Wallop

Slough kept cool when it counted to warm up a wintery Wexham Park by slamming five goals past old rivals Wokingham.

Not even the sending off of Rowan Dodds could take the edge off an excellent display as the Rebels achieved their victory with far greater ease than seemed likely at a couple of critical stages in the game.

Slough had to fend off the Wokingham forwards' lively opening before taking a 27th minute lead. Then they bounced back from the disappointment of seeing that lead wiped out after only three minutes to seemingly wrap up the game with a three goal burst. And finally they kept their heads after the double trauma of seeing Dodds sent off and having a controversial penalty given against them, going on to extend their advantage to 5-2 to move into third place in the Vauxhall-Opel League.

Manager Alan Davies had every right to say: "I thought we did very well. We played the best we have done in the league so far. " They came at us after the penalty and we did well to hold our shape. We thoroughly deserved what we got. When you get five goals you have got to be happy.”

Switching Dodds and Jimmy Brown's roles up front worked wonders. Both men shrugged off their disappointing form of Saturday to roar into the Wokingham defence. "I asked Rowan to show up as the target man and for Jimmy to go in behind him. It worked well," said Davies. "Jimmy was obviously fired up by playing against his old team. Now he has got to go from here and do it week in and week out to keep his place."

Paul Waites showed a lot of skill on the ball in his first full game for the Rebels in Kenny Wilson's wing position and could have scored after 10 minutes when heading wide from 12 yards.

Wokingham's breezy opening quickly ran out of puff and it was Slough who stole a 27th minute advantage. Keith White's inswinging corner was met by Dodds' stooping header at the near post and Nicky Collier, on the line, could only assist its route into goal.

Graham Cox tipped Purser's long shot over the Slough goal, but was left with no chance after 32 minutes. Waites stood on the ball for too long in a tight corner, allowing Collier to send a low cross to the far post, where Richard Evans was waiting to crack it past the keeper.

But with the tough tackling Kevin Tilley leading the way, the Rebels were in no mood to let Wokingham cash in on their position of quality. Within eight minutes they were in front again. Waites scooted after Cox's wind-assisted clearance, just reaching it at the byline. He pulled the ball back and as Dodds tried to get in a header it fell for Brown, who swung out his left foot and watched his shot creep almost apologetically over the line.

Four minutes after the break a quick free-kick knocked short into the box gave Brown the chance to turn and lift a cross to the far post, where Jeff Bateman's spring heels took him soaring above everyone to head home.

Two minutes later Brown made a good run across the face of the goal to collect Waites' cross and shoot on the turn into the side netting.

After 58 minutes, with Hurricane Charley still gusting rain across the pitch, it was time for Hurricane Chalky to start blowing. John Mitchell's diagonal free-kick to the edge of the box slid off Noad's head and Keith 'Chalky' White dived bravely in to head past keeper Peter Knight, making an unhappy debut for Wokingham.

By this time the visitors were being allowed so little room in midfield and near the Rebels box that there seemed no chance of them threatening Slough's lead. But after the normally reticent Dodds had managed to talk referee Wenham into sending him off for dissent and Wayne Wanklyn had made it 4-2 from the spot after Gary Woodcraft was surprisingly ruled to have brought him down going for a harmless looking cross, the 10-man Rebels could have been in for a testing last 18 minutes.

But after 76 minutes Hurricane Chalky got its second wind. Brown outpaced his marker down the left and laid the ball back for White to connect with a sweet first time shot from the edge of the box. Former Windsor favourite Chris Yates, who faded out of the action as the game progressed, poked a weak volley wide, but it was Slough who finished the game going forward after a sixth.