Kings Langley up a morale-boosting second successive win and kept their Southern League Premier Division unbeaten away record intact after beating basement side Cirencester Town 1-0 on Saturday.

Following their 6-1 beating of Sporting Bengal United in the first qualifying round of the FA Cup, Paul Hughes and Ritchie Hanlon’s side were quickly into their stride, soon stretching the Centurions’ rear guard with some neat interplay.

As early as the third minute David Hutton and Steve Ward combined to give Immanuelson Duku an opportunity which Matt Liddiard cleared off the line.

The hosts responded, forcing successive corners which were gathered confidently by Kings’ 18-year-old goalkeeper, Danny Boness, who was making his league debut.

Hutton was starting to influence the midfield, sending Lewis Toomey through to drag his shot just wide, but the deadlock was broken just before half-time when Duku switched the ball inside following a corner and the predatory Toomey was on hand to flick it past Harvey Rivers to give the visitors the lead.

Cirencester opened the second period with real purpose and a rasping drive by Adam Connolly skimmed the Kings bar straight from the kick off.

Fifteen minutes later, a great saving tackle by Calum Adebiyi resulted in a match-ending injury and Kings were also to lose playmaker Hutton shortly after, but the visitors were in the ascendancy and creating regular opportunities with both Josh Chamberlain and Steve Ward going close. The move of the match, however, was a five-man interchange which culminated in Duku firing just over.

The home side’s introduction of Kalum Youngsam certainly added potency to their attack, but Kings defence, in which the central trio of Jorell Johnson, Kyle Anthony and Adebiyi had been solid all afternoon and remained equal to the threat, even after the departure of the latter.

They also maintained their attacking intentions and the late introduction of Oran Swales saw him make an immediate impact by setting up Toomey for an opportunity which Rivers saved well.

Cirencester kept pressing to the end but Kings remained resolute and it was perhaps fitting that the last meaningful action was reserved for the goal scoring combination of Duku and Toomey when great interplay between the pair resulted in the latter firing a fierce drive towards the top corner which Rivers superbly turned over.

The victory moved Kings up to 18th in the table ahead of tomorrow’s home clash with a Basingstoke Town side, who are also on eight points but sit two places lower on goal difference.

Kings Langley: Boness; Ward (Swales 82), Chamberlain, Johnson, Anthony, Adebiyi (Plowright 59), Hitchcock, C Toomey, L Toomey, Hutton (Connolly 66), Duku. Not used: Comas and Coughlan.