JACK POPS UP TO ERN A PATT ON THE BACK!
KINGS LANGLEY boss Paul Hobbs believes his side’s late fightback demonstrates they have more than enough to stay in the division for another season.
Sub Lee Stobbs and Jack Pattison’s first goal for the club helped the struggling Kings battle back from 2-0 down with 86 minutes on the clock at Gaywood Park to claim what could be a priceless point in their quest to avoid the drop.
Scott Barrow’s precise 25-yard effort and a landmark Ian Traylor goal, on his 300th appearance for the Martyrs, had seen the South Wales side cruising towards another win to bolster their play-off ambitions – despite the latter’s third-minute saved penalty – until the hosts’ late response.
Hobbs told The NLP: “There’s not many teams that would come back from 2-0 down against Merthyr, a big team looking for promotion so that was brilliant from the lads.
“Performances like that will be the difference between us staying in this league and us going down.
“If we can continue like that I’ve got no doubt we will stay up.”
Langley, who had been thrashed 5-0 in the reverse fixture at Penydarren Park, were under the cosh immediately following Mayo Balogun’s clumsy spot kick giveaway, but keeper Xavi Comas superbly saved Traylor’s kick to his right.
The Martyrs were in control and only a 19th-minute goalline clearance from Gary Connolly to deny Eliot Richards kept parity.
Kings’ best chance of the opening half arrived in the 31st minute as Lewis Toomey was inches away from poking home Steve Ward’s cross-shot.
Following a goalless first half, Merthyr upped the ante and Barrow’s low leftfooted effort, after Corey Jenkins’ cutback, saw them ahead.
The visitors were great value for their lead and they doubled it in the 79th minute when Traylor surged into the area before cracking a shot past Comas.
Then came the dramatic comeback. First Stobbs ghosted in behind the Town defence to head home what looked a consolation before deep in added time.
But then a free-kick was thumped into the box and Pattison nicked in to stab home an unexpected equaliser in stoppage time.
Martyrs manager Gavin Williams said: “We were in control of the game on a difficult pitch and then two balls into our box that we didn’t defend properly has cost us three points.”