Kings Langley over the 90 minutes knew they had been in a proper game. Collectively it was one of Lions best performances of the season and now hopefully, once the injured players can get back and fit the team can finish the season strongly.
Lions boss Tony Gold commented: "We were very proud of the team tonight, our application and attitude was spot on exactly how we want it every week.
"If you were a neutral watching tonight especially in the first 45 minutes you wouldn't have been able to tell which side was the Premier division side.
"Credit to Kings Langley, they showed their class in the end and our young players can take some good lessons from that. That is our cup run over for this season and now we can look at finishing the league season as strongly as possible.
"A good mid-table finish is still very much achievable as predicated but if we keep our recent good momentum going then top 8 is not impossible."
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