Bromsgrove Sporting's unbeaten run of over two months came to an end on Saturday afternoon, with a 3-1 defeat at Kings Langley.
The home side took the lead early on, courtesy of a well struck Harrison Crawford effort, before Richard Gregory volleyed home to level proceedings.
However, two further goals from the dangerous Crawford in the second half saw Kings seal all three points, in a match where Sporting's chances of success were severely dented by having to make all three substitutions due to injury.
The first chance of note in the game fell to Bromsgrove's Greg Mills, who saw his left footed drive from inside the area saved low by Melvin Minter.
The opener came moments later, as a swift attacking move led to Jordan Parkes playing in Crawford, who fired home powerfully from around 20 yards.
Sporting's first substitution was made fifteen minutes in, as striker Mikey Taylor was forced off with an eye injury; however, it was to be his replacement, Gregory, who equalised for the Rouslers, just shy of the half hour mark.
An exquisite cross from Mills, whipped menacingly into the area, was volleyed by Gregory.; despite hitting Minter on the way in, he was unable to keep it out.
Mills had a couple of chances late on in the half to give Bromsgrove the lead, but saw two shots both blocked in quick succession, while Mitchell Weiss had a shot blocked by the oncoming Daniel Platt deep into additional time.
Early in the second half, Mills struck a free kick narrowly wide from a promising position but just two minutes later, Crawford had his second - a free kick into the area was hit across the six yard box by Jorell Johnson, with the Kings forward on hand to convert at the far post to bag his second.
The 53rd minute saw Harry Higginson replace Leon Broadhurst, who came off with a groin injury and seven minutes later, Jack Wilson made way for Liam Spink with a hamstring issue.
Soon after, Parkes had a fiercely struck effort brilliantly saved by the palm of Platt. Two minutes on from that, Mills appealed for a penalty after believing he was hauled down in the area but the referee was unmoved despite the impassioned protests.
The 74th minute saw the game's fourth and final goal, as Crawford completed his hat-trick. The home side effortlessly passed their way through Sporting's defence, resulting in Crawford slotting home with a left footed strike.
Kieren Westwood fired wide in the dying embers of the game but it wasn't to be for the Rouslers on the day, as they were clapped off by the travelling cohort of fans, who once again came in big numbers.
From the Kings Langley Website:
KING HARRY! By Roy Mitchard
https://www.kingslangleyfc.co.
Crawford Hat Trick Downs Leaders
A Harry Crawford hat-trick helped resurgent Kings Langley to a pulsating win over table topping Bromsgrove Sporting, ending the Rouslers’ ten game unbeaten run and easing the memory of a midweek defeat at Bromsgrove on a cold night in early December. It was also the first hat trick by a Kings Langley player since December 2018, when Mitchell Weiss notched a trio in a 3-0 home victory over Gosport Borough.
Chris Cummins started with the experienced pairing of Harry Crawford and Will Hoskins, Mitchell Weiss moving to the flank and Saul Williams and the less than 100% Stevie Ward dropping to the bench. The game began at a pace that was to continue for the whole encounter, but it was Crawford who put Kings ahead as early as the eighth minute.
A break of stunning simplicity saw Mitchell Weiss launch an accurate diagonal cross field pass almost from the halfway line to Jordan Parkes, who controlled it and sent a through ball into the path of Harry Crawford. There was to be no one-on-one with keeper Dan Platt, as he ran onto the pass and delivered a first time rocket from nearly twenty yards high into the net for a breathtaking finish.
An edge crept into the game as play switched from one end to the other and while the encounter had its share of physicality; it was interspersed by some swift interpassing movements from both sides to delight the eye. Such a move paid off for the visitors on the cusp of the half hour when Gary Mills delivered a raking left wing cross that was met on the run with a close range volley by Richard Gregory that Melvyn Minter got a hand to but couldn’t stop.
The half closed with a Mitchell Weiss effort cleared off the line, but within five minutes of the restart Kings went ahead in bizarre fashion when a Jordan Parkes free kick into the box sailed over the head of Roddy Collins to be met by the outstretched foot of the backward falling Jorell Johnson. The high ball looped goalwards and the alert Crawford reacted quickest with a point blank header on the far post.
The Rouslers responded & felt that they should have had a penalty from a tussle between Greg Mills and Alex Anderson, but Langley put themselves in the driving seat with a fluid move that carved through the defence and climaxed with a one-two between Parkes and Crawford putting the striker through. He still had it all to do as he was forced wide by defender and keeper, but his final touch was precise and completed his hat trick in style.
Parkes, with an eye for the spectacular, kept the large crowd on their toes as he twice had keeper Dan Platt scrambling back with accurate shots from the halfway line, the first of which Platt reached with a leaping save just under the bar.
With nothing to lose, Bromsgrove threw numbers forward and Melvin Minter pulled off a fine double save, but despite the late bombardment, Kings held firm to record a notable victory, making it five wins and a draw from the last seven and adding to the belief that last season’s second half surge up the table can be repeated.
