Top Of The Table Clash Was A Let Down

Slough Town’s failure to take maximum points from the visit of Leatherhead, their nearest rivals at the top of the Athenian League, on Saturday, keeps the championship open but the odds are still on the Rebels with Leatherhead, and Dagenham real dangers and Maidenhead possible late challengers when they clear off their backlog of fixtures, As a top-of-the-table clash the game was something of a let down, neither side being at their best.

This was just not one of Slough's days, the midfield generalship of skipper Roger Day, on duty for England against Wales, was sadly missed but Leatherhead also had a man on duty for Wales in the same game and keeper Cuthbert was unable to play due to injury and his place was filled by the inexperienced Jolly.

Slough gained their goal from a Micky O'Sullivan penalty in the 60th minutes and should have gone two up in the 84th when Tony Amos found himself surprisingly unmarked in front of an open goal but he hastily shot over. Within seconds the ball was in the Slough goalmouth and ex-Slough striker Peter Lavers had levelled the score.

Following an injury to Dave Yerby in the pre-match warm-up, an ankle gash which needed nine stitches, Slough took the field with O'Sullivan substituting for the absent Day and Jameson as the number 12.

A poor first half had very little to commend it, scrappy play from both sides with only the long throws from Leatherhead's Webb causing any real goalmouth activity. After this the game settled into a dour midfield dual with little to enthuse about. In fact the only real excitement came in the 29th minute when a wild Leatherhead clearance shattered the window in the Press box.

After the interval things livened up a bit. In the 47th a clever back heel from Hill was cleared off the goal line. One minute later O'Sullivan went close, and in the 50th Turl had a shot well saved. With Slough getting on top a goal looked likely, but when it came it was from the penalty spot.

In the 60th minute Amos raced into the area to be brought down by Dade, and referee Mr Oliver raced up to check the exact spot of the infringement before pointing to the spot. To everyone's surprise it was O'Sullivan who stepped forward to take the kick in place of the missing Day, but it was one of the best taken spot kicks we have seen at the Stadium in some time, the keeper having no idea where the ball was until it came back out of the goal.

Slough should have asserted authority from this one-goal advantage, but it was Leatherhead who put on the pressure as the game developed into something more like a meeting of the Athenian League's top sides and the equaliser came in the 84th.

A long throw from Webb on the right and Lavers leapt up to head the ball harmlessly down into the six-yard area, but the ball ran between Turls legs and crept over the goal line with the unfortunate Wolstenholme stranded, to make things even, and give Leatherhead the honour of being the only team this season to take three points from Slough.