Kings Langley will have raised more than a few eyebrows among any watching scouts from Maidstone United after they produced an impressive display to beat Southern League Premier Central leaders Rushall Olympic 4-0 this afternoon.

Chris Cummins’ side travel to Kent next Saturday with a place in the FA Cup first round proper at stake and on this evidence will give the National League South side plenty of food for thought.

The hosts were positive from the off and by half-time were in complete control of the game in their new manager’s first league game in charge.

Gary Connolly made the early breakthrough with a deflected shot, the all-important second arrived from a Stevie Ward penalty and Rushall were to find themselves 3-0 down by the interval after Josh Coldicott-Stevens fired home.

Kings were unable to add to their tally until the very end – substitute Louis Collier scoring a superb fourth - but this was a fine all-round display in all facets of the game, with a clean sheet a deserved reward for a strong defensive performance.

The hosts had a couple of fine chances to take the lead inside the opening five minutes.

First, a lovely pass from Kane Farrell slipped Mitchell Weiss in behind the Olympic defence, but keeper Jonathan Flatt was quickly off his line to deny the striker.

The visitors then needed Reece Mitchell to come to their rescue when he got back on the line to block a shot from Roddy Collins, with Flatt beaten.

But Kings’ positive start got the reward it deserved when a superb cross-field pass from left to right set Ward away, he laid the ball inside to Gary Connolly and his right-footed drive was deflected past Flatt by captain Mitchell Clarke.

Having got the upper hand though, Cummins’ side were to suffer a setback when Lloyd Doyley was forced out of the contest with a thigh injury. His place was taken by new signing Bradley Wadkins, with Gary Connolly moving to right-back.

Apart from a useful Coldicott-Stevens shot wide, the game became increasingly scrappy on a greasy surface, but the home side maintained their progressive approach and were rarely troubled by their table-topping opponents in the opening quarter.

Rushall’s task was to get considerably harder with around 30 minutes gone when Weiss was clearly fouled in the area, the referee had no hesitation in awarding the penalty and Ward calmly did the rest to make it 2-0.

A third goal could have been added soon after when Lee Smith could have few complaints about being booked for an overly-forceful challenge, Farrell took the free-kick and went for a low left-footed curler around the wall which the diving Flatt managed to push away.

The Olympic keeper was then left looking nervously towards his far post as another Kings set piece, this time taken by Coldicott-Stevens from the left flank, drifted not too far wide after striker Benjamin Lund had also seen yellow for a needless challenge off the ball.

It had been an impressive first half from Kings and it was to get even better in the closing stages of the opening period when Weiss laid the ball off to Coldicott-Stevens, who cracked in the third with his right foot.

Langley stopper Melvin Minter had been a virtual spectator for much of the opening period, but he was called upon to make a fine stop from Rushall’s first attempt of note, tipping Jonathan Letford’s rising drive around his right-hand post for a corner as the hosts took their 3-0 lead into the break.

It came as no surprise that the visitors made a double change at the start of the second half – Sam Whittall and Essa Sawyers coming on for Callum Mendez-Jones and Shaquille Leachman-Whittingham – as they switched to three at the back.

Kyle Finn warmed Minter’s gloves with a left-footed drive five minutes after the restart, before Kyle Connolly picked up the hosts’ first caution for a foul on Clarke. He was quickly joined by Finn, who chopped down Ward as he tried to launch a counter-attack.

Kings were continuing their positive approach into the second half and they were inches away from a fourth in the 58th minute.

After winning back possession close to halfway, Coldicott-Stevens set Weiss racing clear on the counter. The striker was unable to get the better of Flatt, but saw his rebound from a tight angle on the left side of the 18-yard box hit the near post and cannon into a Rushall defender before going behind.

Cummins made his second change after 64 minutes as Max Hercules replaced Ward and then Weiss was almost set free by Jorell Johnson’s ball over the top, but Flatt read the danger and got to the ball first to clear.

Another chance came and went on the counter when Farrell led the charge, exchanged passes with Weiss, before hitting a dipping left-footed effort over the top.

Olympic continued to try and get something from the game, but were largely kept at arm’s length by a strong defensive display.

However, their clean sheet was nearly lost with eight minutes remaining when substitute Sawyers cut in off the left and the tricky winger hit a cross-shot not too far wide of the far post.

Fellow substitute Collier, who had replaced Wadkins, went close at the other end, but not before Rushall were perhaps fortunate not to be reduced to 10 men when Smith escaped a second yellow card after clattering into Farrell.

That looked like it would be it but deep into injury time Farrell and Weiss built an attack down the left, with the latter laying a pass into Collier to strike a superb rasping drive into the top corner to round off a very good afternoon’s work in real style.

Kings Langley: Minter; Doyley (Wadkins 9, Collier 74)), Johnson, Adebiyi, K Connolly; Ward, G Connolly, Collins; Ward (Hercules 64), Coldicott-Stevens, Farrell; Weiss. Subs not used: Victor, Pattison.