A Tale Of Two Penalties- Harpenden Town Vs. Kings Langley

Clouds over Rothampsted Park

My first game of 2012 took me to Hertfordshire for the Spartan South Midlands Division One clash between Harpenden Town and Kings Langley. I'd seen Kings Langley defeat Sun Postal Sports earlier in the season and they beat league leaders London Colney 4-0 on Boxing Day. The visitors had scored seventy four and conceded fifty six goals this season and I was hopeful of goals. Harpenden beat Kings Langley 5-1 in the reverse fixture and so Langley would be looking for revenge. With both sides close to the top of the league it promised to be a good game.

Moments before kick off.

The match certainly doesn't start like a classic. There had been torrential rain the previous day and this made the pitch very heavy which made football quite difficult.The visitors begin to create the most chances and a few efforts go just wide. It takes a moment of real quality to break the deadlock. The tall Langley number ten receives the ball on the edge of the box and lofts the ball over the stranded goal keeper. The game then threatens to boil over with a few heavy challenges but it is a soft challenge which get the home side a penalty. A fairly innocuous coming together in the box results in the referee pointing to the spot and Harpenden pull level. They finish the half stronger but can't take the lead before half time.  

The first Harpenden penalty hits the back of the net.

Both sides try to push for more goals but the flow of the game is broken regularly for fowls from both sides and the match becomes quite heated. There are several occasions where the ball is drilled across the Harpenden box but no Kings Langley player can add the final touch. The hosts retake the lead from what looked like a soft penalty. It was another coming together in the box and the Harpenden player makes no mistake from the spot. As Kings Langley push for an equaliser gaps appear at the back but Harpenden fail to take advantage. They are made to pay for this as Kings Langley get a late equaliser for a deserved point.

Harpenden defend a Kings Langley corner.

Due to an extended post NYE period of recovery, I didn't make it to a pub before the game but I passed four on the short walk to the ground from the station. The walk takes about twenty minutes and takes in the pleasant town green. Trains depart from St Pancras (not Euston as I assumed) and the journey takes just under half an hour. Trains depart around every twenty minutes. The clubhouse is quite basic but is very friendly and there is a scramble for hot dogs at half time! Another recommendation for food is Jacks Chippy opposite the approach road to the station.

Another view of the stand.