The Reds travelled to Holmer Green on Saturday searching for their first win since November against a home side that themselves were on a run of five games without a win. Langford’s cause was not helped by the late withdrawal, unavailability’s and injury to a large part of their squad. A hard battle to emerge with any reward was expected.

The Reds started the game well and a Robert Groves opener after fifteen minutes was not against the run of play. Groves, Langford’s leading goal scorer, struck home from twenty yards after beating a couple defenders as Holmer Green failed to clear the Reds initial build up. Dan Eely back between the posts following yet another injury suffered by Dan Goad so nearly gifted the home side an equaliser as his poor clearance only found Rich Wilson whose telling cross to the far post found Craig Henney but he fired his effort high and wide over the crossbar. Henney later tested Eely with a better shot that the Reds custodian did well to save. Jim Bywater had a quiet game but produced a good run that ended with him crowded out by the Green defence. Robert Groves and Thomas Mustapha then tried there luck but failed to extend Dave Clark in the home goal. Green responded with a couple of corners but couldn’t force the opening to create an equaliser. Rich Wilson’s run down the left did cause some problems with Dan Eely spilling his cross but that man Robert Groves was on hand to hook the loose ball away.

The second half was to prove Langford’s undoing with the visitors’ poor performance allowing Holmer Green to equalise and then take a match winning lead before the hour mark. The Reds were given a warning as to what was to follow very early into the half when Rich Wilson crashed a free kick against the Langford crossbar. A revitalised home side struck the equaliser ten minutes in when an Arron Kauch cross was headed away the ball falling to Craig Henney who volleyed home from twenty yards. A mistake from Dave Cook let in Craig Henney but Eely produced a good save to deny him giving Green the lead. They didn’t have to wait too much longer as Daniel Stone headed home unmarked and within a minute the home side had a two goal advantage as cross shot by Arron Kauch from the right found its way low into the Reds net. After establishing a match winning lead Green then defended tenaciously to maintain it denying the Reds any way back into the game. Robert Groves came closest to reducing the deficit bringing out a tremendous save from Dave Clark from a free kick. The last action of the game almost saw the home side score a fourth with substitute Andy Wheeler-King going through on a one on one with keeper Eely but the Reds keeper produced another good save to prevent the final score from being any worse.

So another defeat for the Reds sees them drop further down the table. Five out of the next six matches are against teams below them so it is in Langford’s hands as to whether they can get the desired results to retain and better the distance between the sides. On current form however the teams that are being fielded by the Reds may well find picking up any points in the near future a struggle.