Dean Barker took the positives from the disappointment of letting victory slip through their grasp after Stratford Town scored a late equaliser to draw 3-3 on Saturday.

The visitors had 23 goal attempts and were on course for a second Southern League Premier Central victory of the campaign, only to be undone from a set piece for a third time in the game when substitute Chris Wreh equalised in the 89th minute.

Despite this frustration, the Kings boss said afterwards: “On reflection today we played very well. To create that amount of chances away from home and still leave disappointed shows how far we have come in such a short space of time.”

Langley have yet to play at home due to pitch renovation works at the Sadiku Stadium but have enjoyed an unbeaten start to the campaign on the road and scored eight goals.

“It’s all positive from my point of view and we will only get stronger,” Barker added. “Learn from the mistakes and we will get better individually and as a group.”

Joel Gyasi had a first-time shot held by Melvin Minter after 45 seconds, but Langley made another poor start as a Mitchell Glover free-kick out to the left wing was headed goalwards by Luis Morrison and finished from close range by Callum Ball.

Once again, Kings responded with character to turn the game around with two goals in 12 minutes. First, Matty Campbell-Mhlope ran onto a long low through ball from Josh Coldicott-Stevens to win a clash with outcoming Sam Lomax and roll the ball into an empty net, and then a perceptive Charlie Ruff lofted diagonal pass set Eoin McKeown free to beat the beleaguered keeper again.

However, the visiting defence then demonstrated that they could be just as vulnerable, as another Glover free-kick eluded every red shirt to give Lewis Wilson a simple side-footed finish for the equaliser on 26 minutes.

Town hit the woodwork two minutes later but only a superb tackle from Thomas Fishwick prevented Mitchell Weiss from capitalising from another break as the half ended with the crowd anticipating further goals after the interval.

In the event, they had to wait longer than expected, as although Kings looked to be taking control of the game with chances for McKeown, Kane Farrell, Weiss and Ruff, interspersed with a spectacular flying save from Minter, they were unable to find a a way through a defence that seemed to have regained some composure.

But on the hour they reverted to the through ball tactic and it worked again as Campbell-Mhlope sent a confident McKeown through to beat an exposed Lomax.

Stratford showed little response until the last 10 minutes when a Ball shot was finger-tipped onto the post by Minter and Nabil Shariff sent two chances over the bar.

Their opponents still looked to have enough to hold out or even extend the lead as a Stevie Ward low shot was seen late but held by Lomax, but as the clock entered the final minute of normal time another free-kick by Glover was forced home from close range by substitute Wreh.

Kings’ run of games on the road ends at Banbury United on Saturday before their long-awaited first home match of the season is due to take place on Monday when they take on Hitchin Town in a bank holiday Hertfordshire derby.

Kings Langley: Minter; G Connolly, Johnson, Adebiyi, Farrell; Collins, Coldicott-Stevens; McKeown (Collier 83), Ruff (Crawford 79), Campbell-Mhlope (Ward 72); Weiss. Subs not used: Hercules, Alfano.