The equation is simple for Kings Langley. One more win and they will cap a remarkable season by becoming champions.

Paul Hughes and Ritchie Hanlon’s side could have secured the Southern League Division One Central title last night after beating basement side North Greenford United 3-1, but Egham Town and Royston Town remain in the hunt after defeating AFC Rushden & Diamonds and Ware 2-0 and 3-1 respectively.

Those results mean Kings retained their two-point lead at the top ahead of Egham, who are three clearof Royston. However, Royston will move into second tomorrow night if they win their game in hand at Aylesbury due to their superior goal difference, before Langley’s rivals for the title cross swords at the weekend.

Despite a good opening spell by Langley last night, in which keeper Lewis Todd was kept busy punching over a Dean Hitchcock shot, saving a Connor Toomey header and almost carrying a Gary Connolly free-kick over the line, their nerves began to show as they failed to make the vital breakthrough.

Long balls from both teams became the order of the night and far too many passes went astray as goalmouth incident decreased at both ends.

Then, three minutes before the break, came the moment of magic that Kings had prayed for as Toomey’s run on the left wing saw a low cross to Mitchell Weiss on the edge of the box. With one movement, the striker killed the pace of the ball with one foot, turned on a sixpence and struck a low shot past Todd with the other foot.

United were bridging 21 places and matching their opponents in all but the opposition penalty area and their best chance looked likely from a set piece as George Moore demonstrated when he was inches wide with a powerful free-kick early in the second half.

The flashpoint came on 64 minutes when another long ball deceived the advanced Xavi Comas and he was adjudged to have blocked Glen Yala in the race for the ball, prompting a yellow for the keeper, an unerring free-kick from Morris into the back of the net and a red for joint manager Hanlon for his conversation with the official.

With the outcome in the balance, the defining moment came 14 minutes later when a penalty was awarded by the referee for a push in the box by Ruddock Yala on Kings’ Emmanuel Folarin, sparking scenes that caused a two-minute delay before Danny Hutchins calmly crashed home the spot-kick with his usual aplomb. The keeper resumed his conversation with the official and was sent off and Kings seemed content to play out time.

Toomey, who’s dual with Samuel Addae was a feature of the match, had other ideas though and chased down two clearances to add a third from an acute angle through the narrowest of gaps to complete the scoring in injury time and condemn Greenford to the drop.