The first ever meeting between Kings Langley and Waltham Abbey produced a roller coaster of a ride on a night of high octane football, controversy and unexpected twists in the tail as Jordan Parkes’ side ultimately triumphed 4-2 to secure their first win of the season.

The visitors took an early lead through Jorell Johnson but goals either side of half-time from Sam Shaban saw Abbey go 2-1 in front early in the second half of Tuesday night’s game.

The hosts had a goal disallowed for offside, before Sonny French equalised, only for the visitors to survive more let-offs as the Abbots had another two goals ruled out.

It was the visitors who finished the stronger though, Lorenzo Johnson putting them in front with five minutes to go, before Rene Howe made sure of the points in the final minute.

Parkes made three changes to the side that was pegged back late on in Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Cirencester Town, bringing in Michael Gabblah, Louie Collier and Rayan Clarke, with Will Bishop, Lorenzo Johnson and Cheyce Grant rested on the bench.

The third minute gave a portent of what was to come as Olu Ogunnowo hit the post, but Kings were also fast out of the blocks and just as three days previously, took the lead in the fifth minute when a Sam Murphy free-kick was swung into the box to be met by a powerful Jorell Johnson header.

Kings dominated for the next 15 minutes with crisp incisive passing as keeper Brad Robinson denied Collier with a fine save from the wide man’s enterprising lob.

But the pace of Abbey’s wingers and a perceived lack of defensive press in the face of such, saw home centre forward Shaban drill home the equaliser on the half hour.

The Abbots seized the initiative with a blistering opening to the second half, Ben Baker being guilty of a terrible miss, before he dis-possessed Kyran Henderson to send in a ground-hugging cross, gratefully accepted by Shaban to edge the hosts in front.

For the next 15 minutes the hosts were rampant, Juliusz Pazio making a superb stop, with the loose ball blasted over. But Kings regained their attacking composure, constantly prompted by Howe, and French miscued a great chance, the effort cleared off the line.

With the spectators struggling to keep up with the pace of the game, Abbey found the net, only to have it disallowed for offside, and the play switched to the other end where Murphy played in French to atone with a well-struck shot across the keeper into the far corner of the goal.

The home side then had two net-finders ruled out in quick succession, one for offside and the other for out of play, before Kings collected three bookings in four minutes for mistimed tackles as the frantic pace continued.

But there was no let up in the drama as, with five minutes to go, a Pazio clearance was nodded down by Howe to Murphy and his wing pass was crossed by Grant for fellow substitute Lorenzo Johnson to steer home at the far post.

Abbey’s frustration, perhaps understandably, boiled over and home skipper Nathan Twin-Koranteng was red carded, but a ruthless Kings had the final word in an extraordinary match when another Howe nod-on saw Lorenzo Johnson cross for a centrally placed and unmarked Grant to emphatically secure victory.