Late goals save Slough from cup humiliation

Slough looked likely to relive last season's Berks and lucks Cup humiliation at Hungerford as they trailed 2-0 to lowly Maidenhead but a late, late hat-trick by Paul Lee gave them a sensational third round victory.

Poor Maidenhead, one division and several places below Slough in the Isthmian League, battled bravely but could not hold out after Steve Palfrey was carried off with concussion and Barry Hill sent off.

Despite being without four regular players, including ex-Slough striker Mick Chatterton, Maidenhead managed to soak up heavy pressure and could not believe it when Lee struck with three goals in a last gasp six minute spell.

The 23-year-old Slough winger said: "It was the quickest and most timely hat-trick of my career. It was also my first for Slough."

Maidenhead boss George Harris commented: "Our luck was right out, and I was not happy about some of the referee's decisions. I didn't think Hill deserved to be sent off. He committed a ‘professional’ foul but there was nothing vicious in it."

One of the most disappointed men when the final whistle eventually blew must have been former Slough centre back Iain MacPhee, who was Maidenhead's man-of-the-match.

His superb positional sense and timely tacks foiled Slough repeatedly, the first occasion coming in the fifth minute when he dispossessed the lively Lee after Ivies had snapped up a faulty clearance by Gosnell to put Lee through.

Fighting then broke out on the terraces behind the Maidenhead goal. Several youngsters were involved and police and club officials had to intervene.

Maidenhead made an equally big impact on the field by grabbing a 15th minute lead with the Slough defence caught square - a fault that they often repeated. Malley slipped on the wet surface as he tried to cut out Collins's pass down the left flank. This gave John Watt time to cut in, and his cross-cum-shot went in at the far post with keeper Porter completely baffled.

Slough now came surging back, with Beyer and Lee only inches off target and keeper Scott smothering a Brown shot.

But Maidenhead struck again early in the second-half when good work by Palfrey led to Watt cutting in from the right to slide the ball past Porter for his second goal.

With 36 minutes remaining it seemed Slough were to again be knocked out of the county cup by 'inferior' opposition. But Maidenhead were then dealt a double blow.

Palfrey received his second knock of the game and was lying unconscious as Slough scored. Slick approach work by Davies and Lee led to Brown having an effort blocked and Somers followed up to knock the ball home.

The unfortunate Palfrey was carried off, with Samson coming on as substitute.

Lee's goal burst in the last six minutes saw Slough turn the tables. The equaliser came when Brown challenged for the ball which fell to Lee who beat a defender and promptly netted. The pressure was telling on Maidenhead, and Hill, who, like Evans, had earlier been booked, was sent off for grabbing hold of Lee after the Slough player had threatened to break tough.

Then, from a corner on the right, Somers headed down for Lee to head home and make it 3-2. With Maidenhead regretting the advent of injury time, Davies crossed from the left and Lee moved in to score again from a narrow angle.

Slough could point to several reasons for their win - including their heavy pressure and the decision to bring on Cooper as substitute for the tiring Underwood. However, Maidenhead will always insist that only bad luck robbed them.