Six Shooters Take A Break

Alan Davies rewarded his Slough players for their sixth win on the trot by giving them a day off.

Saturday’s victory at Wexham Park strengthened the Rebels' positioning the Vauxhall-Opel League top six and finished a run of 12 matches in four weeks.

Without another match until tomorrow (Saturday), Davies said: "I have told the players to report for training on Thursday they can give Tuesday a miss. "It is a lot to ask players to play so many matches."

Rowan Dodds' 18th goal of the season was enough to complete the double over Walthamstow. But Slough could have won by several more as the Rebels' forwards, led splendidly once more by Jimmy Brown, beat the offside trap numerous times after the break to set up a string of chances.

Davies said: "Without playing particularly well we didn't seem in great danger of losing. In the second half we had quite a few chances, and with a little more determination could have sewn it up. If ever we were going to win a game by three or four goals it was today, but in the end three points are three points. “

Brown almost put them on the road to those points In the second minute, shooting wide from a narrow angle, but after 20 unspectacular minutes came the winning goal. Kenny Wilson headed the ball into the path of Rowan Dodds, who strode out of Jim Sheringham's challenge Into the box and blasted a shot that was too hot for keeper Dave Root to keep out.

Brown continually got himself into threatening positions, making a great run down the right on to Stephen Playle's pass before crossing deep into the box. The ball dropped off a defender's head for Wilson to volley over. Keith White shot over the bar and outside the post either side of half time and as Slough got the hang of beating Walthamstow's predictable offside trap as second goal seemed on verge of arrival.

Brown got away on the left, but Dodds was beaten to the ball as it came low across the box and then Playle's shot on the run was beaten down by Root.

Dodds began to cause problems by surging through the middle of the defence, but put one chance wide and then saw Root make a good save at his feet.

Colin Keys, giving another impressive battling performance, knocked the ball into Brown's path, but he had to go too wide round the 'keeper and another chance evaporated.

While all this was going on, Avenue had been unable to test Trevor Bunting in the Slough goal and Jeff Bateman denied them the chance with a last ditch tackle following Playle's poorly struck back pass.

It was Wilson's turn next to find himself racing onside on to a through ball, this one from Brown, but his left foot shot slithered just outside the far post.

Glen Bickles was booked for taking out Wilson and Bunting finally had a couple of saves to make in the final six minutes, passing his test comfortably after efforts by Neil Wolstenhome and John Tone.