Winging their way to victory

The Rebels again illustrated the value of good wing play in going within two points of the Vauxhall Opel leadership on Saturday.

Save for a magnificent clinching third from Paul Waites seven minutes from time, excitement for home followers was derived almost exclusively from their team's work on the flanks. Slough were never as clearly on top as they were in last's week's Dulwich game but, nevertheless, always looked likely to create the chances to win easily enough....and so it proved.

This was basically due to the likes of Tony Dennis and Kenny Wilson, who got in plenty of good crosses to split the Kings' defence. " When we get round the back of defences, we look a better side" said manager Alan Davies. "That's the way we look to play and something I've been preaching all season. Wils' is slowly coming back to form and both Stanley and Dennis are wide players , who we've got to use to their best capabilities".

And with Slough again unchanged, the ball-winning and distribution of full-backs White and Jacobs were again major features of a game which also didn't bear any comparison with the recent Bognor and Windsor thrillers.

Thankfully 'keeper Bunting had obviously forgotten his costly error in the Stag Meadow derby and, with Bateman and Knight getting back to their formidable best....at the heart of defence, the Slough back line currently looks as sure as it has done for some while.

Ex Rebel Mark Davis got no change from them on his return to Wexham Park while Gary Dodd, who came from Richmond Road at the same time, forced 'keeper John Power to a good early save.

Full back Nelmes extended Bunting and his presence was even more vital at the other end, as he whipped the ball off Dennis' toe, with the Slough man well-placed after Brown's prompt. Then referee Andrews had a clear sight of K's Grantham controlling the ball with his hand on the edge of the box, but gave nothing.

However, the defender paid for his large slice of luck in the 29th minute. For Dennis found Wilson on the right and his low near-post cross was headed into his own net by Grantham, after neither the 'keeper nor the defender made his intentions clear.

Slough continued to do just enough against a Kings' side, which looked unlikely to win their first away league match this term - at the seventh attempt.

And the Rebels had a great opportunity to double their lead within two minutes of the restart. Waites found Wilson and the centre was dummied by Stanley, but the unmarked Brown blazed over from no more than eight yards.

Slough had Bunting to thank for stopping the industrious Maurice Cox and more use of Dennis would have been wise, as both wingers had shown themselves more than capable of skinning the full-backs.

Powers used his legs to clear a shot from Stanley, but the Rebels paid for their generally apathetic approach by conceding an equaliser in the 69th minute. Cox shinned down the left flank and crossed back for David Kempton and after the ball seemed to deceive the back-pedalling Bateman, he calmly shot past Bunting from just inside the box.

Stanley went wide in search of an assist and found Wilson who teed-up for White to hammer a crisp 25-yarder, which needed the 'keepers intervention. But it was Wilson who was instrumental in adding the second.

Dodd found him out on the left and his well placed cross to the far post was met by Jimmy Brown, whose header squeezed between 'keeper and post after taking a deflection off a defender.

Brown's 15th of the season was well taken, but Paul Waites fourth of the campaign was even better. Receiving from the left, he slipped past Bird and had time to find the top corner of the net with a cracking shot from around 25 yards.

Davis had a couple of chances to reduce the deficit, while Bunting got down to stop a header from Micky Droy, the ex-Chelsea and Rebels defender who was playing at Wexham Park for the second successive week. Apparently, he agreed to play for Dulwich for two games before K's boss Chris Kelly became interested in him. Will he be playing for Saltash this week ?