Carshalton caned

After more than 270 minutes of stalemate the goals once again started to flow for Slough Town at Wexham Park on Tuesday evening, and they came at the expense of a Carshalton side managed by former Rebels' boss Laurie Churchill.

The four goals the Rebels scored certainly came as a relief after three successive goal-less draws had left everybody with one simple message to the side; "All we are saying, is give us a goal."

This was certainly not Slough's most accomplished display of the season but they took their chances well and perhaps more importantly it was a victory that lifted them into fourth place and still in with an outside chance of lifting the championship.

It seems these days that when Slough win they like to do it in style as their previous victory had been the 7-2 thrashing of Walthamstow Avenue. But, despite three successive 0-0 draws it has to be remembered that the Rebels are now unbeaten in their last eight matches - stretching back to January 15 - and their form has been as consistent as any of the other sides in the title race.

With Dave Russell, Vaughan Powell and Simon Delahunty all out injured, Terry Reardon's team selection was somewhat limited but his decision to push Eddie Hutchinson into midfield certainly paid off, and added some much needed bite in this area of Slough's play.

Once again this Slough victory was built on another fine defensive performance and it is now more than 400 minutes since Frank Parsons was beaten in the Rebels' goal. Parsons was his usual immaculate self throughout the evening and Tony Doherty and Joe Moloney kept the potential danger of Ian Parsons, Tommy Tuite and Chris Lewington well in check and consequently Carshalton had few chances to ever threaten Slough.

The game was just 11 minutes old when Slough scored the goal that everybody who had made the recent long journeys to Bishop's Stortford, Billericay and Bromley had waited for, and after 281 minutes the Rebels had finally found the net again.

Hutchinson's free kick found Keith White and in one swift movement he turned and fired the ball from a difficult angle goalwards. Carshalton 'keeper Dicky Guy could only palm it across the goal and Dylan Evans finally scrambled it over the line at the far post.

Nine minutes later Carshalton were thrown into further disarray and once again it was White who was the architect. He sent a fine ball through to Rowan Dodds who beat off the challenge of Micky O'Sullivan and after Guy had been only able to push away the Slough's striker's shot, Evans had the simple task of knocking the ball into the empty net.

Minutes later only the back of Alan Rowbottom denied Evans his hat-trick and after Guy had then saved well from Kevin Hill, right on the stroke of half time came the highlight of the game and a third goal for Slough.

After a typically surging run by Attrell the ball broke to White. He worked a delightful one-two on the edge of the Carshalton penalty area before the ball was threaded through to Dodds and when a goal looked impossible he somehow curled the ball past Guy from the most difficult of angles.

The second half was somewhat disappointing from Slough's point of view because despite enjoying a great deal of possession - with Hill, White and Hutchinson all working industrially in midfield - all the Rebels had to show for their efforts was a Dodds penalty after 62 minutes.

It was fitting that Dodds should convert the penalty because it was his goal bound header that was punched off the line by Rowbottom and it was also a bonus for the Rebels to score from the spot after a succession of misses they have experienced this season.

Not even the introduction of former Slough striker Eggie James could lift Carshalton and it was Slough who came closest to scoring again when in the dying seconds only a goal-line clearance by Tony Maurice foiled Attrell.

Rowbottom, Tony Tagg and Trevor Dark were all booked for Carshalton along with Slough's Francis Araguez in the second half, as the Rebels collected another £50 win bonus - their third this season.