Five Of The Best For Chatterton

The new-look Slough Town, champions of the Athenian League, started their title defence against promoted Division One champions Harlow with a fine 5-2 win. All five goals came from new signing Micky Chatterton, the burly ex-Maidenhead centre forward.

It is nearly eight years since a Slough player scored five goals in a match, the last being Bernie Gogan in 1965. With the changing emphasis on defensive play, the scoring spree by Chatterton is all the more creditable and the Slough supporters at last were able to watch the sort of attacking play they have awaited for so long.

The victory was not as easy as the scoreline suggests. It was the visitors who looked the more dangerous of the two sides in the first half, and after Slough had opened the scoring in the seventh minute, the visitors netted twice to give them a 2-1 interval lead.

The Slough defence looked ponderous for the first 45 minutes, and the midfield was almost non-existent, leaving Slough, playing a 4-4-2 formation, with Chatterton and Tottman alone up front receiving very little of the ball.

Hill and Reid endeavoured to assist the front two, but it was the visitors who really looked like champions.

The second period was completely different. Slough gritted their teeth, pressed forward, and although the Harlow defence increased to eight men, it wilted under pressure as Chatterton struck four times to finish off the challenge.

The opening minutes saw both sides trying to settle and it was Harlow who began to take control, with Duggan standing out as the best forward on the field. Against the run of play, Slough went ahead when Yerby crossed from the right for Chatterton to drive home his first goal.

Three minutes later the scores were level. Duggan outstripped the Slough defence but was brought down in the area by Meade. Duggan sent Wolstenholme diving the wrong way to make it 1-1.

In the 23rd Slough could well have been in front again when a shot from Yerby was pushed out by keeper Howard. Day headed back the rebound but Sneddon cleared off the line.

Two minutes later Reid headed just over the crossbar, then, in the 29th minute a Tottman shot was tipped over for a corner, from which a Chatterton shot was well saved. Slough seemed to be getting on top at this stage, but the visitors' danger man Duggan put them in front again when he rounded D'Arcy and Eaton with impertinent ease and gave Wolstenholme no chance.

Half time saw Yerby off and effort James on, and following a fine by Jackson two minutes after the restart, Slough took complete control. Danger man Duggan was marked out of the game, and Slough began to move like a well-oiled machine.

A 54th minute free kick by Day was forced into the back of the net by a diving Chatterton header passing through the keeper's hands and legs on the way, to make it 2-2.

He netted again in the 62nd, but the goal was disallowed because a Slough player was offside, but within 90 seconds it was 3-2. A cross from Reid, and Chatterton was there again to push the ball into the net.

In the 72nd a fine effort from Tottman saw him beat three men but somehow Howard deflected the ball for a corner Slough would not be denied, and in the 84th minute a floated free kick from D'Arcy was headed over the advancing Howard by Chatterton to make it 4-2. Three minutes later Chatterton completed his first League outing for Slough when he hammered home a cross from. Turl to make it 5-2.