Whiskey Smack!

Slough were left nursing an unwelcome hangover after a 38th minute goal from Earl Whiskey condemned them to their sixth Wexham Park defeat of the season.

Whiskey’s spectacular 20 yard goal was one of the few highlights in Saturday's quickly to be forgotten Vauxhall-Opel League encounter, which exposed the Rebels' limitations as a championship chasing side.

With leading scorers Jimmy Brown and Kenny Wilson unavailable and unfit manager Alan Davies was forced to pair Mark Davis and Jock McLeod together up front. Neither ever worried the Hayes defence, aside from Davis clattering into 'keeper Paul Hyde.

And with skipper Keith White having probably his poorest game of the season, Slough were unable to trouble a resolute Hayes defence, aside from Davis clattering into 'keeper Paul Hyde on a couple of occasions.

Things started brightly enough for the home side when Paul Waites crossed for the unmarked Davis six yards from goal, but the big striker fell over his own feet and allowed Hyde to bundle the ball away.

Waites whistled a shot past Hyde's goal after 12 minutes from 30 yards as he strove gallantly to make his team mates forget the loss of Wilson, scorer of a hat-trick earlier in the season at Church Road.

After 33 minutes Davis wasted another opportunity when Dave Silman misjudged the bounce after Jeff Bateman's long hoof out of defence and allowed the Slough striker to screw his effort well wide of Hyde's far post.

Five minutes later came what was to prove the winner. Bateman and Tony Knight enjoying one of their easiest afternoons of the season against a side missing their leading scorer, Les Ferdinand, sold to Q.P.R. the previous day, both failed to clear Gary Churchouse's cross and Whiskey was allowed to control the ball and volley otherwise sweetly past the unemployed Trevor Bunting from the edge of the area.

With tempers becoming somewhat frayed, Hayes' Reg Leather extracted some measure of revenge on his 'keeper's behalf when he left Davis sprawled in agony after a late tackle which earned him a booking.

The anonymous White suddenly came to life, albeit briefly, when he forced Hyde to scramble his 20 yard volley away after 55 minutes and three minutes later the 'keeper became so rattled at the sight of Davis bearing down on him that he dropped Waites' long free-kick, only for Leather to clear off the line.

The introduction of substitute Dean Woodley failed to make much difference, but in a frantic last five minutes he could, and indeed should, have ended his 15 months exile from Wexham Park with a face-saving equaliser after excellent work by Devon Petty.

Petty crossed for Woodley to flash his shot high over the bar from four yards out and then flicked on Jimmy Jacobs' through ball to leave Woodley clear with only Hyde to beat. However, he lifted the ball over Hyde and well past the post.

Bateman troubled Hyde with a powerful header from White's corner and when the 'keeper gathered the loose ball from under Davis's nose as the final whistle sounded there was a fracas as players from both sides had to keep Hyde and Davis from squaring up to one another.