Ryan Jackett suffered the first defeat of his interim tenure at the Kings Langley helm as Stourbridge claimed a 4-1 victory at Gaywood Park on Saturday.

The hosts had quickly levelled through Kyle Connolly late in the first half after he had conceded a penalty, but were to fall behind again before the interval.

Langley were unable to find a way back into the game again and the Glassboys were to score twice more in the second period to leave them within a point of the Southern League Premier Central summit, while their opponents are 12th in the table.

With the absence of Mitchell Weiss and returning loanee Stevie Ward, Kings were forced to shuffle the pack and the first half was a somewhat dour affair as both sides sounded each other out and produced few chances.

A header over by Stourbridge’s Chay Tilt was the exception, but after 25 minutes Harry Crawford had the ball in the net with a forceful header only to see the assistant’s flag raised for offside.

The game then sprang into life with a mere five minutes of the half remaining as Tom Tonks raced into the area, cut across the accompanying Kyle Connolly and fell to the ground. It was difficult to see how Connolly could have avoided the clash of feet, but the referee judged otherwise and Turton dispatched the penalty.

Atonement was waiting in the wings however, as almost immediately Langley launched a flowing move that saw a Crawford diagonal pass headed back across the goal by Charlie Pattison and a jubilant Connolly swept home from close range.

But the drama wasn’t over yet, as Kings were then undone by a Tonks long throw that was headed back across the area and Jordan Williams volleyed home from five yards to put the visitors 2-1 in front at the break.

Kings started well after the resumption with Gary Connolly setting Pattison away on the right and keeper Charlie Price being relieved to parry his shot on the run.

The home side remained in the game for the next 25 minutes, without fashioning many chances, although the visitors were hardly prolific in that respect either.

Then a touch of good fortune put the Glassboys in control as the lively Tilt cut inside from a surging left-wing run and elected to shoot. The ball cannoned of a defensive block and fell perfectly back to him, but the shot from the edge of the box was superb and gave Melvin Minter no chance.

When substitute Andre Landrell felled Kane Farrell with a clumsy challenge and went on to add a fourth despite Kings’ protestations, a somewhat harsh scoreline was completed before a late flurry saw a Josh Coldicott-Stevens shot deflected just past the post and a Callum Adebiyi header go over.

Kings will be hoping to bounce back when they host AFC Dunstable in the League Challenge Cup tomorrow (7.45pm), before Saturday’s big FA Cup third qualifying round clash with Corinthian-Casuals at the Orbital Fasteners Stadium.

Kings Langley: Minter; G Connolly, Doyley, Adebiyi, Farrell; Pattison, Collins, Coldicott-Stevens, K Conolly (McKeown 80); Crawford, Hercules (Campbell-Mhlope 55). Subs not used: Victor, Brady, Turner.