Town Again Make The Last 16

Slough Town once again through to the last 16 of the Amateur Cup having had little difficulty in disposing of Eastbourne United at Prince's Park on Saturday by two clear goals.

The Town had 90 per cent of the game and only their old failing in front of goal prevented them winning by a very wide margin. The goals were scored by Chatterton after 28 minutes and Gain in the 83rd minute. O'Sullivan was booked in the first half. Eastbourne, with a reputation for being a very hard side, showed just how they gained this reputation but it was a Slough player, O'Sullivan, who was booked during the first half.

Slough opened the game well, playing the ball about and running off the ball in a manner we have not seen lately, but it was Eastbourne who got in the first strike when a Slough back pass was badly intercepted by O'Sullivan and Hugill raced in to shoot over.

Within a minute Slough gained the first of their 10 corners and from the kick Reid flicked the ball just the wrong side of the upright. A good run by Anthony on the right saw a good cross just inches in front of Reardon's outstretched boot, and at this stage Slough were well on top but a dangerous break by Taylor in the 18th resulted in O'Sullivan being booked for bringing the number nine down whilst in full flight.

In the 23rd a good effort by Gain was just parried by the Eastbourne keeper but five minutes later Slough were in front, a free kick by D'Arcy dropped into the area and Chatterton leaped above the defence to power the ball goalwards with his head and all keeper Read could do was help the ball into the net.

Slough continued to press but the best chance fell to Eastbourne in the 37th when a free kick was headed over a stranded Wolstenholme by Ford but struck the crossbar and bounced back into the Slough keeper's arms. After this Eastbourne managed to assert some pressure for the rest of the half but Slough were never in any serious trouble.

The second half saw Slough with the wind at their backs and the game was as good as over for the seasiders. Grant was warned twice for fouls on O'Sullivan and Day within the first three minutes.

And as desperation crept into their play Eastbourne were slowly ground into the dust. It was one way traffic to the Eastbourne goal. In the 64th Eastbourne made a tactical substitution of Goacher for Grant but this, if anything, weakened the side.

An Anthony shot was blocked on the line in the 67th and after this Slough appeared to be closing the game up. The first Eastbourne chance of the half came in the 76th when Ford managed to elude D'Arcy at last but Crane headed the cross wide.

Three minutes later Chatterton regained the ball but was brought down by the keeper. When referee Mullen waved play on there were a number of sighs of relief from the locals. The best shot of the match came in the 81st when Chatterton powered a 20-yarder but Read was equal to it and brought off a magnificent save.

Within 60 seconds the game was over, another D'Arcy free kick and Gain blasted the ball into the back of the net off lan Reid's stomach. In the final minute Creese got in Eastbourne's second shot of the half and in injury time Reid headed the ball against the bar from the final corner.