Slough stroll to a 3-goal win at Hounslow

Not many years ago Hounslow Town and Slough Town used to battle out the championship of the Corinthian League in front of large crowds, both at Denbigh Road and the Dolphin.

At that time the Middlesex club was full of top quality players, some even managed to win International honours, and the future success of the club looked well assured. Alas, the wheel of fortune has turned against Hounslow in the intervening years, and their support has fallen to an all time low.

For the FA Cup tie on Saturday the home gate was four times that normally attend a Southern League match at Denbigh Road, thanks to the large contingent of Slough supporters who travelled the Bath Road to completely out-shout the subdued Hounslow fans.

There were other signs of decay apart from the crumbling terraces. The pitch was in a most dreadful condition for this time in the season, with bare areas and patches of uneven grass and before the match started a quantity of broken glass was removed from the playing area.

In this situation it was not perhaps surprising that there was a certain lack of tension in the air that normally attends the early rounds of the FA Cup. Slough had to take the field without Henry Pacquette who had sustained a leg injury against Hayes, but otherwise the team was at full strength. Hounslow had a few problems both with injuries and with suspensions, but on the whole were unable to field an experienced side, although Stan Bowles failed to materialise, and Joe Auguste had signed as a non-contract player from Exeter City.

With the uneven pitch and a strong head wind it took a little time for the Rebels to get into their stride, and the home side, without ever looking in Slough's class caused the defence a few problems in the early stages. Slough did pierce the home defence a couple of times, but it was Hounslow who posed the first threat when Dave Byrne slid the ball just past the Slough post with Parsons at full stretch.

The nearest that the Rebels came to scoring in the first half hour was when Steve Norman shot wide, and then the visitors suffered a blow when Tony Doherty apparently sprained a muscle stretching for the ball.

It was at this point that Slough began to gain an ascendancy that they were not to lose for the remainder of the match. In the 34th minute Peter Skerritt appeared from nowhere to head high over the home defence, and above the stretching fingers of Peter Jenkins to score and the Hounslow heads dropped straight away.

Tony Doherty hobbled off, Rowan Dodds moved into the forward line with Micky Doherty dropping back. Within a minute of his arrival, Dodds should have increased the lead when the ball ran under Jenkins' body and the Slough striker stuck out his foot only to prod his effort against the upright.

With the score 0-1 at the interval and the wind behind them there were predictions of a cricket score in the second half, and that is exactly what should have happened.

Running rings around their older opponents, outclassing them in all aspects of the game, and winning every tackle Slough should have amassed several goals, but they just failed to arrive.

Peter Jenkins had some say in the matter as he saved the home side time and time again. Bad luck also entered into it several times as the ball was deflected to safety at the crucial moment.

There was also a lot of poor shooting that must have troubled Terry Reardon as the game went on into the last ten minutes without any addition to the score.

Eventually, all the pressure produced its rewards when Gary Attrell breaking down the left cut a cross perfectly across the goalmouth for Micky Doherty to head home past the despairing dive of Peter Jenkins.

Two minutes from the end a more realistic score came with a fine individual effort from Gary Attrell. The Hounslow defence, which at this stage looked totally exhausted and punch drunk, made a mess of a simple clearance, and the young Slough striker, running clear, placed the ball neatly past Jenkins to round off the afternoon's scoring.

Before the final whistle Hounslow were lucky to escape yet another nail in their coffin when a shot hit George Talbot's heel as it was about to cross the line from whence it bounced away for a fruitless corner.

And so Slough now travel down to Whyteleafe in Surrey, new opponents for the club. Whyteleafe defeated Feltham at the Arena on Saturday, and obviously should prove better opponents than the ageing Hounslow side who are a real shadow of the sides that proudly represented the club in the past.