Kings Langley will be aiming to extend their unbeaten 2020 to a seventh league game tonight after being forced to settle for a share of the points from a match they came within minutes of losing, but had ample opportunities to have won.

The in-form Southern League Premier Central side dominated proceedings against Barwell on Saturday but needed an 89th-minute own goal to ensure they didn’t suffer a first defeat since Boxing Day.

That draw felt like a missed opportunity for Chris Cummins’ side and they will be hoping history does not repeat itself when Biggleswade Town visit the Orbital Fasteners stadium for another mid-table clash this evening.

Kings exuded confidence from the off against the Leicestershire club, with their free-flowing, inter-passing football producing five clear chances in the first 25 minutes as opposed to an angled shot by Kai Williams that Melvin Minter blocked for a corner.

A Jordan Parkes shot on the run was a foot wide of the post before a sweet move between Parkes and Will Hoskins ended with Harry Crawford’s outstretched foot inches from converting the cross.

On-loan Coventry City goalkeeper Cian Tyler then opened his personal crusade against the Kings forward line, holding a powerful, well-placed shot from Mitchell Weiss and then a wickedly deflected effort from Kyle Connolly.

When a Roddy Collins header did bypass the 17-year-old keeper, Reece Ford, later to have mixed fortune, was on hand to clear off the line.

It seemed only a matter of time until the hosts made the breakthrough, so the home crowd were stunned when an innocuous Barwell cross was held by Minter, but the ball slipped uncharacteristically out of his hands and over the line.

A somewhat affronted Kings picked up the baton again and as the half closed double blocks denied Parkes and Crawford and then a stinging 25-yard shot by Crawford was finger tipped round the post.

It was more of the same in the second half as Parkes hit the bar with a 20-yard free-kick and a Crawford shot was deflected onto the post by Tyler, who then kept out a Hoskins effort with his outstretched legs.

Barwell were dogged in defence and looked dangerous on the occasional break, in particular a Williams low cross finding no takers and a Jahvan Davidson-Miller delivery glancing off the bar.

As the home side’s efforts became more frenetic, Cummins gambled on introducing three attacking players for forward Weiss and the more defensive Dean Hitchcock and Lloyd Doyley.

The second of the substitutes was 18-year-old Edu Toiny-Pendred, who had re-signed the previous day after an autumn at an American college and he immediately made an impact down the right flank with some powerful penetrating play.

As the last minute clocked up, it seemed the visitors would hold out, but an exchange of passes down the wing saw Edu produce a low, deceptive cross and the unfortunate Ford steer it past the valiant Tyler.

Kings Langley: Minter; Doyley (Ward 78), Johnson, Adebiyi, K Connolly; Hitchcock (Toiny-Pendred 70); Collins, Crawford; Weiss (Williams 65), Hoskins, Parkes. Sub not used: Anderson.