Gone With The Wind!

Alan Davies looked back on an afternoon that was a perfect reflection of his Slough team's season and said: “It was a game we should have won and if you look over the whole season that is why challenging for the title. We haven't won the games we should have done at home. That was a typical example today.”

The Rebels looked well set for three Vauxhall-Opel League points when they led 1-0 at half time on Saturday after playing into the teeth of a virtual hurricane.

Yet, as Barking had done, they found the going more difficult with the wind behind them and, apart from a disallowed goal from Jimmy Brown, did not threaten once in the second half of a desperately dull game.

Barking made little contribution to an afternoon's so-called entertainment which justified the missing spectators' decision to stay at home, leaving the Rebels' smallest crowd of the season shivering in the Wexham Park gale. The Slough manager added: "Until the last 15 minutes I didn't think Barking looked any good. “

As the vicious gusts of wind played spiteful games with the players' attempts to get the ball meaningfully into their opponents' area, the Rebels' new fencing put up to meet the league's ground requirements came under threat more than either defence.

The fencing stood up to the test, but Barking's back four failed miserably the first time they were asked a serious question after 25 minutes, just after the departure of the injured Kenny Wilson.

Slough’s attack looked to have broken down, but they were given the chance to win the ball back just outside the area and the industrious Brown battled his way into the box past a couple of defenders.

Brown got the ball through to Devon Petty in a crowded penalty area and he turned to force the ball in, taking his season's tally to the unexpectedly lofty figure of seven. Nine minutes later the prolific Petty almost had another. Jeff Bateman won a header in his usual dominant manner, Brown helped the ball on and Petty went scuttling after it, only to find 'keeper Jon O'Brien out quickly to close down his shot.

The next half hour was spent watching hopeful high balls become passengers of the wind and waiting for Slough to make the elements work in their favour. But after 64 minutes it was Barking who found the net as Slough took their turn to get in a tangle in their own area.

Michael Bastin received the ball in the Slough box, had his first effort blocked and then found grounded defender Chris Wheatley opposing him in a desperate scramble to win the loose ball. Bastin's determination prevailed and gave him the chance to fire past Trevor Bunting.

Two minutes later the Rebels thought they had regained the lead Wheatley's header was cleared off the line and the ball fell for Brown to lash ferociously into the roof of the net. Brown's justified joy was soon cut short by an offside decision against Mark Davis.

Brown, for all his efforts, didn't get another sniff at goal and neither did the visitors as the gods sent their bellowing, blustering servants even more lustily to mock both teams' efforts to play something akin to constructive football.

Match Stats:
Corners: Slough 7, Barking 2.
Attempts on target-off-target-blocked: Slough 3-1-0, Barking 1-5-1.
Slough attempts: Petty 2-0-0, Wheatley 1-0-0, Jacobs 0-1-0.