Rebels Progress In Cup

Slough Town successfully won themselves a home tie with Chalfont St Peter in the next round of the FA Cup at Wexham Park on Tuesday evening, but for the second time in three days they were made to struggle all the way by United Counties League side Wootton Blue Cross.

With 20 minutes of this preliminary round replay remaining the Rebels looked to be coasting home with a safe 3-0 lead. But in the space of a minute Wootton scored twice and it took a fourth goal from Keith White seven minutes from time to end the plucky Bedfordshire side's hopes of a giant-killing act.

Laurie Churchill kept the same side which had come within three minutes of defeat on Saturday, with young reserve team striker Derek Ipsell coming in as substitute.

Slough made a lightning start and within the first two minutes forced three corners, but despite dominating the match chances were squandered and on too many occasions promising build ups were spoilt by poor final passes.

And it was Wootton who came close to scoring after nine minutes when a header from Michael Hardy flashed just over the bar as he beat Frank Parsons to a cross from Searle.

Generally the Rebels looked rather disorganised during the first half, although Barry Friend and Peter Wesson, on the wings, always spelt danger for the Wootton defence when they had the ball.

After Keith White had come close with a flashing shot which somehow goalkeeper Peter Hanman turned away for a corner, Vic Akers opened the scoring with one of his now familiar scorching long shots. He picked the ball up and from 25 yards let fly with a bending shot which curled into the net off the post.

Eric Young then went close twice to adding a second before the interval.

Slough started the second half in a dominant mood and completely took control of the match, although Wootton's quick breaks from defence always spelt danger. The almost inevitable second goal came when Barry Friend lobbed the ball to the edge of the Wootton penalty area and Eggie James out-jumped the defence to head home a fine goal into the far right-hand corner of the net after 59 minutes.

One minute later Akers scored his second goal when, after a cross from Friend had been cleared to the edge of the penalty area, the Slough full-back raced in to hammer home a rasping right-footed volley from 18 yards.

This goal should have spelt the end of Wootton's FA Cup hopes for another year, but they sensationally scored twice in a minute as the Slough defence was sliced wide open.

First after 70 minutes a long ball from Tony Brampton found Handy who cut inside the defence and pushed the ball on for Ronald Simmons to score with the Slough defence in tatters.

And within a minute the Slough defence had again been torn open when Searle slipped the ball through for Handy to run on and score past the advancing Parsons.

For a moment it looked as though Wootton might repeat Slough's dramatic comeback on Saturday, but the Rebels regained their discipline and composure and, after 83 minutes, Keith White, Slough's outstanding player on the night in his forward role, scored the decisive fourth goal. A long ball was knocked on by James and White capitalised on a moment's hesitation by John Richardson to nip in and then shot past Hanman for a well deserved goal.

This was not one of Slough's better performances and the way they allowed Wootton back into the match was quite alarming — with the defence twice being torn apart by their well-disciplined opponents who on this showing should do well in the United Counties League this season. However, Slough did more than enough to earn a place in the first qualifying round and hopefully the start of lucrative run in the competition this season.