Rebels Reach Semi Final After Frolic In Snow

Slough turned in another lacking in lustre performance against Thatcham Town, in the third round of the Berks and Bucks Senior Cup on Saturday.

By no stretch of imagination could Thatcham be called top class opposition but the Rebels only scrambled home by the odd goal in three.

Thatcham fielded only five of the team which earned them a place in last season's final. At the last minute Thatcham had to include their coach, Goodman in goal as their regular keeper failed to pass a fitness test just before the kick off.

The flurry of snow immediately prior to the game not only covered the pitch and made things difficult for the players but kept the gate down to a few hundred.

Slough attacked in the first half with the wind behind them and they were soon carving some massive holes in the Thatcham defence. Paul Lee, just back after a bout of 'flu, was particularly sharp and menacing with his quick runs and it was he who helped to set up a fine move for Hill to beat Goodman in the 16th minute, the ball appearing to enter the net before a desperate clearance forced the ball out again.

The linesman failed to react and play continued. Four more times within the next eight minutes Goodman was beaten and each time the ball failed to actually cross the line, on the last of these occasions Hill ran through only to shoot against Goodman when the wind took the ball back over the goalkeeper's head only for Rod Snow to hook the ball just over his own crossbar at the last gasp. For no apparent reason the referee Mr. Chown of Wycombe awarded a goal kick.

In the 27th minute Goodman regained confidence in himself when he tipped a thundering free kick by Lee over the bar but eight minutes later Terry Brown at last found the net with a well-directed header from a Davies cross, and then in the 40th minute Alan Gane took a good corner on the right to see Steve Hill flick a neat header to John Beyer who volleyed home.

Suddenly Slough were really on the rampage and Thatcham had to hang on until half-time with the knowledge that the wind would be in their favour in the second half.

However, the "Rebels" did not appear to lose their clear superiority at the start of the second half, and they continued to take the Thatcham defence to pieces, Brown (twice) Underwood, Lee and Hill all being just off target.

Melvyn Simmonds, the ex-Bournemouth and Reading player, was forced up into midfield and he did begin to find some gaps in the Slough defence but Barron was left with little to do until Thatcham made their first strike in the 70th minute.

A long free kick was taken by giant Bayliss, the wind carried this to Tosey who was left with a free header with which he was just wide.

Then three minutes later a quick attack saw Strudley cross to Simmonds who dived to send an unstoppable header past Barron.

Suddenly Thatcham were confident and Barron was I called upon to make two fine saves in as many seconds, then Slough put together a fine move which saw Smith centre to the unmarked Lee who headed with some deliberation for the corner of the net only to see Goodman direct the ball onto the top of the crossbar and over.

Goodman saved well from Brown in the 78th and Alan Brereton was just wide for Thatcham four minutes later Slough leaving the field safely through to the semi-finals but wondering, no doubt, how they will ever score another convincing win this season.