Rebels Take Over The Leadership

Slough Town moved back into the top position in the Premier Division of the Athenian League on Saturday with this odd goal victory over Grays Athletic the bottom club in the section.

Slough were far and away the better side but there were times when it seemed possible that the home team would take a point and bring off the biggest surprise of the day. The winning goal for the Rebels came seven minutes from the end headed home by Turl, the other Slough goals were scored by Reid and Ritchie.

Although they were in charge of the game for the whole of the first half, Slough just could not turn their superiority into goals and found themselves in the surprising position of being one down at the interval.

As the game progressed it looked unlikely that Slough would score at all, for despite their superior football skills they ran into trouble on the bumpy pitch and had difficulty in containing a Grays side that tried to substitute muscle for skill and with little control from the officials it was to the credit of the Slough players that they did not lower their standards and return the rough play.

With D'Arcy unfit and Reardon still on the injury list Reid again filled the centre back position with Turl taking over at full-back and Yerby moving into the mid field. Both players acquitted themselves well although the subtleties of Reardon in midfield were obviously missed.

The early minutes of the game were all Slough pressing forward gaining corner after corner but we had to wait until the 19th minute for the first real shot which came from Ritchie and was well saved.

With Slough well in charge a goal looked likely and when a Turl cross was headed home by Amos in the 31st it looked as though Slough were away, but it was disallowed for pushing.

One minute later Grays were in front, a rare attack resulted in a corner and Crane out-jumped the Slough defence to head home.

Straight from the kick-off Slough mounted an attack which should have produced an equaliser but Ritchie's shot trickled past the wrong side of the upright.

The rest of the first half saw a frustrated Slough fail to convert their territorial superiority and they turned round a goal down.

After the break it was the home side who pushed forward and for ten minutes they were in control and only a magnificent save from Wolstenholme in the 54th kept the score at one.

In the 70th minute Slough were on level terms, a corner on the right by Amos was headed against the underside of the bar by Hill and Reid hammered home the rebound.

Two minutes later and Slough were in front, again a corner on the right by Amos and Ritchie rose high above the defence to head home a copybook goal.

With Slough well on top it looked all over, but a sliding tackle by Eaton on Evans resulted in a penalty, which Dinmore converted to bring the scores level.

With a draw looking likely Slough went back in front in the 83rd, a free kick just inside the Grays half was taken by Amos, and Turl ran in to head home a well taken goal.