Horsham
1
Hammond (pen 84)
Slough Town
0
League
Attendance: 1452
Slough Town suffered a fifth consecutive league defeat as a late James Hammond penalty earned Horsham victory at The Fusion Aviation Community Stadium.
Despite another resilient display and several excellent saves from Adam Desbois, a single mistake proved costly six minutes from time. The result leaves the Rebels 22nd in the National League South table, three points adrift of safety, as they continue to search for the consistency needed to climb the standings.
Manager Scott Davies made five changes from Tuesday’s defeat against Bath City, recalling Peter Ojemen, Kiki Oshilaja, Tyrique Clarke, Jordan Greenidge, and Johnny Goddard in a reshuffled side that mixed experience with energy.
The Rebels began solidly and were disciplined in shape during an even first half. Reece Myles-Meekums registered the first shot on target for Horsham, curling towards the top corner before Desbois claimed confidently.
Slough looked to play on the front foot, with Clarke bursting through midfield and testing Lewis Carey with a low strike. Oshilaja went into the book early for halting a dangerous run, but Slough held firm under pressure and grew into the contest.
A good spell midway through the half saw Roth and Janneh combine neatly on the right, with Jordan Greenidge’s flick setting up Goddard, whose effort lacked power. At the other end, the hosts came within inches of scoring when a corner ricocheted off a Slough player and struck the underside of the bar before being hacked clear.
Slough’s best moment of the half arrived on 42 minutes, Drakes-Thomas sending over a teasing corner which Reiss Greenidge headed back across goal. The ball broke to Goddard at the edge of the area, but his strike was blocked by a well-positioned defender.
Level at the break, Slough could take encouragement from their compact defending and organisation, even if clear chances were scarce.
The second half began with both sides still searching for rhythm. Charlie Hester-Cook’s low drive forced Desbois into action at his near post, while Slough countered moments later through Luke Holness, who almost latched onto a long ball before Carey intervened smartly.
A clever exchange between Janneh and Goddard created another opening, the midfielder’s low effort flashing across the face of goal. With the game finely poised, Horsham introduced Shamir Fenelon and Ricky Aguiar, while Slough turned to Jared Myers, Tyrese Dyce, and later Makowski and Walker in search of a breakthrough.
There was nearly a moment of fortune for the Rebels midway through the half when Isaac Philpot’s misplaced backpass beat Carey and rolled inches wide of his own post, denying Slough a gift of a goal.
However, the match was ultimately decided by a single lapse with six minutes remaining.
After Slough had cleared their lines, a long ball forward from Desbois was aimed toward Wiktor Makowski, who was unable to keep possession under pressure. Horsham broke quickly, switching play into space. Kiki Oshilaja initially looked favourite to intercept but overran the ball, allowing the attacker to nip in behind. As Oshilaja tried to recover, he clipped his man inside the box, and the referee immediately pointed to the spot.
It was a tough moment for Oshilaja, who had defended strongly throughout. James Hammond took responsibility for the penalty, striking powerfully into the net beyond Desbois’ reach.
Slough pushed men forward in the closing stages as Adepoju replaced Oshilaja, but Horsham could have doubled their lead when Shamir Fenelon found space late on, only to be denied by another superb Desbois save.
Despite six minutes of added time and a series of long balls into the area, the equaliser would not come.
Defeat in West Sussex means Slough have now lost seven of their last eight league matches, a run that has seen them slip into the relegation zone. But there were positives to draw from another narrow game decided by a fine margin.
Attention now turns away from the league, with two cup ties in quick succession providing an ideal opportunity to regain confidence. The Rebels make the short trip to Beaconsfield Town in the Berks & Bucks FA Senior Cup before welcoming Gloucester City in the Isuzu FA Trophy at Arbour Park next weekend.
Scott Davies will hope those fixtures allow his side to rediscover the winning feeling before league action resumes later in the month.
Despite a frustrating run of results, the Rebels continue to show commitment and character. With several key players returning from injury and new additions bedding in, there remains a sense that one positive result could spark the turnaround the team needs.
Despite another resilient display and several excellent saves from Adam Desbois, a single mistake proved costly six minutes from time. The result leaves the Rebels 22nd in the National League South table, three points adrift of safety, as they continue to search for the consistency needed to climb the standings.
Manager Scott Davies made five changes from Tuesday’s defeat against Bath City, recalling Peter Ojemen, Kiki Oshilaja, Tyrique Clarke, Jordan Greenidge, and Johnny Goddard in a reshuffled side that mixed experience with energy.
The Rebels began solidly and were disciplined in shape during an even first half. Reece Myles-Meekums registered the first shot on target for Horsham, curling towards the top corner before Desbois claimed confidently.
Slough looked to play on the front foot, with Clarke bursting through midfield and testing Lewis Carey with a low strike. Oshilaja went into the book early for halting a dangerous run, but Slough held firm under pressure and grew into the contest.
A good spell midway through the half saw Roth and Janneh combine neatly on the right, with Jordan Greenidge’s flick setting up Goddard, whose effort lacked power. At the other end, the hosts came within inches of scoring when a corner ricocheted off a Slough player and struck the underside of the bar before being hacked clear.
Slough’s best moment of the half arrived on 42 minutes, Drakes-Thomas sending over a teasing corner which Reiss Greenidge headed back across goal. The ball broke to Goddard at the edge of the area, but his strike was blocked by a well-positioned defender.
Level at the break, Slough could take encouragement from their compact defending and organisation, even if clear chances were scarce.
The second half began with both sides still searching for rhythm. Charlie Hester-Cook’s low drive forced Desbois into action at his near post, while Slough countered moments later through Luke Holness, who almost latched onto a long ball before Carey intervened smartly.
A clever exchange between Janneh and Goddard created another opening, the midfielder’s low effort flashing across the face of goal. With the game finely poised, Horsham introduced Shamir Fenelon and Ricky Aguiar, while Slough turned to Jared Myers, Tyrese Dyce, and later Makowski and Walker in search of a breakthrough.
There was nearly a moment of fortune for the Rebels midway through the half when Isaac Philpot’s misplaced backpass beat Carey and rolled inches wide of his own post, denying Slough a gift of a goal.
However, the match was ultimately decided by a single lapse with six minutes remaining.
After Slough had cleared their lines, a long ball forward from Desbois was aimed toward Wiktor Makowski, who was unable to keep possession under pressure. Horsham broke quickly, switching play into space. Kiki Oshilaja initially looked favourite to intercept but overran the ball, allowing the attacker to nip in behind. As Oshilaja tried to recover, he clipped his man inside the box, and the referee immediately pointed to the spot.
It was a tough moment for Oshilaja, who had defended strongly throughout. James Hammond took responsibility for the penalty, striking powerfully into the net beyond Desbois’ reach.
Slough pushed men forward in the closing stages as Adepoju replaced Oshilaja, but Horsham could have doubled their lead when Shamir Fenelon found space late on, only to be denied by another superb Desbois save.
Despite six minutes of added time and a series of long balls into the area, the equaliser would not come.
Defeat in West Sussex means Slough have now lost seven of their last eight league matches, a run that has seen them slip into the relegation zone. But there were positives to draw from another narrow game decided by a fine margin.
Attention now turns away from the league, with two cup ties in quick succession providing an ideal opportunity to regain confidence. The Rebels make the short trip to Beaconsfield Town in the Berks & Bucks FA Senior Cup before welcoming Gloucester City in the Isuzu FA Trophy at Arbour Park next weekend.
Scott Davies will hope those fixtures allow his side to rediscover the winning feeling before league action resumes later in the month.
Despite a frustrating run of results, the Rebels continue to show commitment and character. With several key players returning from injury and new additions bedding in, there remains a sense that one positive result could spark the turnaround the team needs.
Slough Town Lineup
- 1 Adam Desbois
- 3 Peter Ojemen
- 5 Kiki Oshilaja 26
- 6 Reiss Greenidge
- 7 Tyrique Clarke
- 8 Jaiden Drakes-Thomas 23
- 9 Jordan Greenidge 11
- 10 Johnny Goddard 25
- 16 Dan Roth
- 28 Ansu Janneh
- 29 Luke Holness 17
Substitutes
- 11 Wiktor Makowski 9
- 14 Scott Davies
- 15 Brian Nelson
- 17 Tyrese Dyce 29
- 23 Jared Myers 8
- 25 Harvey Walker 10
- 26 Josh Adepoju 5
Horsham Lineup
Lewis Carey, Harvey Sparks, Charlie Hester-Cook (Ricky Aguiar 79), Isaac Philpot, James Hammond, Danny Barker, Rhys Murphy (Shamir Fenelon 58), Greg Luer (Jake Elliott 90+3), Jack Brivio, Reece Myles-Meekums (Lucas Rodrigues 84), Leone Gravata. Subs not used: James Roberts, Archie Harland-Goddard, Ronnie Gorman.