Frome Town bounced back from their biggest defeat of the season in midweek to record their biggest win of the season and almost certainly their biggest ever away win in the Southern Premier League, as they ran amok in the last 20 minutes at Kings Langley, winning 7-2, with seven different scorers getting on the score sheet.
Frome were pleased to welcome Marcus Mapstone back into the heart of defence where he plays such a major part, but with George Miller unavailable due to injury and Mitchell Page still suspended, it was still a bare bones squad that made the long journey that took over five hours due to traffic, resulting in the match not kicking off until 3.15pm.
With limited preparation time before the match, Frome were slow to get going and things started badly as Kings Langley scored with their first real attack. A long ball over the top of the defence was latched onto by Mitchell Weiss and the number nine scored with ease in the 11th, to make the score 1-0 to the hosts.
Despite occasional flourishes, Frome still struggled to get into the game and with the hosts quick to close down in midfield and break quickly, the Frome defence was being stretched on occasion. Kyle Phillips was forced in to making several saves to maintain the score at 1-0, however, in the 36th, Frome produced a meaningful attack as Darren Jefferies did well to cross to Jake Jackson, and as his shot was saved by Martin Bennett, Ollie Knight was quickest to the rebound and scored at the far post to make it 1-1.
Frome now moved into their best spell of the match so far, and after Jackson had shot inches wide, Jefferies again did well on the right, beat his marker and produced a precision cross for Jon Davies to score with a left foot shot in the 40th to make it 2-1. Their eleven travelling fans went wild three minutes later as a Davies free kick was headed back across goal by Mapstone for Chas Hemmings to head home at the far post, to make it 3-1. Then, after a home defender was shown a straight red a minute later for a foul on Knight, Frome were now in a commanding position.
However, the ten men of Kings Langley had other ideas, and with Frome perhaps too content to sit on their lead, the hosts applied significant pressure at the start of the second half, forcing Phillips to make two great saves. But he could do nothing about Weiss’s second goal of the game in the 55th as he bundled home from a corner to make it 3-2 to Frome.
Frome still seemed to be playing a dangerous game as they protected their lead, and again Phillips had to be alert to keep the slender one goal advantage. But as the game progressed, Frome began to look the stronger and in the 71st, Joe Raynes scored with a shot into the corner after Davies had wriggled into the box. With Jefferies capping a good match with a goal that made it 5-2 to Frome a minute later, the hosts’ heads dropped and the game was in the bag.
Substitute Ryan Bath did well on the right and pulled the ball back for Mapstone to head home at the near post in the 82nd, to make it 6-2. With Frome in total command in the past ten minutes, Jackson scored from the penalty spot with the last kick of the match following a hand ball in the area to make it 7-2, the biggest away victory for many years and almost certainly the biggest away victory in the Southern League for Frome.
Winger Darren Jefferies was awarded the H&B Tyres Man of the Match Award and proved that, on his day, he has the ability to terrorise opposing defences. Crowd: 135. Entertainment Value: 5/5
