Dodds Nicks A Point With Late Equaliser

One of the greatest and most dramatic comebacks ever seen at Wexham Park was staged by Slough Town on Tuesday evening with Rowan Dodds snatching a point for the Rebels with a goal in the fifth minute of injury time and with the last kick of a pulsating match with arch local rivals Wycombe Wanderers.

Trailing 3-1 with six minutes of normal time left the Rebels looked to be heading for their first Berger Isthmian League, Premier Division defeat in nine matches, but first a goal from Dave Russell — his second of the match and then Dodds' last gasp equaliser completed one of the finest games ever seen at Wexham Park.

And while Dodds were certainly the hero of the moment, the real star in this battling performance from Slough was Russell.

He celebrated his 250th appearance for the club with a sparkling display and two fine goals and left manager Terry Reardon saying after the game. "Dave was our key player. tonight, he always looked likely to do' something. It was one of his best games for a long time."

However it was another fine battling performance from Slough, with Les Barrett having an outstanding game in midfield, especially in the second half when he worked like a trojan.

A first half full of fast flowing attacking football played at a breathtaking pace saw Wycombe build up a commanding 3-1 lead.

And then after the interval despite dominating much of the action and forcing a series of corners with six minutes of normal time remaining it looked as though Wycombe would gain sweet revenge for the two defeats Slough inflicted on them last season.

But then after 39 minutes a cross from Graham Maskell found Keith White and via a Wycombe defender the ball was played to the unmarked Russell who from 12 yards crashed home an unstoppable shot past Gary Lester inside the near post.

However as the game entered its fifth minute of injury time Wycombe still looked set to collect the three points — but then came the Rebels' dramatic last kick equaliser.

A corner from Russell on the left found its way to Keith White on the edge of the penalty area and he let fly with a terrific shot which looked a goal all the way. But somehow Lester managed to parry the ball away only then to see Dodds squeeze the ball home through a posse of Wycombe defenders just inside the post as the referee blew for full time.

So Slough's dramatic comeback was complete and on reflection a draw was probably a fair result, although Wycombe will obviously still be wondering how there came to be so much injury time when there was only one stoppage during the half.

The match had started in almost the same sensational way in which it finished. Within eight minutes there had been a goal at either end.

After five minutes follow-ing a short corner Ken Wilson riffled in a cross from the left and Bobby Dell knocked the ball past Frank Parsons.

But within three minutes the Rebels were level when Russell fired home from 12 yards after a free kick from Steve Hardwick had not been cleared by the Wycombe defence.

It then took three fine saves by Lester to deny Slough a second goal, before Wycombe stunned the Rebels with two goals in an eight minute period.

With 31 minutes gone a corner from Wilson was headed home by Dell as Parsons came out to punch the ball clear and was beaten to it by the Wycombe player.

And then five minutes before half time a neat one-two between Terry Glynn and Steve Long sent the latter through and he rounded Parsons to hit the ball home high into the net.

Lester then produced two tremendous saves to foil Dodds while Moloney saw an effort blocked on the line in a frantic two minute spell of Slough pressure right on half time.

It really was a superb first half with non-stop thrilling action and both sides show-ing total commitment and also playing some fine con-structive football.

But it could not beat the grandstand finish to the match which had the 1,000 plus crowd gasping in disbelief at the Rebels sensational comeback.

Dell of Wycombe and Slough's Steve Hardwick were both booked.

Speaking afterwards Rebels manager Terry Reardon said he was "very pleased with his sides' performance."

"I wound them up at half time and they showed great character in the second half."

Reardon added: "I always thought we could get back into the match, but I was worried that the second goal took too long to come."