Makowski strikes late as Rebels edge past ten-man Welling

Slough Town progressed into Third Round Qualifying of the Emirates FA Cup after finally breaking down ten-man Welling United in this replay at Arbour Park, with Wiktor Makowski striking the decisive goal in the 79th minute.

The Rebels were expected to make their numerical advantage count after Welling were reduced to ten men early on, but it was a frustrating evening until Makowski found the net late on, rewarding the persistence of Scott Davies’ side. Reflecting afterwards, Davies admitted: “It’s probably one of our best wins as a group in the last three years. For us, in terms of the people that we’re missing, I’m glad we haven’t had to make excuses.”

The match began brightly, with both teams carving out chances. Welling skipper Lekan Majoyegbe saw his header from a corner cleared from near the line inside five minutes, while moments later Makowski broke clear but, after covering a lot of ground, his heavy first touch gave the visitors a chance to recover and he fired into the side netting.

The tie took a dramatic turn on seven minutes when Welling centre-back Scott Simmons was shown a straight red card for a poor challenge on Davies. It looked like it would open the door for Slough to take control, but the Rebels struggled to build momentum, with frequent stoppages and Welling reorganising well to frustrate them. Davies observed: “It’s never easy against 10. Anyone that’s played football knows how difficult it is. They were really well drilled, really well organised, and you could see the frustration in the group, myself included.”

Welling made an early change on 12 minutes, bringing on Aaron Williams-Bushell for Zac Hambury in what looked to be a tactical adjustment following the dismissal. Later in the half they also lost Bright Siaw to injury, replaced by Ruben Shakpoke, but the ten men remained determined. They even fashioned the best opening of the half, with forward Tom Leahy firing over from close range.

Slough’s most dangerous moment before the interval came from distance, as Tyrique Clarke unleashed a dipping half-volley which Freddie Norman did superbly to tip over. As half-time approached, Shakpoke saw a strike blocked in the box, while Henry Ochieng and Peter Ojemen both picked up bookings for fouls on the lively substitute. The sides went in level, the Rebels having failed to make the extra man count.

The second half followed a similar pattern. Slough tried to build pressure but Welling defended stoutly, and Desbois was called into action to deny Dobbs’ 20-yard effort. At the other end, Adepoju’s strike was parried by Norman at his near post, before Goddard’s shot was gathered after a neat move involving Clarke.

With 20 minutes remaining, Davies turned to his bench, introducing Nnaemeka Anyanwu for Brian Nelson. The change proved decisive. Anyanwu injected fresh energy and within nine minutes he made the key contribution. Running onto Johnny Goddard’s incisive through ball into the right channel, he powered into the area and delivered a calm, low cross across the face of goal. Makowski was perfectly placed to sweep the ball home from close range, finally breaking the deadlock to huge relief around Arbour Park.

Davies praised the young forward’s impact: “When you get your opportunity, the only thing you can do as a young player is take it. And he certainly did that tonight.”

With the lead established, Slough managed the remainder well. Goddard’s free kick from the edge of the box was held by Norman, while Clarke went close again in added time with another long-range strike that flew narrowly past the post. Despite Welling pushing forward with further substitutions, they were unable to carve out a clear opening against Slough’s midfield and defensive shape.

The final whistle confirmed Slough’s place in the Third Round Qualifying, where they will travel to Isthmian League South Central side Bedfont Sports Club. “It’s been a really, really difficult cup tie… it was almost a banana skin in many ways,” admitted Davies. While not the most fluent performance, the Rebels showed persistence to finally break through, with Makowski’s goal proving decisive. Adepoju’s tireless display in attack earned him the man of the match award, while Anyanwu’s impact from the bench underlined his potential.

Davies reserved a final word for the supporters: “It’s important to acknowledge the fans that have gone to Welling on Saturday, come here tonight and obviously spent more money in the replay. Their support doesn’t go unnoticed and it’s massively appreciated.”