Town Seven Points Clear At The Top

Slough Town unbeaten in the Athenian League since September 25, completed their 22nd game without defeat on Saturday, when they scored the only goal of the match against the greatly improved Redhill team. This record of the Rebels will take a lot of beating and it means the club now sit at the top of the Premier Division, seven points ahead of challengers, Leatherhead, who for the second week running had to be content with a draw when they visited Tilbury and shared six goals.

The one goal victory margin in no way reflects the clinical way in which Slough took both points from this game, if Slough are to be faulted it is because their over confidence is more than apparent as they treat their opponents with almost contempt. It is at the back that Slough are really at their strongest, Mead and D'Arcy give opposing strikers so little room that the Slough goal is rarely troubled, Eaton at left back is not only containing any opposition that dares to come his way but is also spending much of his time racing upfield to give his opposite numbers a lot of trouble, whilst on the other flank Slough's most improved player Tim Turl has only to add accurate distribution to his already obvious talents to become one of the best defenders in the league.

With the cup game in view Tommy Lawrence rested Tony Amos and Ian Wolstenholme so that they can get over their slight injuries, Micky O'Sullivan deputised up front and gave a competent performance and Ray Hyde wore the 'keeper's jersey although he had so little contact with the ball he must have wished that he had worn something warmer.

The first half of the game was very much biased in Slough's favour, flowing forward in movement after movement they pressed the visiting defence back but let them off the hook by wasting easy-looking chances. In the 40th minute Slough went ahead, O'Sullivan crossed low from the left, Stuart dived out but the ball ran loose from his groping fingers and Ritchie was on hand to ram home the simplest of chances, a goal that brings his season's total to 16, just one behind leading scorer Tony Amos. Just on half-time the visitors should have been level, with Hyde beaten Jolly shot against the inside of the upright and the ever cool D'Arcy was on hand to clear the rebound off the goal-line.

The second half was played almost exclusively in the Redhill half, Hyde in the Slough goal looking a very lonely man. In the 50th minute a Slough corner saw Ritchie head straight into Stuart's arms, in the 53rd a Cruse corner was headed over an open goal by O'Sullivan and so the pressure continued. In the 58th Kidd was replaced by Ives, the latter being the player who has given so much trouble in the past who had been held in reserve by the Redhill manager as a possible trump card, but although he did foster something of a revival he could no get the ball in the net but in the 68th Redhill did manage to break through the Slough defence but Jolly's shot was blocked by Hyde to give away a corner.

After this Slough sauntered on very much in control and the visitors had no answer to a defence that has conceded only 11 league goals in 22 games.