PETERSFIELD TN 0, KINGS LANGLEY 1

KINGS Langley clinched the Division One Central championship and a third successive promotion with this win, but were made to work mighty hard by Petersfield on this last day of the Southern League season.

It was an afternoon of mounting tension at Love Lane as the hosts did their level best to prevent Kings from achieving the title-clinching win.

A gruelling schedule has been catching up with the Rams who were trying to avoid a third straight defeat and Joe Richardson and Gary Norgate fired early warning shots as the Langley defence was kept busy.

Eventually, Mitchell Weiss struck an acutely angled shot that Anthony Ender saved with his feet. Five minutes from the interval, Dave Hutton thought he’d made the breakthrough with a stinging shot, but Ender made a superb save to tip the ball onto the post and away to safety.

Fate had scripted that Langley’s two title rivals were playing each other and, on the hour mark, news came in that further frayed the travelling fans’ nerves – Egham had taken the lead at Royston.

As it stood, Egham would be champions on goal difference and Kings consigned to the play-offs.

The visitors were doing all the attacking now and again they were frustrated by Ender who made a juggling save from a full-blooded shot by Danny Hutchins.

With 17 minutes left and the game in the balance, Kings finally got their precious goal. Gary Connolly’s through-ball was perfect for Weiss to run on to and he sped clear to nudge the ball past the oncoming Ender and just inside the upright.

Another news update revealed that Royston had equalised, but 20 suspenseful minutes later, the final whistle blew and Kings Langley, the Cinderella club from a village in Hertfordshire, were champions.

A losing finish to the campaign should not disguise a solid debut by the Rams in this tough league. Ian Saunders’ outfit were particularly impressive in the first half of the season and they finish a creditable 13th out of the 22 sides.

Petersfield: Ender, O Searle (Eaton), Wain, Briggs, Hyde (Needham), Ford, Richardson, Giles, Sackman, Norgate (Geddes), J Neal. Subs (not used): Saunders, Neighbour.