Sweet Revenge

The game that nobody wanted exploded into a giant battle at Stag Meadow on Tuesday evening with Windsor and Eton on the rampage as Slough's defence crumbled around their ears.

This second round Berks and Bucks Senior Cup clash forced on the two sides four days before their FA Cup ties saw Windsor redress the balance after September's 3-1 league defeat at Wexham Park.

And how sweet revenge was for the Royals as they cruelly exposed Slough at times and with better finishing in the second half could have won by an even greater margin.

In fact, the match was a near replica of the sides earlier league clash although this time it was Howard Kennedy's Slough team who had the off day. After the match Royals boss Laurie Craker said "I told the lads that all three games were important this week. After the four goal defeat of Hendon in the league this is the perfect springboard for the Faceup on Saturday."

And there were no excuses from Rebels manager Howard Kennedy over the defeat: "We got what we deserved for the first time this season. The players were awful tonight, the defence was below par and we've got to accept defeat on the jaw I am afraid."

Slough's Keith White and Rowan Dodds were testing Royalist 'keeper Kevin Mitchell from minute one while at the other end Mark Davis and Chris Yates were measuring up the Rebels defence.

The break came when Windsor's Floyd Dennis thumped the ball over the Slough offside trap in the ninth minute. The Slough backs were slow to turn and only just made it in time to see Chris Yates chest the ball down, control it with one touch and bury in in their net.

A minute later Royalist winger Mark Franks won a corner from his battle with Dean Woodley and Davis had the ball in the net again but, was ruled offside.

At the other end Kenny Wilson found Rowan Dodds with a dangerous cross but 'keeper Kevin Mitchell got down well to parry Dodd's effort.

Play surged the length and breadth of Stag Meadow until the 15th minute when Windsor were momentarily swamped by a sea of yellow shirts and Richard Hill had to clear off the line.

It was just a temporary reprieve for the Royalists though as Devon Petty snapped up half a chance to rifle home past Kevin Mitchell for the equaliser, after Paul Gordon had threaded the ball through Windsor's defence.

The game was back in the melting pot and Saturday was forgotten as both teams struggled for the upper hand.

Jimmy Walsh had his name taken for a scything late challenge on Kenny Wilson on the half way line and the game was held up again when fate threw Rowan Dodds and Kevin Mitchell together with only a 50/50 ball between them.

In the League clash at Wexham Park earlier in the season these two hurled themselves with the same commitment for a similar ball and Mitchell's injuries kept him sidelined for five games.

That was clearly forgotten now though and Windsor boss Craker must have skipped a heartbeat as Mitchell lay in agony from the collision. However after treatment Mitchell was able to recover although was clearly troubled for the rest of the game with a knee injury.

Already Slough's normally rock solid defence were looking decidedly shaky and on 29 minutes Jeff Bateman showed Chris Yates too much of the ball and then things were made worse by Derek Harris trying to back pass to Graham Cox to get out of trouble. This sort of panic-forced half mistake is just what Yates feeds on and it took an instant super-human effort from Cox to deny Windsor.

Dennis and Garry Huxley then teamed up to put a chance in front of Mark Davis but his effort was wide. It was left to Huxley to put Windsor back in the lead in the 36th minute as Slough's crumbling defence was again cruelly exposed.

Mark Franks, hooked a dangerous ball further into the Slough area and there was Huxley to control a difficult ball, keep his weight over it and volley home with not a Rebels defender in sight.

The second half was a bleak prospect for both teams and the play went through lukewarm to decidedly cold. Slough’s defence continued to show gaping holes and the whole side didn't seem to have the usual drive and spirit that ever suggested they would pull this match back from the dead.

Dean Woodley worked hard up front but Dodds was again desperately disappointing and the front men didn't get the service to ever really worry Mark Woods and Richard Hill.

The goal that settled the match came on 62 minutes. Jimmy Walsh released Davis on the right and his cross found Franks in front of the goal and, the Windsor winger cheekily back heeled the ball home.

In a desperate bid to salvage something Kennedy sent on Colin Landeg for Steve Norman and Micky Kiely replaced Dodds but already the game was out of Slough's reach.

Baron was astonished, as were most of the 700 crowd, to pick up a booking in the 65th minute and the buzz slowly drained out of the game.

And it was Windsor who continued to dominate as the Rebels defence became more uncertain as the game wore once was forced to make a brilliant save to keep out Franks' well placed shot and then the Slough 'keeper again rescued his side when Yates ripped through the Rebels defence.

Baron then shot high from in front of the goal and in the last minute Yates struck a powerful first time volley an inch wide.

Slough must have met the final whistle with some relief while for Windsor it was a case of the few that got away but that didn't really matter as the Royals wiped away memories of their September battering at Wexham Park.