Fair Opening For Slough Against A Tough Tilbury

Slough Town returned to the bread and butter of Athenian League football at Slough Stadium on Saturday. A poor crowd of just over 700 found very little to cheer about in what they saw, but perhaps the Slough supporter is becoming a little too cynical.

Moans were in evidence in all directions after the game but few of the spectators made any reference to the blustery conditions which made ball control and precise passing a very difficult feat. Neither did they recall the torrential rain which poured down on a number of occasions during the 90 minutes.

The end of the game saw Slough with maximum points from their first league game against a side which contained a When called upon the potential large number of "spoilers" with very little interest in allowing open football to be played.

Slough did what was asked of them; they had the chances to score far more but given time the goals will come. The spectators who remember the three occasions when Tilbury almost scored should reflect on the several near misses from the Slough forwards.

Slough opened the game with an authority that bordered on contempt for the visitors. Reardon brought a fine save from Harman in the Tilbury goal within the first 30 seconds. Play was contained in the Tilbury half as Slough moved forward menacingly, but it was not until the 7th minute that they came close to scoring.

Reardon passed inside to Day, who eased his way through a bunch of defenders before firing a fine shot which Harman did well to hold.

Despite the continuous pressure Slough were falling down in midfield, leaving the two strikers in a very lonely position upfield. Reardon in particular looked lethargic which was due, we learnt later, to treatment he had been receiving all week for an infection.

When called upon, the potential of Amos was never in any doubt. In the 27th he leapt high to head a D’Arcy free kick which struck the upright and was put out for a corner. From the kick , Amos curled the ball into the crowded goalmouth for Harman to tip over for a second corner.

Minutes later, a long throw from Amos on the left was back-headed by Cruse, bringing yet another fine save from the Tilbury keeper. In the 36th, Tilbury wasted a good chance when Dunwell raced in through the pouring rain but lost his footing before he could hammer the ball home. Just after, Day and Reardon combined in a fine effort that was cleared for a corner.

With the visitors using their weight where skill was not enough, many of the Slough players were in trouble and Reed had the front of his shirt ripped open by Tilbury centre forward Kiff just before the interval.

After the break, the visitors showed a little more effort and gained the first corner in the 49th minute. But Slough again took control and a D’Arcy free kick, headed goal wards by Turl, was again well-saved. In the 60th minute, the visitors should have gone in front when a long ball found Kiff racing through unmarked on the left. He headed the ball well clear of Wolstenholme but it struck the upright and rebounded for Jackson to sky well over the bar.

This seemed to spur Slough on and after four minutes of sustained effort they went ahead. Mead raced down the right, pushed the ball inside to Cruse, received the return pass as he sprinted past the Tilbury rearguard and crossed for the ever-present Amos to rise and head home.

But the game instead of becoming more exciting after this, died. Slough were content to rest on the one goal and Tilbury were unable to do anything about it. The only incident of note came in the last minutes when Jackson, who had been persistently fouling throughout the game, floored Day with a nasty kick and found his name in the referee’s notebook.