Striving Slough Victims Of Dark Comedy?

Slough players and supporters could be forgiven for believing that they are involved in some dark comedy of soccer. For the third Saturday in succession they have territorially outplayed the opposition but still look for their first win of the season.

A visit to "Top Field" Hitchin is always a difficult challenge, particularly so when the home side is lying in a strong position to challenge for the league title, therefore it was thought that a Slough team, languishing at the foot of the table would be hard pressed to give Hitchin a close match.

Slough fielded a re-arranged side with top scorer Kieron Somers and midfield player Terry Reardon making the centre back pair due to injury of John Boyer and the lack of a new signing, whilst Tim Turl returned to right back and Alan Gane reverted to his familiar midfield role. Tony White, recently returned from Kingstonian, joined the attack, and consequently we saw a better balanced looking side since the start of the season.

Slough kicked off up the slope and against the wind and twice came close to scoring through White and Davies. However, the home attack predominated but were well held by the visiting defence until Hitchin took the lead in the 26th minute when a wayward pass from Watson bobbled across the area and struck Keiron Somers' heel from where it was directed past Trevor Porter who was left stranded at the wrong end of his goal.

Slough fought back well and gained a well-deserved equaliser in the 36th minute. A free kick from Bob Underwood found Ian Cooke, whose well-directed header was bravely deflected past Dick Bradwell by Tony White, who thus became the first visiting player to score at Hitchin this season.

Just before half time Whishaw should have put Hitchin in the lead when he was cleverly foiled by Trevor Porter and the Slough players must have thought that they were in with a chance to bring about a shock result.

They could have gone into the lead within two minutes of the restart when Tony White darted through. Bradwell saved, but the Slough striker, following up, hit the post with terrific force, the ball rebounding almost to the halfway line.

Slough now applied tremendous pressure, Somers, Gane and White all being unfortunate with well-directed efforts. Midway through the half, however, Paul Giggle, just back from a Middlesex Wanderers" tour to the Far East, replaced Baker and he started to cause Slough some problems. Then Paul Lee, clean through with only Bradwell to beat, was halted in his tracks by referee Prevett who then gave a free kick in his favour. It is difficult really to censure players who react angrily at this sort of decision, and after this free kick came to nothing Steve Gear was badly hurt in a collision with White and left the field to reduce Hitchin to ten men.

Surely this was the moment that would enable Slough to at least collect a draw?

But fate had another trick in store and from the one piece of good football produced by the home team all afternoon Terry Scott found himself space to beat Porter. After this Slough never looked like taking a point from the game.

Reardon was booked as a result of frustration, and then Lee was flattened in the area when he collided with Grafton as the home defender headed narrowly over his own bar.

And so the whistle sounded to give Slough an unheard of run of five defeats in five league matches and left their supporters wondering just what their favourites will have to do before they can collect points again.