The first match of Kings Langley’s new campaign felt like a re-run of the final matches of last season as they were beaten 3-2 at Gosport Borough on Saturday.

Steve Conroy’s men looked the better side and dominated for large periods, but went home empty handed due mainly to basic defensive errors and missed chances.

There were debuts for goalkeeper Garry Malone, defender Harry Tucker, striker Alan Fleming and substitute Davide Pobbe, with Fleming in action in the first minute when he just failed to convert a Mitchell Weiss cross from the left.

The first quarter-of-an-hour belonged to the visitors as Callum Adebiyi and Weiss always looked dangerous out wide.

But when Gosport’s first chance came with a right-wing cross eluding everyone, it was to be the pre-cursor to the hosts’ somewhat unexpected opener eight minutes later when a poor Josh Coldicott-Stevens back pass was seized upon by Ryan Penneray and gave Malone little chance.

Kings responded with a low shot by Jacob Cook being tipped around the post by Mark Childs, but the home side were to extend their lead when Patrick Suraci accepted Arjun Jung’s poor header out of defence to unleash a wind assisted cross-come-shot into the far top corner.

The scoreline seemed unjust bnut was given a slightly more realistic aura when Kings were awarded a free-kick on the edge of the penalty area minutes later and Weiss drilled a low, left-foot shot though the smallest of gaps and into the net.

The opening period of the second half was to be a replica of the first as Kings were in the ascendancy, searching for a parity which seemed inevitable.

When Jorell Johnson found himself in space to execute a first-time close-range shot, that moment seemed to have arrived, but Childs pulled off a magnificent save, tipping the ball onto the bar, where it rebounded off the line into his arms.

Two minutes later Fleming did well under pressure to get the ball central to Dean Hitchcock, but the midfielder’s shot was wide of the goal.

The Gosport keeper pulled off further saves to deny Kings and the visitors’ misery was compounded when Suraci broke down the left, outfoxed Jung, Tucker and Malone to give Connor Hoare the easiest of chances to convert.

A frustrated Adebiyi did what he’d been doing all afternoon with another rampant surge down the left and this time took it upon himself to finish in style, but it was all too late and the home side played out the final minute for victory.

Kings Langley: Malone; Jung, Johnson, Tucker, Adebiyi; Coldicott-Stevens (Probbe 68), Hitchcock, Cook; Ward (Stobbs 80), Fleming (Toiny-Pendred 76), Weiss. Subs not used: Godfrey and Collier.