Quite how this match remained goalless will always be a mystery as Frome struck the woodwork three times, both goalkeepers producing notable saves and with the visitor’s goal in particular seeming to have a charmed life, the final score could have been any score you could think of.
Frome were able to start the match with the same starting line up that had done so well at Chippenham on Monday, and with James Fitzgibbon returning to the fold on dual registration with Gloucester City, the bench had a lot of attacking options with Darren Jefferies and Dean Griffiths also available and Chris Gregan available for defensive duties.
On a damp day with a sticky pitch, the match started in a slightly scrappy fashion, with Frome showing first as a gentle looped header from Marcus Mapstone was cleared off the line and a long range cross sum shot that looked bound for the far top corner being plucked out of the air by Xavi Comas.
Kings Langley set out their stall with a packed defence and midfield, but they looked surprisingly fast and dangerous on the counter attack, and Kyle Phillips had to be very aware to come a long way out of his goal and clear from Immanuelson Duku in the 11th minute.
Jon Davies went close in the 24th as Sam Teale rolled an inviting ball into his path, but a defender’s head deflected the goalbound shot out for a corner, and with Teale hitting a screamer from 20 yards into the back of Mike Bryant, Frome were starting to turn the screw.
At the other end, the visitors went close in the 30th as Frome lost possession in midfield and a quick break saw Phillips pull off and excellent save to deny Duku as the big centre forward advanced on goal, but then Frome went very close as Davies thundered a 20 yarder against the Kings Langley crossbar after making space for the shot with his quick feet.
Frome again went close in the 42nd as a Bryant header sent Jake Jackson on a run into the box, but as he went down under the attention of two defenders, he reversed and toe poked the ball towards goal where it hit the inside of the post before rolling harmlessly along the line and being cleared.
Within a minute, Jackson hit the outside of the other post from 20 yards as he was set up with a shooting opportunity by Ollie Knight, and with Davies curling a shot just past the far post with the last kick of the half, Frome looked set to win this match or it was just going to be one of those days.
After early Frome pressure at the start of the second half, Kings Langley missed a gold opportunity to open the scoring as a fast break on the left led to a cross that Duku just missed and seconds later, he missed another as the ball was driven back in low from the right giving Frome a scary moment.
Davies went very close in the 64th as his volley brought an excellent save from Comas and with Teale driving one just past the post from the resulting corner, and 6 minutes later, Comas again denied Davies with another save and had the fortune for the rebound to come straight back to him off a defender.
Comas again denied Davies as saved a deflected shot, but then, from the quick throw, Kings Langley broke straight down the other end and Phillips pulled off a point blank save to keep the scores level as either side threatened to win this one.
Fortune again smiled on the visitors in the 76th as Comas completely missed a right wing cross, only for the ball to come straight back to him as Teale slid in and pulled it back, and it was now becoming clear that only a stroke of outrageous luck or misfortune would decide this match, and despite a period of frenzied Frome attacking and Kings Langley defending right at the end, the visitors could have own it with the last kick of the match as only a deflection off a Frome defender prevented a shot from finding the back of the net.
Frome’s unbeaten run now extends to eight games and with them firmly in 6th place, the next visitors to the Special Effects Stadium are tenth placed Redditch Utd on Saturday 14th January.
Centre half Connor Roberts was awarded the H&B Tyres Man of the Match Award in a row by Freddie on behalf of Frome Town Robins who had sponsored the match, with all sponsorship money for this match being donated to the Jamie Mines Appeal after the popular ex Frome player had a horrific work accident just before Christmas.
