Kings Langley travel to already-relegated Hednesford Town on Saturday knowing that only a win will do if they are to keep alive their fading hopes of remaining in the Southern League Premier Central Division.

Chris Winton’s side are now six points from safety, with only three games remaining, after Monday’s home clash with Hitchin Town was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch following Saturday’s battling 1-1 draw at Nuneaton Borough.

Such are Kings’ injury problems, Winton was only able to name three substitutes, but his side showed great character to come from behind to earn a point. However, they were left to rue missed chances that could have earned a greater reward as they seek to escape the drop.

With much at stake for both teams, the opening exchanges were cautious as each foraged for an early opening without wishing to over commit, so it was a bolt out of the blue when Boro’s Ryan Beswick moved onto a routine square ball 25 yards out and struck an Exocet of a drive into the top corner, giving Jack Berman no chance.

Kings were shaken, but the setback stirred their attacking instincts and Liam Sole began to make regular inroads down the left combining well with Cain Keller and Wilson De Carvalho to set up some promising situations.

However, resilient defending denied the visitors anything other than half chances and they remained in arrears at the break.

Kings came out with even greater purpose in the second half and both Isaac Galliford and Alex Lafleur stung the hands of Boro keeper Tony Breeden in rapid succession, as Kings ratchetted up the pursuit of parity.

That was quickly followed by Sole’s wicked free-kick which Breeden clawed away from under the bar and De Carvalho’s snap shot, after good work by Keller, which again had the keeper at full stretch.

Kings’ relentless pursuit of an equaliser was finally rewarded after 66 minutes when an attack was cynically thwarted at the expense of a free-kick on the edge of the box. De Carvalho took responsibility and drove a sweet low drive past the despairing Breeden.

Kings’ euphoria briefly distracted them and a moment’s hesitancy allowed Jaamai Gordon to burst through unchallenged only for Berman to save superbly from the astonished striker.

After that, normal service was resumed as Kings remorselessly swarmed forward with the scent of victory.

Sole, in particular, was giving the home defence a torrid time with his penetrating runs, on one occasion weaving through the home defence to steer the ball past the advancing Breeden only to see it cannon agonisingly off the inside of the post and away to safety.

The wide man then turned provider, combining cleverly with De Carvalho to set up Keller only to see the striker’s first-time drive superbly tipped over by Breeden.

De Carvalho, himself, then took centre stage, determinedly winning the ball on the by-line and arrowing in on goal only to be, once again, foiled by the inspired Breeden.

The final act in a pulsating drama was to see the same two protagonists facing each other as De Carvalho barrelled forward, only to be unceremoniously tripped on the edge of the box. Electing to take the resultant free-kick himself, De Carvalho eyed up Breeden’s position and attempted to beat the keeper by an aerial route, but his chosen trajectory was just too high.

That was the last meaningful action that left the hosts happy with a play-off securing point and Kings standing on the edge as other results failed to go their way.