The Kings Langley bandwagon gathered further momentum after their unbeaten 2020 continued with an ultimately comfortable 3-1 victory at Hednesford City.

Two first-half goals from Stevie Ward, either side of a Jordan Parkes strike, saw Chris Cummins’ in-form side extend their undefeated record to an eighth Southern League Premier Central game this year and just one defeat in their last 11 outings.

The win moved Kings up to tenth in the table and within five points of the play-offs ahead of tomorrow night’s home clash with Lowestoft Town.

A swirling wind made for a challenging environment for both sides and it was the hosts who made the early running, forcing several early corners without reward.

Kings soon responded when Ward forced a smart save from home custodian Shaun Rowley but he could do nothing when Ward was on hand to finish off a flowing four-man move with a chip over the advancing keeper to give the visitors the lead.

The goal seemed to galvanise Cummins’ side and they began to impose their trademark passing game on proceedings, with Dean Hitchcock dictating play in midfield and Harry Crawford proving a constant threat to the Hednesford rearguard.

Indeed, there seemed almost an air of inevitability about the outcome when Crawford found Parkes in space on the edge of the box and the midfielder did not disappoint, unleashing an unstoppable shot past Rowley’s despairing dive to double the advantage.

Langley were now well on top and pressed home their ascendancy with Ward’s second of the match, the club talisman driving low into the net after a Parkes corner had caused chaos in the home defence.

Kings looked unassailable at this point, but the loss of captain Roddy Collins through injury seemed to cause a momentary loss of concentration and Hednesford were thrown a lifeline when Reece King’s diving header reduced the arrears on the stroke of half-time.

The late strike had sowed the seed for a potential comeback in the second period, but despite the home side’s best endeavours a further reduction in the arrears never really looked likely as Kings managed the game confidently, limiting the hosts to minimal opportunities.

In fact, it was the visitors who came closest to scoring when the introduction of 18-year-old Edu Toiny-Pendred generated two chances in rapid succession.

First, the young striker’s piercing run set up man-of-the-match Crawford for a shot Rowley did well to parry and then the teenager was unlucky to see his snap shot hit the post.

The Pitmen battled to the end but Kings’ clinical finishing and the home side’s paucity of chances were the deciding factors as the visitors continued their climb up the league.

Kings Langley: Minter; Anderson, Johnson, Adebiyi; K Connolly; Hitchcock; Collins (Williams 44), Weiss (Linsell 88); Ward (Toiny-Pendred 69), Crawford, Parkes.