Knight's charge too late

Slough had virtually dug their own graves before showing the stomach for battle on Saturday. For a mediocre Bromley side boasted a two goal advantage before the lack-lustre Rebels finally decided to make a fight of it.

Strangely, their approach seemed to change after an ill-timed Tony Knight challenge in the 57th minute. He clattered into Hewitt from behind and the home midfielder's angry retaliation put a much needed edge on the Rebels' game. " You've got to fight to win the battle and we didn't take the bull by the horns as we should have done" admitted manager Alan Davies. " If the players had shown the same enthusiasm in the first 25-30 minutes as they did in the last, we would have won."

Indeed. The Rebels could still easily have won once they finally stepped up a gear, and that made their earlier apathy even harder to accept. For they created a host of good chances, had two justified penalty appeals turned down and had the home side desperately clinging onto their lead in a spirited last 20 minutes. With the plan to try and get behind Bromley's big central defenders,

Davies preferred Paul Waites to Jimmy Brown and he partnered Kenny Wilson up front in a 4-4-2 formation. But with several players still patently short of their best, the idea was better than its execution.

Deputising for the suspended Dennis Powell at right-back, Jacobs twice found himself in trouble in the opening exchanges and Woodcraft had to clear off the line from Hewitt. Slough's defence, gently rehabilitating after leaking ten goals in last week's final pre-season friendlies, was pulled out of position again as Bromley showed more early purpose.

Skipper Keith White, showing more obvious commitment than his colleagues in the first half, set up a one-against-one situation for Kenny Wilson. But the winger gave 'keeper Sullivan too much time to narrow the angles and easily blocked the effort.

After a fairly even first 26 minutes, Bromley took the lead. Hewitt's corner was helped on by Scotting and Jerry Dolke brought the ball down and shot past Bunting's despairing left hand from 15 yards. Yet instead of Slough striking back, the hosts looked decidedly sharper for the rest of the half.

The Rebels' back four continued to look uncertain on occasions and the midfield failed to assert itself and create anything worthwhile for the two lone rangers up front. White fired just wide with a fine 20-yarder before Slough went two down just six minutes after the restart, after a goal Davies described as criminal.

Godfrey Jacobs received on the right edge of the box, turned Bateman and sped past Knight and Jacobs before completing his fine diagonal run with a superb cross-shot past Bunting. It was probably the best goal Bromley fans will see all season, but how could three experienced players be left so flat-footed?

After the Knight incident soon after both sides raised the tempo and Bromley's Scotting and Collins joined the Slough pivot in the ref's notebook within a five minute period. Last season's leading goal scorer Jimmy Brown came on as sub for Wanklyn, as Slough started to go about their business far more passionately.

Wilson raced up the left after being freed by Waites and his cross was blocked in the box by Collins. But although there were vehement penalty appeals for a handball, referee Butland was unimpressed. However, Slough's disappointment was short lived as they pulled one back after 70 minutes. Sullivan punched out Wilson's corner only as far as new boy Neal Stanley, who controlled neatly and saw his shot go in via the underside of the bar from 20 yards.

MacMahon was the inspiration behind the revival, with their more fluid 4-3-3 formation seeming far more likely to be productive than 4-4-2. The ex-Windsor man set White away and the skipper's cross from the by-line found Wilson, whose flying header was dealt with acrobatically by Sullivan.

The Rebels continued to surge forward and forced a succession of corners. From one of them, McMahon's lofted shot from another half clearance was tipped over by the overworked 'keeper.

Another penalty appeal for handball was dismissed as the minutes ticked by - Davies thought both claims were justified-but the assault on the Bromley goal continued until the last whistle.

Bateman rose to flight a header which Roles cleared off the line and in the last minute, Brown was foiled in a one against one situation after another incisive pass by MacMahon. " If we'd have got a goal when they went 0-1 up, I think we would have won, but we stood off them and let them into it" said Davies." But we're still not playing as well as we know we can" he said. " And you've got to play to your full potential all the time in this league".