Rebels Respond To Plain Talking

Slough manager Alan Davies laid a few things on the line for his squad before Saturday's victory Carshalton.

Over a run of four games without a goal and only one win over lowly Didcot games, Davies admitted:-"I had a word with certain people on Thursday night. There are players in and out of the side who know they are playing for their places. If that doesn't make them play to their full potential it could decide their future at Slough Town. I want people who are prepared to battle for Slough and for me. If they are not prepared to do that there is no reason for them to be here."

Davies timed his comment to coincide with an official approach to Farnborough to talk to Jimmy Bolton, the league's leading scorer on 20 goals. It certainly seemed to do the trick at Wexham Park on Saturday as the Rebels responded with a performance which, although not over burdened with silky football, was certainly full of effort and commitment.

Slough gave away goals at the end of each half to twice cut a comfortable lead a tenuous single goal advantage, but other than those two lapses they always looked well organised and unlikely to lose.

True, they never threatened to score a hatful of goals but Davies was content , enough after collecting three more Vauxhall-Opel League points. "After the events of the last couple weeks we are happy with a win," he said. "We got caught sleeping at the back again, but overall it was much more pleasing that the last few games.”

Davies restored Rowan Dodds to the attack after being left out of the last two games and he needed only four minutes to mark his return with the simplest of goals. Jimmy Jacobs, impressing once more at full back, put a free-kick high into the box and when Jeff Bateman beat the 'keeper to it to head the ball across the box Dodds was given a simple nod in with the goal unguarded.

Carshalton had two great chances within a minute to tie the game up, but Bobby Armitt skimmed the outside of the post and then Paul O'Gorman put a rash shot high and wide after being found by Conrad Kane.

Six minutes later the Rebels went two goals ahead as the gods continued to look kindly down upon them. Paul Waites speared a lovely pass through to Mark Davis in the inside left position and when he pushed the ball past 'keeper Colin Oakley he seemed to do his best to make sure the goalie could not help but catch his ankles and bring him down. Waites squeezed his penalty just out of Oakley's reach.

Chris Wheatley earned himself a booking for gratefully accepted sarcastically applauding referees Bigges decision to award the free-kick from match after the referee and which Carshalton got back in the game after 43 minutes. Bowyer hoofed the ball into the area and saw Bateman obligingly head it straight past Trevor after 69 minutes and 10 Bunting into his own net.

Carshalton's Steven Croad and Armitt followed Wheatley into the referee's book after half time for cynical fouls, typical of the physical route down which the match was progressing.

Oakley held Dodds' shot after the Rebels striker had gratefully accepted an appalling pass in the box, before Croad was lucky to retain his interest in the match after the referee and linesman failed to see him land a punch on Davis's face by the touchline.

Kenny Wilson curled a 20- yard free-kick over the top after 69 minutes and ten minutes Wheatley from a corner and saw the defender's powerful header booted off the line by Gary Mitchell.

With four minutes left another Wilson corner on the left provided the third goal, but in an unexpected manner. Wilson swerved the ball in under the cross bar and Oakley allowed it to slip out of his hands and drop into the goal.

The Slough returned compliment by helping Carshalton make a late bid for a point when, after 90 minutes, Wheatley's indecision let O'Gorman pounce on the ball inside the area and stick it into the net.

Match Stats:
Corners: Slough 8, Carshalton 1.
Attempts on target - off target blocked: 5-5-1, Carshalton 4-6-0.
Slough attempts: Dodds 2-0-1, Wheatley 1-0-0, Waites 1-0-0, Davis 0-2-0, Wilson 0-2-0, Jacobs 0-1-0.