Slough could face relegation threat

SLOUGH Town, painfully lacking in confidence and obviously missing a midfield general, lost to Woking for the third time in 12 days on Saturday, and could now become involved in the relegation struggle in the Isthmian League Premier Division.

Town have suffered four successive defeats and this led manager Joe Arpino to say after the game: "Our present squad obviously just isn't good enough”.

"But if the present players had some confidence in themselves we could still do something. The team showed no discipline whatsoever in the second half."

Yet in the first-half Slough played as though they expected to rid themselves of their unhappy run of defeats. With Lee and Friend operation well together up front and the backs overlapping on the wings, Slough put together some slick moves and often threatened to score.

In the 12th minute a jinking run by Friend took him through the Woking defence and culminated in a ferocious drive which was well pushed over by Parsons. Friend's resultant corner was tipped over again by the goalkeeper as it dipped under the bar.

Slough claimed they should have had a penalty in the 25th minute when Friend put Lee through and although Parsons saved Lee's first shot the forward was felled as he went for the rebound.

Lee again nearly snatched the lead 10 minutes later after Gane's centre was flicked down by Somers. Lee lobbed skilfully over Parsons but the ball also cleared the crossbar. In a rare Woking breakaway top scorer Cosham hit the bar when put clean through by Morton but in spite of this Slough finished the half well on top.

When the second-half started it seemed as if a different side had donned the amber and blue colours of Slough Town. Gone was the rhythm and the steady build ups and nobody seemed to want the ball, with Bobby Horastead making an unhappy return to midfield in place of Terry Reardon.

So it came as no surprise that Woking should take the lead in the 63rd minute. A cross from the right was headed down by Turner and while the Slough defenders stood and stared Derek Cottrell slotted the ball home.

After this jolt Slough seemed content to bang hopeful balls forward from defence in the hope that their forwards could engineer something. With no midfield player willing to accept the responsibility to control the game from the centre of the field, Slough did not have one on target shot in the second-half.

Woking, taking advantage of the disorganisation in the Slough side, nearly scored twice more. In the 77th minute Cosham forced the ball over the line but the "goal" was disallowed, presumably for pushing, while three minutes later a well angled header by Whatford was brilliantly turned round the post by 'keeper Porter.

Slough continued to be put under pressure and in the 85th minute a cross from the left was cleverly knocked down by Morton but Alexander put the ball past the post. Two minutes later Cosham, with only the goalkeeper to beat, fired over from six yards.

So what is the answer to Slough's depressing run? Manager Arpino said: "We have to programme ourselves to concentrate, and start passing the ball around a bit like we did in the first, half. If we can overcome the tension we can build up our confidence and get some results."