Injury-hit Rebels fall to defeat at Salisbury

Slough Town’s injury-hit side fell to a narrow defeat at Salisbury, with the hosts earning their first win of the season despite another courageous and spirited performance from Scott Davies’ youthful Rebels.

With eight senior players unavailable — including captain Henry Ochieng and assistant-boss Davies himself, who was unwell but named among the substitutes — Slough’s matchday squad featured a remarkable nine current or former Elite Development Squad (EDS) players. On the bench were teenagers Ethan Mosdell (17), Pedro Sami (17), and Jayden Dennison (16), all of whom have shone in the club’s FA Youth Cup run this season. Sami came on in the second half to make his National League debut, while Dennison was fresh from scoring a stunning goal in Tuesday’s 6-2 Youth Cup victory against Hanworth Villa.

The odds were stacked against the Rebels, but they battled bravely and might have taken something from the match had late chances fallen their way.

The opening stages saw Salisbury look the livelier of the two sides, with Matt Briggs’ early cross flashing across the face of goal before Tommy Willard, returning from injury, gave the hosts the lead on 16 minutes. A low delivery from Harry Lee was cleverly left by Briggs and finished at the near post by Willard.

Slough responded well, forcing several corners after deflected efforts from Johnny Goddard and Jaiden Drakes-Thomas, and Peter Ojemen — on his long-awaited return from suspension — attempted a backheeled effort which was blocked from close range. Salisbury nearly doubled their lead midway through the half as Matty Taylor unleashed a thunderous 30-yard strike which rattled the underside of the crossbar before bouncing out.

Despite the youthful makeup of the side, Slough continued to play on the front foot. Josh Adepoju fired narrowly over from the edge of the box after a good move involving Harvey Walker and Drakes-Thomas, while Wiktor Makowski was caught offside a couple of times as he looked to get in behind.

After the break, Slough continued to push. Drakes-Thomas, again impressive both on and off the ball, produced an excellent defensive block to deny a clear strike at goal before Davies introduced Jared Myers from the bench. The forward made an immediate impact, collecting a diagonal pass from Dan Roth and winning a corner. From it, Tarik Gidaree’s delivery caused chaos, Ojemen met it with a header, and Myers was on hand to poke the ball over the line for his first senior goal – a well-deserved equaliser on the hour mark.

The goal sparked a frantic spell as Salisbury threw players forward in response. Slough goalkeeper Adam Desbois, back between the posts after suspension, pulled off a brilliant double save to deny successive one-on-one efforts, keeping his side level. At the other end, Goddard and Makowski linked well but found few clear openings.

Salisbury regained control as the half wore on, with substitute Josh Hedges proving the difference-maker. He was twice denied by Desbois before finally finding a way through on 78 minutes – weaving across the edge of the box before firing a precise low strike into the corner to restore the home side’s lead.

Davies turned to his bench once again, introducing 17-year-old Sami and Nnaemeka Anyanwu, and Slough pushed hard for a second equaliser. Clarke forced Buse into a low save, and in added time Makowski was played in one-on-one but agonisingly saw his effort hit the side-netting. Myers also went close in stoppage time, delivering an inviting ball across goal that just evaded Goddard at the far post.

Despite defeat, there was no shortage of pride in the Rebels’ performance as they competed bravely against a strong Salisbury side boosted by new investment and a deep squad.

Davies praised the effort and attitude of his players afterwards, noting that while individual errors proved costly, the commitment and spirit shown reflected the club’s ethos. He singled out Drakes-Thomas for an “outstanding” display and expressed delight at Sami’s debut, adding that results will follow once the senior core returns to fitness.

The defeat ends Slough’s four-match winning run in all competitions, but the context tells a different story. Having been on a run of five wins in their last six, including that thrilling Emirates FA Cup victory over Enfield Town a week earlier, the Rebels remain well-placed in the National League South pack. One win could lift them into mid-table, and attention now turns to Tuesday night’s away trip to Weston-super-Mare — another tough test, but one this resilient young side will approach with confidence as Scott Davies also hopes that his senior absentees will soon return.