Town Taken To Extra Time In County Cup

Slough Town players, all with their minds set on the Amateur Cup Semi-Final just seven days away, almost paid the price of complacency and could well have lost this semi-final of the Berks and Bucks Senior Cup. As it was, only a missed penalty by Brill, the first in his career in senior amateur football, and the embarrassment of extra time against a side that should not have been in with the ghost of a chance, allowed Slough to save face and move into their third successive County Cup final against Wycombe Wanderers.

Slough enjoyed the majority of the play, allowing Wokingham to break away only on rare occasions but as in the past the goals just would not come and with defenders moving forward to assist the forwards' space at the back allowed the speedy Wokingham front runners that little bit of extra room that they needed and twice Eric Lambden broke clear to be foiled by Wolstenholme, the first occasion giving the almost deadly penalty.

With Day resting Jamieson came into the team at full-back, the still suspended Mead meant that Reardon had to drop back to centre back yet again Reid moving which to midfield meant a midfield trio of Reid, Swadling and Gaine, a lineup that did not produce Slough's usual midfield superiority. A second half injury to Jamieson, who had to go to hospital for an X-Ray on a bruised shoulder, saw Crosby come on as substitute.

It was fortunate for Slough that top marks man Chatterton moved his tally into the 30's with a well taken goal in injury time, the embarrassment of a draw would certainly have done little 10 boost Slough's chances against Bishop’s Stortford this week. A dismal first half saw Slough start well and continue to force the game for almost all of the 45 mins, as in past games the pressure produced 10 corners in this first spell but their finishing left much to be desired as the Wokingham defence easily contained the Slough strike force inside the 18-yard area.

In the 11th min Slough should have taken the lead, a corner on the right from Jamieson was headed goalwards by Chatterton beating keeper Griffith but Caterer was on hand to clear off the line.

The second half did little to relieve the boredom, within five minutes Jamieson had to leave the field with a badly bruised shoulder and Crosby took over the full-back spot. Wokingham began to show a little more fight and after Anthony had had a good shot saved the home side began to look as though they might make an effective counter strike and this they did on the hour, Gale hammered a long clearance for Lambden to chase, he ran clear of the Slough defenders, rounded Wolstenholme only to "Rugby tackled" by the Slough keeper, a penalty was the only result. Up stepped Ray Brill, Wokingham’s ace penalty taker, he struck the ball hard but it hit the upright and came out, Brill touched the rebound to ex-Magpie Pitts who fired it into the back of the net. The referee immediately awarded a goal and ran back up the field hotly pursued by D'Arcy and Co. who persuaded the officials to consult his linesman, obviously unaware that Brill had touched the ball twice, after consultation the goal was disallowed.

Slough came back into the game and Griffith did well to stop efforts by O'Sullivan and Reid but again Slough allowed their lines to become extended and again a long clearance saw Lampden race away but Wolstenholme was quick off his line and cleared.

The end of a goal-less 90 min saw the signal for extra time and here Slough's fitness was more than apparent, after six minutes they got the vital goal, a cross from Gaine was pushed through by Reid for Chatterton to blast home via the woodwork and Wokingham’s interest in this year's County Cup was over.