It is not often that Slough Town return from Walthamstow with a victory behind them and during the first half of this Servowarm Isthmian League, Premier Division battle on Saturday it seemed as though history would repeat itself.

However a superb second half display from the Rebels altered the picture so completely that Terry Reardon's high flying side were a little unfortunate not to have won by more than just a late goal by Keith White in the finish.

Devon Petty returned to the side with Dave Russell retaining his place in the attack as Rowan Dodds had a heavy cold.

The opening 15 minutes was full of incident, if lacking in good football. On a sticky, but unrolled pitch covered with a thick layer of tufty grass both sides were prone to error, and Slough should have taken the lead as early as the seventh minute when Jarrett, the home goalkeeper, dropped the ball behind him as he came to collect it at the edge of his penalty area.

Petty rushing in had the goal at his mercy, but surprise got the better of him and he hastily shot wide. Within 60 seconds it was Slough who had a massive let off when Alan Hunter missed a simple chance with the Rebels defence in tatters.

Another minute more and Hunter, turning well from a throw-in, saw his goal bound shot brilliantly saved by Frank Parsons at full stretch.

For a while it was all Walthamstow, as they discovered all sorts of flaws in Slough's rearguard, and with Hunter looking particularly dangerous and keeping Parsons busy it seemed only a matter of time before they would take the lead.

One quick break from Slough gave Alan Paris a chance that forced a save from Jarrett at the foot of the post, and a teasing centre from Russell fell just over the crossbar with Jarrett totally lost.

As the second half began so Slough began to show a different approach to the game. A quick raid from Russell ended with a shot that went just wide, and the Rebels began to forsake their close passing pattern for more open football. If only the Slough full backs had concentrated on keeping their clearances in play more often it might have been easier to have taken control of the match earlier, but with the midfield regaining the dominance that has faded from their game over the past few matches, the inventive football that had greeted the new season began to manifest itself again.

Petty, darting this way and that opened up the left side of the Avenue's defence, and Russell was unlucky twice when the bounce deceived him in front of goal. Vaughan Powell, also producing football of style and elegance, troubled the home rearguard, while Keith White's industry deserved greater rewards.

With 20 minutes remaining Terry Reardon repeated his experiment that had brought success at Leatherhead.

Dylan Evans coming off was replaced by Eric Young moving into the attack while substitute Dave Yerby came into the centre of the defence.

Within a couple of minutes he had tortured them beyond endurance with a long mazy run that was halted only at the death by a desperate tackle. It was Young too who eventually created the winning goal. Robbing an opponent on the halfway line he slipped the ball out to the left where Russell cut swiftly in and crossed into the area. Kevin Dare headed the ball clear where it fell to White, who was lurking on the edge of the penalty box, and the Slough captain hitting it on the volley, drove it past Jarrett to decide the match.