Waders strike at the death to deny Slough victory

Slough Town

Slough Town

1
S Harris (80)
Biggleswade Town

Biggleswade Town

1
Daniel (90+1)
League Attendance: 300 Alex Witham
Craig Daniel's late strike stunned Slough and denied the Rebels all three points after an entertaining encounter at Holloways Park, full of great football from both sides.

Joint managers Neil Baker and Jon Underwood lauded the display from their side after the match, acknowledging that it was some of the best football seen under their management. Few could disagree after witnessing a fine match with neat football played by both Slough and Chris Nunn’s Biggleswade side, who left with a deserved point – though the nature and timing of the goal was hard to take for those of a Rebels persuasion.

An open start was perhaps to be expected, and Jamie McClurg had a shot blocked after superb approach play, before Darryl Thomas dragged a shot wide after being played in by Reece Yorke’s chipped ball over the top.

Jake Somerville kept the score at 0-0 with a fine save, rushing out to block from Craig Daniel, but Slough looked the more likely to break the deadlock, with McClurg shooting wide again.

Minutes later, Ian Brown in the Biggleswade goal produced a fantastic save to claw away a shot from Dyer – the ball looked destined for the top corner, but Brown used every inch of his frame to deny the striker, who will feel he should have scored.

Daniel did have the ball in Somerville’s net with 22 minutes played, but it was judged to be offside.

Dyer side-footed wide from a Thomas cross after he darted free down the right, and Thomas went close again after cleverly touching the ball away from a defender, but he poked the ball wide under pressure. Slough could not find the breakthrough and the visitors went on to put some pressure on the hosts later in the half, but without looking like troubling Somerville.

Half time saw a change for the Rebels as Ed Smith replaced Dyer, who picked up a rib injury in the final minute of the first half. Slough, though, picked up where they left off in the first half, and a long-ranger from Dobson was gathered fairly comfortably by Brown.

Biggleswade were happy to sit back and soak up the pressure from Slough, who despite having much of the ball, were finding it difficult to penetrate the Waders defence. Shots from the visitors flew safely high and wide of Somerville’s goal, and Ian Rees dragged an effort wide from 25 yards after working hard to keep the ball in play on the right.

The visitors survived a huge penalty appeal after Smith looked to have been dragged down whilst in the act of trying to head in James Dobson’s cross, but the referee waved away the vociferous appeals.

Moments later, Stuart Farrell almost opened the scoring for the visitors as he stretched to meet a cross at the far post, but the ball went wide of the post.

Closer still was Rees minutes later, as he shot just wide from a tight angle. Biggleswade put together their best spell of the game and Somerville held a dipping volley from Lee Allinson as the Waders applied the pressure.

With the ball, Slough still looked frustrated as the visitors put bodies behind the ball and looked to counter attack, and did so to good effect. Sam Reed put a dipping shot just over as Biggleswade now looked the more likely to score.

But with ten minutes remaining, Scott Harris, who had only replaced Thomas shortly before, deflected a shot from McClurg, which completely wrong-footed Brown and trickled into the goal. The goal was against the run of play and more than a little harsh on Biggleswade.

Slough spurned chances to make the game safe, with Harris scuffing a shot wide, and Brown saving from substitute George Frith after good hold-up play from Harris.

There was a sting in the tail, however, as one minute into stoppage time at the end of the game, Craig Daniel found some space on the right, and whipped in a powerful ball which appeared to be a cross, but completely deceived Somerville and ended up in the back of the net – the visitors making Slough pay for missed chances earlier in the game.

Biggleswade Town Lineup

Ian Brown, Max York, Mark Coulson, Cameron Mawer, Steve Gentle (c), Lee Allinson, Craig Daniel, Ian Rees, Sam Reed, Evan Key, Lee Reed. Subs: Andrew Iwediuno, Jordan Davies, Zane Banton, Stuart Farrell, Lee Smith.

Rebels

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