Rebels Humbled

Athenian League Champions Slough Town gave one of their less glorious performances at Dagenham, when they went down by two goals to nil to a side that have lost five of their regular first team players over the past few weeks, and are having to include a number of very inexperienced players. Following two goal-less draws, the Essex side were looked upon as easy meat for the champions, but what a mistaken idea this was! The very fast Daggers settled down and then knocked in two second-half goals to humiliate Slough,.

The Slough performance was the worst so far this season. Defensively they just could not cope with the speed of the young Dagenham forwards, and but for Alf D'Arcy's clever positional play, the scoreline could have been a lot worse.

In midfield Slough were dreadful; unable to gain possession, they were consistently caught with the ball and therefore unable to service the forward line, which had a quiet afternoon. The game opened with the home side buzzing around the Slough defence and looking very dangerous. In the third minute Ford went close with a long-range effort and two minutes later it was Ford again, heading into the side netting from a free kick.

Slough's first real effort came in the ninth minute when, from their first comer, Hill headed in and Huttley parried the ball, which was cleared off the line.

Dagenham got back on top and should have taken the lead in the 21st minute, when from a Lucas cross, Harris flicked the ball across an open goal but just wide of the post with the Slough defence and keeper stranded.

It was sheer speed that was winning the ball for Dagenham at this stage, and the quieter, more precise, Slough play just could not cope although the visitors could well have gone in front in the 26th minute when, from a corner on the left, Tottman out jumped his shadow Moore and headed against the underside of the bar. But the ball was once again cleared.

Four minutes later, again from a corner, a mix-up in the Dagenham goal-mouth, Slough shots were half blocked and half cleared, until Chatterton volleyed what looked a certain goal but the ball struck Hill on the back of the head and was cleared.

After the interval Dagenham got their game together and began to play the sort of football one associates with the Daggers of three seasons ago. Under great pressure the Slough defence somehow held out until the 57th minute. Then, from a corner, Blacktin headed the ball goalwards, and Brookes hooked the ball home with an overhead kick.

Nine minutes later, during which time Slough could only manage one real effort from Jamieson, Dagenham went two up. Harris received the ball on the left, and easily outpaced the Slough defence to round Wolstenholme and put the ball away from a very narrow angle. Two up against the champions and the crowd voiced their delight.

After this Roger Day did all he could to bring some cohesion into the Slough side but to no avail. The midfield just could not cope, and in the 82nd minute Tommy Lawrence pulled Turl off; Reid went to full-back, substitute Yerby went to centre back releasing D'Arcy to the midfield. But it was too late, and it was still the home side that had the better of the final exchanges.