Cinderford Town
2
Norman (43), Ford (64)
Slough Town
1
Nisbet (53)
League
Attendance: 167
Unknown
Slough Town suffered a blow to their promotion hopes with a narrow defeat at bottom side Cinderford Town on Tuesday evening.
The Rebels missed the chance to make it five straight league wins, which would have seen them move up to second in the table and close the gap on Chippenham Town.
Despite the defeat, joint manager Jon Underwood refused to criticise his players for the result against a resurgent Cinderford, who themselves made it three consecutive league wins.
“We couldn’t have asked for any more from our players tonight. We were well prepared, the lads were so up for it and focused.
“In the first half we were dominant against a difficult wind. We created chances, and it just wouldn’t go in for us.”
Simon Dunn fired over from the edge of the box on 4 minutes and forced goalkeeper Cameron Clarke into a save shortly after.
Cinderford’s Karnell Chambers was marshalled well by Slough in the first half, and the closest he came to making an impact was from a deflected effort on 20 minutes.
Warren Harris produced a save from Clarke after a pull-back from Gavin James, and put a shot wide of the post just a minute later after good play down the right from Chris Flood and Sean Fraser.
Slough remained in control and carried the greater threat whilst also repelling a few dangerous balls into the box. But the Rebels suffered a sucker punch just before half time as the hosts took the lead from a corner kick.
A good block denied Callum Moonie the chance to get a cross into the box. From the resulting corner, Craig Norman got in a header at the near post which looped over Paul Stonehouse to give Cinderford a half time lead.
Slough, already without Manny Williams due to injury, then lost in-form striker Gavin James to a hamstring injury on 50 minutes, and the Rebels reshuffled with Harris partnering Flood in attack.
Three minutes later, Slough restored parity as Mark Nisbet volleyed a James Dobson corner goalward, with the ball hitting Clarke and rolling past him at the near post.
The visitors started to look a lot more comfortable and created further chances with Flood putting a free kick just over the bar and Dobson heading a cross off-target.
But Slough fell behind again on 64 minutes. The ball ricocheted around the halfway line, and Cinderford worked the ball out wide to Elliot Ford, who had time and space to unleash an unstoppable shot which flew into the top corner, giving Mark Scott no chance.
Again the onus was on Slough to come from behind, and the Rebels kept the pressure on, with Cinderford forced into some desperate defending from dangerous crosses, whilst Dobson flashed a low effort across goal from substitute Nathan Webb’s pass.
Slough threw caution to the considerable amount of wind around the Causeway Stadium and introduced Guy Hollis to play as a third striker, and with the visitors committing numbers to attack, gaps started to open up at the back. Cinderford managed to break away and Lee Togwell brought down Chambers outside the area, leading to a straight red card for the Rebels midfielder.
Cinderford remained resolute and saw out the result with the depleted Rebels unable to break through.
Underwood called it a “nearly night” for his side. “We’re all desperately disappointed because we’ve been on a good run. We came here and approached the game perfectly well, but it wasn’t our night tonight.”
The Rebels missed the chance to make it five straight league wins, which would have seen them move up to second in the table and close the gap on Chippenham Town.
Despite the defeat, joint manager Jon Underwood refused to criticise his players for the result against a resurgent Cinderford, who themselves made it three consecutive league wins.
“We couldn’t have asked for any more from our players tonight. We were well prepared, the lads were so up for it and focused.
“In the first half we were dominant against a difficult wind. We created chances, and it just wouldn’t go in for us.”
Simon Dunn fired over from the edge of the box on 4 minutes and forced goalkeeper Cameron Clarke into a save shortly after.
Cinderford’s Karnell Chambers was marshalled well by Slough in the first half, and the closest he came to making an impact was from a deflected effort on 20 minutes.
Warren Harris produced a save from Clarke after a pull-back from Gavin James, and put a shot wide of the post just a minute later after good play down the right from Chris Flood and Sean Fraser.
Slough remained in control and carried the greater threat whilst also repelling a few dangerous balls into the box. But the Rebels suffered a sucker punch just before half time as the hosts took the lead from a corner kick.
A good block denied Callum Moonie the chance to get a cross into the box. From the resulting corner, Craig Norman got in a header at the near post which looped over Paul Stonehouse to give Cinderford a half time lead.
Slough, already without Manny Williams due to injury, then lost in-form striker Gavin James to a hamstring injury on 50 minutes, and the Rebels reshuffled with Harris partnering Flood in attack.
Three minutes later, Slough restored parity as Mark Nisbet volleyed a James Dobson corner goalward, with the ball hitting Clarke and rolling past him at the near post.
The visitors started to look a lot more comfortable and created further chances with Flood putting a free kick just over the bar and Dobson heading a cross off-target.
But Slough fell behind again on 64 minutes. The ball ricocheted around the halfway line, and Cinderford worked the ball out wide to Elliot Ford, who had time and space to unleash an unstoppable shot which flew into the top corner, giving Mark Scott no chance.
Again the onus was on Slough to come from behind, and the Rebels kept the pressure on, with Cinderford forced into some desperate defending from dangerous crosses, whilst Dobson flashed a low effort across goal from substitute Nathan Webb’s pass.
Slough threw caution to the considerable amount of wind around the Causeway Stadium and introduced Guy Hollis to play as a third striker, and with the visitors committing numbers to attack, gaps started to open up at the back. Cinderford managed to break away and Lee Togwell brought down Chambers outside the area, leading to a straight red card for the Rebels midfielder.
Cinderford remained resolute and saw out the result with the depleted Rebels unable to break through.
Underwood called it a “nearly night” for his side. “We’re all desperately disappointed because we’ve been on a good run. We came here and approached the game perfectly well, but it wasn’t our night tonight.”
Slough Town Lineup
- 1 Mark Scott
- 2 Sean Fraser 16
- 3 Paul Stonehouse 12
- 4 Nathan Smart
- 5 Mark Nisbet
- 6 Lee Togwell
- 7 James Dobson
- 8 Simon Dunn
- 9 Gavin James 15
- 10 Chris Flood
- 11 Warren Harris
Substitutes
- 12 Guy Hollis 3
- 14 Josh Jackman
- 15 Nathan Webb 9
- 16 Gurkan Gokmen 2
Cinderford Town Lineup
Cameron Clarke, Isaac Kelly, James Bloom, Josh Nelmes (c), Dan Clare, Jack Alderdice, Callum Moonie, Sam Hicks, Craig Norman, Karnell Chambers, Elliot Ford. Substitutes: Shane Parry, Nick Harry, Ben Hands, Giles Cutlan, Paul Michael.