Goalkeeper Melvin Minter was the hero as Kings Langley reached the semi-finals of the Herts Senior Cup for a second time in three years and extended their unbeaten 2020 to an 11th game in all competitions with a penalty shootout triumph over Stevenage.

After a goalless 90 minutes in which Minter saved a spot-kick, the Kings custodian repeated the trick as Chris Cummins’ in-form side prevailed 4-2 to set up a last-four clash at home to St Albans City on Tuesday, March 10.

The Langley boss gave a full debut to Jack Wood against the Football League’s basement club in last night's quarter-final. The 17-year-old started brightly with a cross for Casey Linsell to beat keeper Sasha Bastien, only for the shot to be cleared off the line.

The hosts had the better of early possession, but when the visitors finally did begin to threaten Minter pulled off a double stop.

The keeper again came to his side’s rescue when he saved bravely at the feet of Emmanual Sonupe after the winger had beaten the offside trap to set up a one-on-one opportunity.

The only other chance of the first half saw Edu Toiny-Pendred rob a defender of the ball and bring a full-length tip round from Bastien.

The resumption was accompanied by the inevitable visitor, rain, and was only three minutes old when the referee spotted an infringement in the box and awarded Stevenage a penalty.

Ben Kennedy stepped forward and Minter guessed correctly to make the save to the left at full stretch.

It seemed that both custodians were destined to catch the eye and as the conditions worsened, turning to snow, Bastien denied Will Hoskins when the striker was through.

Wood had been enjoying a very satisfactory debut, but on the hour the youngster was clipped in full flight across the box and was to take no further part in the game. To add insult to injury, no penalty was awarded, to the general disagreement of the home support.

The players struggled manfully in appalling conditions, but chances were generally limited to a Jordan Parkes shot past the post and a Kennedy effort that hit the upright at the other end.

Like in the previous round against Baldock Town, the outcome was decided by penalties and it fell to Stevenage to take the first kick.

The rain, that had turned to a wet snow at times, halted and Paddy Reading delivered a strike that saw Minter replicate his earlier penalty save and cue celebrations among the young and raucous contingent of Kings supporters behind the goal.

Parkes, Hoskins and Gary Connolly made no mistake for Kings and both Kennedy and Yasin Arai did likewise for Stevenage to make it 2-3, before Mackye Townsend-West blazed his spot-kick over the bar to leave Toiny-Pendred with the honour of calmly converting to send the home side into the semis.

Kings Langley: Minter; Anderson, Johnson, Adebiyi, K Connolly; Parkes, Hitchcock, Toiny-Pendred; Wood, Hoskins, Linsell. Subs used: G Connolly, Weiss, Doyley. Not used: Studley.