Early Boro Strikes Setup Win

Presenting Slough's easy-to-learn guide to how to lose a football match:

1. Completely outplay your opponents and dominate 95 per cent of the game.

2. Get the ball into their penalty area more often than Madonna gets her records into the charts and create a hatful of chances.

3. Most important of all, proceed to waste all those chances, including missing a penalty.

4. Allow your opponents sufficient time in control to score two goals: About three minutes should do.

5. Then keep things so tight at the back that the only time your opponent gets a chance is in the dying moments, when you are pushing forward for a late equaliser.

It may not sound the most orthodox way to lose a match, but that was exactly what the Rebels did to deserve their first defeat of the season at Cherrywood Road on Saturday.

Howard Kennedy was as mystified as everyone else in the good-sized crowd as to how his side had not managed to win about 5-2.

"There was only one side in it", he said in a disbelieving tone. "There was not a lot you would want to correct about our team's performance. We ran them into the ground and could have scored six. We had three chances in the first half that we should have scored. If you only have the 'keeper to beat you can't afford to miss the target. But it is important that players get into positions to score goals”.

The poor finishing was the only thing you could fault in a classy performance that was far superior to anything the Rebels have produced at home this season until Tuesday.

The turning point of the game was the 55th minute, which saw a continuation of Slough's penalty taking nightmare. This time it was Steve Norman's turn to miss just at the moment when a goal for the rampant Rebels could have led to them going on to victory.

They did get one back with 22 minutes to go, but by then the clock was beginning to put extra pressure on them. Slough boss Kennedy admitted that the penalty situation was getting out of hand, with none of the forwards or proven strikers of the ball willing to accept the responsibility.

“We’re holding a raffle to see who takes the next one", he said, managing to smile about the problem. "Once someone has scored one or two everyone will be wanting to take them again”.

And Kennedy succeeded in finding a silver lining in Slough's first cloud of defeat. “At least the pressure is off us now and everyone knows we have been beaten".

A match which was always going to be difficult seemed almost irretrievable after Farnborough's two goal burst between minutes 11 and 14.

The side had already wasted a wonderful chance to score when Jimmy Bolton, all alone in the box, angled his shot wide of the post after six minutes, but five minutes later they scored from a far less dangerous position.

Tommy Jones' hopeless effort ended up with Glyn Cowlinshaw wide on the right. He beat Paul Gardam and his unimpressive cross wormed through to Brian Perkins, who just beat John Granville's lunge at the ball to stab it over the line.

Three minutes later the second goal arrived via Richard Walden's penalty after Jeff Bateman had inadvertently left his leg sticking out as he tried to tackle Bolton and conceded the spot-kick.

It was sad that it should be Bateman who had the misfortune to be penalised as he gave another inspirational display at the back. He was equally assertive in the air or covering on the ground and was simply superb for the final 25 minutes as Slough reverted to just three at the back.

Derek Harris, alongside him, was not far behind in terms of quality of performance and those two made sure that there was no chance of the game slipping completely out of the Rebels' reach.

Down the other end of the field Slough looked at their most dangerous when the ball was at the feet of Rowan Dodds, getting back to his best form. It was just a shame that he sometimes hesitated in choosing to run at the defence for he always looked likely to produce something even if only a free-kick or corner.

Dodds received little in the way of back-up from below par Kenny Wilson and Micky Kiely, the latter blowing a real chance in the 20th minute. Keith White nodded the ball forward into the box to find Kiely, but with defenders anywhere near him and the 'keeper surprisingly staying on the line he whipped his shot wide.

Five minutes from half time it was Wilson's turn to commit a blunder of equal gravity. Gardam's ball from the left progressed through challenges from Jimmy Jacobs and Dodds and ran perfectly into the path of Wilson, who sliced the ball wide from 10 yards with the goal crying out to be hit.

Ten minutes after of the break, Slough got their penalty as Wilson's header from Kiely's chip into the box bounced off the post on to the arm of Cowlishaw. Volunteer Norman stepped up and bobbled the ball against the left upright.

The introduction of Dean Woodley for Gardam committed Slough to an all-out bid for a point and after 68 minutes they were a goal closer to it.

Former Rebel Tony Doherty got his head to Bateman's long free-kick, but the ball fell to Kiely on the left of the box and he hooked it over the head of ‘keeper Tom Hammond, who was off his line, and into the far corner. The search for anyone in the ground who believed I was premeditated - other than the scorer - proved fruitless.

Slough continued to pile forward, Woodley showing a couple of nice touches and almost producing an 87th minute equaliser when he got to White's drive into the box and saw his nudge past the 'keeper roll out of play before he could turn it in.

Two minutes earlier Bolton had squandered the chance to wrap the game up when he ran on to Hammond's kick and fired off target.

Never let it be said journalists are not generous towards referees. Benfleet's Mr. Brennan was one of the top performers on the field and contributed in no small measure to an enjoyable afternoon.