Kings Langley celebrated the Bank Holiday Monday with a series of firsts – a first win of the season, a first clean sheet, a first ever victory over illustrious neighbours Chesham United, and a first goal from new signing Rene Howe, while stand-in management team Liam Walsh and Danny Perman ended their two-match tenure with the satisfaction of accumulating four points out of a possible six.

The duo rang the changes for the second match in 48hours, bringing in Stevie Ward and Lee Stobbs for Dean Hitchcock and Davide Pobbe following Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Dorchester Town.

It was the visitors who started the better, laying siege to the Langley goal, the highlight of which was a fierce Matt Bevans shot that produced an equally impressive tip over by Charlie Burns.

When Kings did break out, Ward missed a chance, but any blushes were spared by the flag, while former King, Oran Swales put his chance wide of the post.

There was a let-off for the home team when Gary Connolly’s full blooded attempt to put the ball behind cannoned back off the post, Burns thwarted Bradley Clayton when he was through for a one-on-one and then finger-tipped a Ryan Blake shot around the post.

The home side were having their moments at the other end though, with a Mitchell Weiss header saved and a miscue from the striker when well placed, while the referee waved away home protests when Callum Adebiyi was clearly pulled when surging past the last man.

But the defining moment came rather out of the blue when, with two minutes to go to the break, a somewhat bizarre diagonal clearance from United’s left was intercepted by Weiss, who drove forward before slipping the perfect through ball to Howe and he showed his pedigree by holding off a defender and slotting the ball calmly past Alex Tokarczyk.

The second half saw Kings having much the better of the exchanges with chances for Ward and Weiss not profited from and a thunderous header from Jorell Johnson headed off the line by another former King, Connor Toomey.

Unable to put the result beyond doubt, Kings saw out the remainder fairly comfortably for a confidence-building victory and moved up to 16th in the Southern League Premier Division South after a satisfying weekend.

Kings Langley: Burns; Cotter, Johnson, Connolly, Adebiyi; Stobbs, Ward (Hitchcock 72), Godfrey, Coldicott-Stevens; Howe (Toiny-Pendred 77), Weiss (Pobbe 88). Subs not used: Tucker, Collins.