Stones roll to win at Arbour Park

Slough Town fell to defeat at Arbour Park as promotion-chasing Maidstone United continued their impressive run of form, with former Rebel John Gilbert scoring twice in the first half to set the visitors on their way to a 4-1 victory.

Scott Davies’ side had gone into the match looking to bounce back from a difficult evening at Weston-super-Mare, and despite once again being without a long list of senior players, the Rebels produced a spirited display that deserved more than the final scoreline suggested.

With several regulars still missing through injury or illness, there were two welcome returns as Reiss Greenidge and Tyrese Dyce both featured for the first time since spells on the sidelines. Bryce Gough and Jared Myers made way, while the bench again included several youngsters from the club’s Elite Development Squad, including Wyatt Marin and Gough himself.

Maidstone arrived in Berkshire full of confidence, unbeaten in their previous seven matches and buoyed by the attacking threat of former Slough midfielder Gilbert, who would go on to haunt his old club with two predatory finishes.

The visitors settled quickly and looked sharp from the off. In the early exchanges, Slough tried to push forward through Harvey Walker down the right, but his low cross into the area was just beyond the reach of Wiktor Makowski. Moments later, a loose pass from Adam Desbois almost gifted Gilbert a tap-in, but the Slough goalkeeper recovered well to smother the danger at the second attempt.

At the other end, Makowski recorded the game’s first meaningful shot on target with a low drive from the edge of the area that Nathan Harness comfortably gathered. But the warning signs were already there, and Maidstone soon punished the hosts for failing to close down space in the wide areas.

In the 21st minute, Jephte Tanga – a constant menace on the left flank – was released behind the Slough defence and delivered a precise low cross which Gilbert slid in to finish from close range. Barely three minutes later, the same player struck again. This time, Anthony Papadopoulos kept the ball alive on the right before crossing for Deon Moore, whose effort was blocked by Davies, but Gilbert was quickest to react to the loose ball and slotted in from a few yards out.

The quick double was a hammer blow to Slough, who had started the game with purpose. However, the Rebels showed character and tried to respond, with Jaiden Drakes-Thomas testing Harness from distance and Makowski seeing a shot deflected behind after appearing to be clipped from behind on the edge of the box – strong appeals for a penalty were waved away by referee Dan England.

Maidstone continued to threaten on the counter as Moore latched onto a long ball only to lift his effort over Desbois and the bar. Meanwhile, Walker’s pace down the right remained Slough’s best attacking outlet, but clear openings were scarce against a disciplined Stones back line.

The half ended with the visitors two goals to the good and Slough frustrated at not having turned possession into chances. But the Rebels came out firing after the break and halved the deficit just seven minutes into the second half.

Makowski was brought down just outside the penalty area by Maidstone full-back David Sesay, who was perhaps fortunate to receive only a yellow card as the last defender. From the resulting free-kick, up stepped Scott Davies, curling a trademark strike into the top-right corner beyond Harness to give Slough hope of a comeback.

It was Davies’ second goal of the season and capped a spell of sustained pressure as the hosts began to grow in confidence. Substitute Jared Myers, introduced at the interval alongside Dyce, injected fresh energy down the right-hand side, and a long diagonal ball from George Roth almost picked out Walker arriving at the back post.

However, just as Slough looked capable of finding an equaliser, Maidstone ruthlessly restored their two-goal cushion on the hour mark. A long kick from Harness caught the home defence flat-footed, allowing Tanga to race through down the left. The winger showed composure to square the ball across goal for Papadopoulos, who calmly slotted home beneath Desbois to make it 3-1.

The goal seemed to knock the wind out of Slough’s sails, though the effort and application from Davies’ young side never dropped. Dyce, on his return to action, was involved in a brief confrontation with Gilbert as tempers flared midway through the half, both players earning yellow cards.

Davies turned to his bench again, introducing Josh Adepoju for Tyrique Clarke in midfield, and later giving further minutes to young prospects Nnaemeka Anyanwu and Wyatt Marin – the latter making only his second senior appearance. Both continued the club’s trend of offering valuable National League South experience to EDS graduates during an ongoing injury crisis.

The visitors added a fourth in the closing stages as Slough were punished for a defensive lapse. A short back-pass towards Desbois was intercepted by substitute Dejon Golding, who unselfishly squared for Tanga to smash home into an empty net from close range, sealing a comprehensive away win for George Elokobi’s side.

Despite the margin of defeat, there were positives for the Rebels. Davies’ stunning free-kick briefly brought the hosts back into the contest, while the continued emergence of young players such as Marin, Gough, and Anyanwu provided encouragement for the future. The returning Greenidge and Dyce also offered some much-needed defensive reinforcement as Slough look to navigate a busy run of fixtures.

The defeat leaves Slough still searching for consistency in the league but with the chance to regroup quickly and channel their energy into a far bigger occasion next weekend — a huge Emirates FA Cup First Round tie against National League side Altrincham at Arbour Park.

With several senior players getting closer to returning, and a home crowd certain to rally behind them, the Rebels will be determined to produce a performance worthy of the occasion and continue their memorable cup run.