Devon's Delight

You can’t expect pulsating matches and sparkling performances every week of the season and Saturday's clash at Claremount Road was one of those games that will soon fade from everyone's memory.

Slough will probably feel a little disappointed they didn't come away with more than a point, but, after trailing for more than half the match a point away from home was not a bad afternoon's work by the Rebels.

And there was also cause for some celebration with Slough's equalising goal coming from the most unlikely source. Devon Petty was the scorer and it was only the second goal in three years that this talented midfield player had netted for the Rebels.

Rebels boss Howard Kennedy, summed up most people's views with his after-match comments. “I am not particularly pleased that we only got a point but it was a somewhat dreary game. We were taught a lesson today that you have got to show more killer instinct if you want to win things. “It was like a morgue in the dressing room before the match and much more like a morgue in there afterwards. I admit it was difficult for everyone after the excitement of Tuesday's cup match but that's no excuse for our performance today," added Kennedy.

Slough paraded new goalkeeper Graham Cox from Aldershot for this Vauxhall-Opel League, Premier Division clash and within four minutes he was picking the ball out of the net.

However, there was nothing that Cox could do about Hendon's opener because it was a quite superb goal. Danny Worley outpaced Jeff Bateman and then played the ball into the path of Colin Tate. And the striker released by Kennedy at the start of the season, proved a point by crashing home a superb first time shot from yards out into the roof of the net.

Minutes later another crashing shot, this time from Mark Adams, went just off target before Slough slowly started to get back at Hendon.

A well-constructed move involving Derek Harris, Keith White and Micky Kiely ended with the latter shooting just wide and as Slough got on top Rowan Dodds and Steve Norman went close while Bateman fired high over the bar from six yards after Norman and Kiely had set up the chance.

However, the second half was less than two minutes old when Slough got back on level terms. Kenny Wilson's cross put the Rebels on the prowl and after White and Jimmy Jacobs had had shots charged down it was Petty who finally got the ball home from close range.

Slough now had their chances to grab the three points but in the space of a minute neither Wilson or Jacobs could make the most of chances that came their way.

Meanwhile, despite never being really stretched Cox certainly looked the part in goal when called into action. But he must have wished his new colleagues could have found the same scoring touch his former team-mates were enjoying as Aldershot slammed six past Wrexham on Saturday.

With 15 minutes left John McDaid finally made his debut for Slough with Tony Knight moving into midfield and Petty being replaced.

Five minutes from time Slough almost snatched it when White flicked the ball onto Dodds and his shot was acrobatically saved by Lee Hunter.

This was a game in which Slough never really fulfilled their promise. Kiely worked hard up front while once again the defence looked rock solid with Norman who only passed a late fit having an otherwise fine game.