Half Time Switch Sparks Recovery

Des MacMahon's flu bug helped launch an exciting comeback that earned Slough three points.

The Rebels were trailing at half time when manager Alan Davies decided to take off the flagging midfield man, who had been off work all week before Saturday's match.

The introduction of battling Mark Davis rattled previously dominant Hendon defence and released Kenny Wilson to the left wing, from where he scored the equaliser and played the major part in the own-goal winner.

At the end of by far the best 45 minutes of football Wexham Park has seen for several weeks Rebels boss Davies had every reason to feel pleased with his team, who returned to third place Vauxhall-Opel in the League.

"It was a good all-round performance, he said. "All of a sudden we stepped up a gear in the second half and took the game to them. They had a couple of big guys at the back but once Mark Davis got among them things started to happen for us. He enjoys that sort of battle. “

Slough had fallen behind after 38 minutes when Hendon's first real shot on goal was deflected in. But the Rebels hit the woodwork three times in all as they ended Hendon's run of five successive away games.

“When you look at the chances we created it is a shame you have to say we won by an own goal," commented Davies.

Devon Petty was the first to knock on wood after 13 minutes, intercepting Neil Wolstenhome's back pass, breezing past 'keeper Dave Root but hitting the post as he shot off balance.

Jimmy Brown screwed a shot beyond the far post, but gradually a pattern of defence dominance was setting in.

Sturdy The Rebels' 4-4-2 system offered them little chance of getting round the back of the Hendon defence, while two giant central defenders barred their way down the middle.

Jeff Bateman and Tony Knight made sure Slough's back line was equally sturdy, until seven minutes before half time. As the ball fell to the edge of the box Wolstenhome drove in a low shot that Iain Dowie diverted just inside the post.

Within seconds of this half time entrance Mark Davis had earned himself a cut face and upset Hendon's composure as he threw himself enthusiastically into a heavyweight duel with big Alan Campbell.

And only four minutes after the interval came a gem of an equaliser, created by Petty's fine work on the right. He ran at the defence before crossing deep and low to the far post where Davis' unsettling presence in the box, arrived late to slam the ball home.

Three minutes later, Wilson almost had another as he met White's corner at the near post with a header that slapped against the bar.

Davis required further medical attention spending five minutes off the pitch after another clash with Campbell as the heat of the battle increased. Glen Nicholls brought it almost to boiling point by crudely hacking down Wilson and getting booked, while Colin Tate warned his former team that Hendon could still make it six away wins on the trot by volleying over the bar.

Slough's keeper Trevor Bunting made his one real save of the afternoon when he got down to save from Dowie as the ball ran loose to him six yards out. Minutes later it was the turn of Root to take the accolade as he leapt to his right to turn Brown's well struck shot from 18 yards round the post.

After 74 minutes came the goal that ensured Slough's just rewards. Jimmy Jacobs found Wilson in space on the left and as he advanced into the area and stroked the ball across the face of the goal it was Hendon's own Roger Wade who got the decisive touch.

As Davis was shrugging off the effects of yet another whack in the mush, Nichols' cross found its way right across goal to Dowie, who skied an easy looking chance. But that was Hendon's last threatening moment as White, one of several Rebels to emerge with battle honours sent a 20 yard free-kick round the wall and saw the ball clip the post.

Match Stats:
Corners: Slough 11, Hendon 7.
Attempts-on-target-off target blocked: Slough 4-8-1, Hendon 3-5-1.
Slough attempts: Wilson 3-30, Brown 1-2-0, Petty 0-2-0, White 0-1-1.