A first home league win of the season continues to elude Kings Langley after they were once again unable to convert taking the lead into three points, falling to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Redditch United.

Paul Hobbs’ men got off to the ideal start on Saturday when Dean Hitchcock converted a ninth-minute penalty, but it was the last 20 minutes of the game that again proved to be Kings’ undoing as Dior Angus netted twice, the decisive goal coming from a spot-kick.

The first penalty of the game was awarded when Mitchell Weiss chased down Orrin Pendley as he shepherded the ball back and as the two came together, the referee spotted a trip.

Hitchcock converted the spot-kick and the hosts went on to have far the better of the first half.

A weighted through ball by Gareth Price was put wide of the target by Weiss and a Brendan Ocran free-kick was arrowing into the top corner of the net before Ethan Ross, at full length, superbly tipped it round for a corner.

United had to wait for the brink of half-time before creating a similar chance when Pendley headed a corner just wide of the post. But they gradually worked their way back into the game and by the hour mark were asking the questions, as an Angus shot was deflected just wide and Kevin Monteriro’s rising effort was just over.

However, Kings’ back four, with Hitchcock as a protective shield in front of them, were coping well with the pressure, while a Brendan Ocran effort was just past the post as Kings struggled to create an effective two-goal buffer.

As they entered the last 20 minutes, which has tended to be a graveyard for their hopes at home this season, the curse struck again as Spencer Weir-Daley was given space on the right and his low cross was turned in by Angus in a crowded box.

Once again, this initial setback was to give the opposition encouragement that they could repeat the feat within a matter of minutes and when Angus reached a through ball just ahead of the outcoming Ross Hampton, the keeper was adjudged to have impeded the striker as he shaped for goal.

Angus duly dispatched the resultant penalty and the visitors then kept the home strike force at bay for the remaining quarter-of-an-hour, leaving Langley still searching for their first home league win in six attempts.

While they have all been close contests and there’s not always been that little bit of luck that defines matches, the harsh fact is that Kings have scored first in all bar one, but have been unable to convert that advantage to victory.

Kings Langley: Hampton; Pattison, Folarin, Johnson, Adebiyi; Ocran (Ward 72), Coldicott-Stevens (Keating 85), Hitchcock, Turner; Weiss, Price. Not used: Karagozlu, Cox, Plowright.