Slough Storm

Slough had a romp in the intense Indian summer heat at Kingfield on Saturday but if the Rebels are to stay on the FA Cup trail their next test will certainly be no picnic.

While Slough coasted through this second qualifying round clash with the minimum of ease their next tie will be an altogether different proposition.

Howard Kennedy's high flyers are now away to Welling United on October 13 and the Kent side have been sweeping all before them with some prolific goalscoring in the Southern League, Premier Division.

On Saturday they won 3-0 at Staines Town. But first back to Saturday's game at Woking and without ever quite producing the same fluency and sparkle which had swept Windsor away in midweek the Rebels gave another impressive account of themselves.

They were never in any mood for a cup upset and with Rowan Dodds bagging a hat-trick despite being troubled with a rib injury from the opening minutes there was only one team in the game.

And Rebels' boss Kennedy, emphasized this point afterwards. "I was pleased that we started the way we had left off on Tuesday. against Windsor. The side again displayed a lot of confidence and I felt that even if we had gone behind today we would still have slaughtered them. “

Looking forward to the Welling clash, Kennedy added: "It looks like being a great cup tie. They are top of the Southern League, Premier and we are flying high in our league. If you are to do anything in these sorts of games you have to win and the players will be well motivated for the match."

It took Slough just 18 minutes to break down a Woking side, managed by former Windsor boss Geoff Chapple. Kenny Wilson released Dean Woodley on the right and his fine first time cross found Dodds at the far post. He climbed above his marker and then saw his header slip through Ian Stillwell's hands into the net.

Woking had their brief moments before Slough really turned the screw on them and former Royals' striker Dave Lansley, had two half chances while the Rebels had a lucky escape on 29 minutes. John Granville misjudged a high cross and then in a frantic scramble the ball struck the post and was finally hacked away by Tony Knight with Woking claiming that the Slough defender had handled the ball.

The hard, bumpy pitch stifled a lot of Slough's free flowing play but two goals in eight minutes put the contest beyond doubt before half time.

On 33 minutes Keith White rifled in a free kick which took a wicked deflection to leave 'keeper Stillwell stranded as it entered the net and eight minutes later giant central defender Jeff Bateman celebrated his first goal for three years.

When Jimmy Jacobs played the ball back in after a Slough corner there was Bateman to sweetly turn, and hook it past Stillwell for a goal any striker would have been proud of.

And after the interval there was no let-off for Woking with Dodds completing his hat-trick. His feat was all the more remarkable because in the opening minutes the Slough striker had suffered a rib injury but this didn't stop him running the home defence ragged.

On 53 minutes he ran on to coolly beat Stilwell after Woodley had flicked on a Derek Harris ball and Dodds bagged his third goal after 67 minutes. Bateman again showed that his skill is not only limited to winning balls in the air when he picked up the ball in midfield and then sent Dodds clear with a superb pass, and the Rebels' marksman again clinically finished off the move.

Slough were now so much on top that they only played three at the back for the last 30 minutes after Keith White had gone off with a groin strain to be replaced by Micky Kiely.

During the closing stages Woking did come back into things and scored a consolation goal after 69 minutes. Maurice Cox put Clive Youlton through and after Granville had saved his first effort the ball broke loose and Youlton followed up to net.

Dodds then went close to adding his fourth with another determined run which ended with the ball hitting the top of the crossbar while Lansley and John Cassidy of Woking were booked, adding to the name of Granville, who had been cautioned in the first half.