Dave Russell earns tie at Flackwell Heath

A SENSATIONAL individual goal by Dave Russell after only three minutes proved to be enough to give Slough Town victory over local rivals Burnham on Saturday in the first ever clash between the two sides in the Berks and Bucks Senior Cup.

But Burnham felt they were unlucky not to get a replay, and Slough must be hoping for an easier encounter when they face Hellenic League side Flackwell Heath away in the quarter-finals on January 27.

Athenian Leaguers Burnham made Slough fight all the way in a bruising encounter, with Martin James winning his aerial battle with Barry Metcalfe and Keith Bryant subduing Peter Feely.

With the industrious Ian Cooke and exciting Barry Friend absent through injury, Slough moved Roger Mackay into mid-field. Although Mackay battled hard, he and off-form Alan Gane often came off second best to ex-Slough player George Burbridge and Keith White, who showed some cultured touches.

But Slough's third mid-field man Dave Russell had an excellent game and was a class above everyone else on the field with the exception of Paul Lee. Virtually the first time Russell got the ball he scored. Picking up a loose ball out of defence in the third minute he beat a defender and held off another in a 40 yard run before letting fly a screaming shot from 16 yards which gave keeper Barber little chance.

At this stage Slough threatened to over-run their Athenian League opponents but David Hall then started to put the shackles on Lee. In the 14th minute Burnham nearly equalised when after a muddle in the Slough defence Hall sent a curling shot wide of keeper Teale but also wide of the post.

With the Slough midfield failing to give their forwards a proper service, Lee was forced to drop back to help out. This nearly reaped a reward in the 30th minute when Lee accelerated down the left and crossed superbly to Metcalfe who got above the defence, only to head wide.

Thereafter the game got broken up by a string of unpleasant fouls which seem to be the hallmark of local derbies these days. Possibly the worst example was in the 40th minute when Mackay was felled by Burbridge but the referee only warned the offender.

The second-half started with Burnham making a determined effort to equalise. Ian Dare virtually walked through the Slough defence in the 55th minute and Burnham seemed certain to score until team mate John Rose was given offside.

Slough should have wrapped the game up nine minutes later but a cross from Feely was headed against the post by Lee with Barber beaten.

In the 66th minute Burnham had their best chance of the match when a free-kick from the left found Dare completely unmarked. The visiting fans were horrified to see him fire over from five yards.

Slough relied more and more on defence as Burnham's pressure mounted, but John Beyer played a fine captain's role at the back. It was left to Russell to try to improve the scoreline and he went desperately close with a 73rd minute free-kick after yet another foul on the edge of the penalty area. He curled the ball around the wall and the goalkeeper but again just wide of the post.

It was Burnham who finished the game on the attack, however. Teale was forced to come out of his penalty area to clear one raid, and then had to save from Hall as a last frantic effort failed to bring an equaliser.