Toppled by Tooting

Tooting

Tooting

1
Cowley (60)
Slough Town

Slough Town

0
Hennessey Cup Attendance: 410
It seems that try as they might, it is impossible for a Slough Town side to succeed at Tooting's Sandy Lane ground.

Way back in the mid-sixties, the Rebels did somehow conjure a "Premier Midweek League" victory out of a visit there, but successive years have proved totally fruitless, and Monday's Hitachi Cup, round one fixture ended once again with the result going the wrong way for Slough.

Throughout the game it was Slough who produced the better football, but Tooting were always equal to all that Terry Reardon's high flying side could produce and they went down to their first defeat this term.

However, this defeat will not deter Reardon's young side from the attractive football that they have produced so far, especially as they can only improve as the season progresses.

And it might be a blessing in disguise as they lick their wounds and prepare for the chance to take Tooting on again on Saturday week in the league, at Wexham Park.

Tooting looked dangerous from the start, with the long-serving Dave Juneman prominent. Frank Parsons twice foiled the veteran striker, firstly from a deflected free kick and then minutes later he superbly caught Juneman's header, following a corner on the right.

Despite some excellent approach work, Slough looked a little lightweight in attack, although Edwards came to Tooting's rescue with a goal-line clearance, while Alan Paris went close with a scorching shot.

With the wind at their backs after the interval, things looked good for Slough. Parsons saved well from Kim Connett and with some neat football the Rebels began to trouble the Tooting defence.

And then after 60 minutes tragedy struck. Vaughan Powell, instead of passing back to Parsons, elected to clear the ball out of defence. He mis-hit his clearance straight into the path of Fran Cowley, who ran onto the ball and drove it past Parsons.

To their credit Slough responded to this setback so well that little more was seen of the Tooting attack. Well struck efforts from Paris, Keith White and Eddie Hutchinson came desperately close to putting the Rebels back on level terms and with time running out Joe Moloney, with only goalkeeper Nicky Sullivan to beat, could only produce a weak header that was comfortably saved by the Tooting 'keeper.

Unfortunately time ran out for Slough before they could capitalise on their superiority, and it was the end of the Hitachi Cup this season for Reardon's side. Powell and Paris were both booked for bad tackles and Tooting's Billy Edwards also went into the referee's notebook for deliberate handball.

Tooting Lineup

Rebels

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