Five Minute Wonders

Slough began like world beaters and finished like dead beats as their run of victories came disappointingly to a halt.

“We have had four good wins. It is a shame to save our worst performance for at home," said manager Alan Davies after Saturday's defeat. “Having said that we had chances in the first five minutes to win the game.”

After an impressive opening burst and a productive spell midway through the first half a horrendous mistake from young 'keeper Trevor Bunting gifted Dulwich the lead from then on the Rebels were struggling.

Slough seemed sure to score first in the fifth minute when Kenny Wilson sent an easy looking chance against 'keeper Peter Dale's legs and put the rebound straight into his arms.

Then between the 24th and 26th minutes Jimmy Jacobs saw a low drive deflected wide; Jeff Bateman's snap shot hit former QPR star Mick Leach; and a spectacular flying volley from Jacobs nestled in Dale's arms.

Davies said later: "We had enough chances to kill them off before they got into the game. “

Dulwich, who looked a much better side under new manager Allen Batsford than they had in losing to Slough in February, got into the game with a bang after 27 minutes.

Bunting was off his line in plenty of time to beat the speedy Andy Perry to Brown's pass, but somehow managed to dive right over the top of the ball, leaving Perry to find an empty net with a simple side footer.

“It was unlucky for Trevor," said Davies. "He has played ever so well and made a tremendous save just before that. “

In fact Bunting had made two good stops. First he got behind Perry's angled shot after a neat turn in the box; and then made a fine low save from Akers after Curtis Warmington dragged the ball back from the byline.

Relieved Slough got their equaliser after 35 minutes when Keith White’s corner found Dale out of position and Bateman had an easy header from six yards.

A minute earlier a similar, but more powerful effort, from Bateman had gone straight into Dale's grasp. But most of the time the Rebels were in too much of a hurry to get the ball forward, regardless of where it ended up.

Dulwich, on the other hand, had an uncanny knack of managing to get it to Perry, by far the most creative player on view. He gave Harris a torrid time and showed lovely touch on 37 minutes to make space in the box and curl a shot towards the far post that went only inches wide.

He got away from Bateman early in the second half before seeing a disappointing shot deflected for a corner. But the Slough players who had looked like potential match winners early on, notably Jacobs and Wilson, made less and less impact as the match wore on.

After 69 minutes the Rebels' search for a winner became a scramble for a point as Akers rapped home simple chance when the ball ran to him following a penalty area melee in which Paul Harding was prominent.

Slough looked to have found their equaliser after 80 minutes when Jimmy Brown's near post header from Devon Petty's cross seemed destined to sneak under the bar.

Dale changed all that by throwing himself backwards to tip the ball over with a superb save. Referee Holland, who stepped up from linesman at half time because of injury to Mr. Grady, had to book Warmington for kicking the ball away at a free-kick.