Slough Do League And Cup Double

Slough made more history on Friday when they beat Dagenham in the final of the Athenian League Cup and so became the first club to achieve the League championship and cup double. It was Slough's first win at Dagenham since 1959 and it was thoroughly deserved for they took control of the mid-field and always dictated the tempo of the game.

The reason for Slough's middle of the field domination was the outstanding play of Micky O'Sullivan, Roger Day, and Terry Reardon who ruled the roost and never lost their grip.

With Ray Eaton ineligible Jan Reid returned to the full back spot flanking Mead and D'Arcy. On paper Slough looked as though they would be in difficulty but the hard uneven pitch and Slough's determination to go for every ball shocked the Daggers and Slough slowly pushed them back until in the end it was they who looked the home side as they gained confidence and took control of all departments of the game.

Slough were the first team to strike when D'Arcy took a free kick after only 2 mins for Reid to head just wide. With both sides settling down neither looked like scoring but Slough did and went in front in the 9th, Amos took a corner from the right and there at the far post was Mead to head home his first goal of the season.

Three minutes after this Dagenham skipper Dennis Moore put in a fine shot and Wolstenholme brought off an equally fine save. In the 17th Amos and Davison clashed and the Dagenham player resumed with a marked limp.

For a period after this the home side put on the pressure with Mead and O'Sullivan clearing off the Slough goal line in the 19th and 21st minutes. In the 28th a free kick to Dagenham taken by Moore thrashed into the Slough "Wall" and this seemed to signal the end of the real Dagenham pressure, Slough began to get on top and the home side began to resort to the offside trap with Slough cleverly building up attack after attack.

In the 43th Dagenham were awarded another free kick just outside the Slough box and after Moore had hit the "wall" with his first attempt the kick had to be retaken as the Slough players were not ten yards from the ball and the second shot whistled around the defenders and Wolstenholme brought off a magnificent save to keep Slough in front for the interval.

The injured Davison failed to make an appearance after the break and Brookes took over but it was Slough who continued the pressure and in the 49th they went even further ahead. A D'Arcy free kick had Hutley in trouble with its curving flight but to make certain Amos nipped in and swept the ball over the line.

In the 52nd the cock-a-hoop Slough players pressed forward their advantage. Yerby and O'Sullivan combined for the latter to shoot wide, Reid netted in the 53rd but Amos was offside; in the 58th Turl and Yerby combined to go close once again and the home players begun to show their dissent in a manner not expected by the referee.

It was Reardon who received much of this undesired attention as he and Day carved opening after opening in the Dagenham defence and in the 67th Dear found his name in the book for one of these fouls.

In the 79th Dagenham had their last real fling when Brooker raced away but Wolstenholme was fast off his line to stop the danger. After this the game was as good as over, chances did appear at both ends but they were wasted and Slough ran off worthy winners, having already rested the championship from Dagenham and achieving the double that had eluded the Essex side last season.