A disappointing week ended with a second cup defeat for Kings Langley as they were beaten 2-0 at home by Needham Market in the first qualifying round of the FA Trophy.

Following their 2-1 reverse to Cheshunt in the Herts Senior Cup, Steve Conroy’s men were knocked out by two goals in the final 13 minutes of Saturday’s tie.

There had been little to choose between the two sides in the first half, but Kings had edged a match in which both teams had tried to play fast, flowing inter-passing football.

A cagey opening 25 minutes looked to have been broken when a telling Gary Connolly cross fell to Mitchell Weiss, who picked his spot but was thwarted by a fine save by the spread-eagled Jake Jessup.

The keeper nearly went from hero to zero when he spilled a Lee Stobbs cross minutes later, with Rene Howe snapping up a shot on the turn only to see it blocked on the post.

Market had their chances when a shoot on sight policy saw Adam Mills and Tariq Issa fire narrowly over, but Weiss ended the half with another shot that produced a full length tip round from Jessup.

The visitors stepped up their possession rate in the second half, with Kings struggling to mount any attacks of note and new goalkeeping signing Alex Tokarczyk pulled off a spectacular flying save from Luke Ingram.

With the game still finely balanced, Weiss’ instinctive volley on the turn was only inches over the bar, but with thoughts turning to a replay, the deadlock was finally broken when a cross from the right caught the home defence napping and travelled across the goalmouth to the unmarked Adam Mills, who drilled the ball home.

When Mills was needlessly brought down in the box by Max Ryan six minutes later, Joseph Marsden effortlessly converted the penalty and Needham’s place in the next round was assured, while Kings’ miserable week ended with another cup exit.

Kings Langley: Tokarczyk; Connolly, Ryan, Johnson, Adebiyi; Stobbs (Ward 70), Hitchcock (Collier 78), Godfrey, Syla (Toiny-Pendred 84); Howe, Weiss. Subs not used: Coldicott-Stevens, Syme.