Superb display - without the goals!

Slough sowed the seeds of a championship challenge moving to top spot in the Vauxhall Opel League Premier Division with a gritty, skilful display at Church Road on Tuesday night.... now they just need to score goals.

After overcoming a mauling by Barking on Saturday leaving both Jimmy Jacobs and Neal Stanley hobbling in the stands at Hayes, Rebels manager Alan Davies was forced to make changes - but his side still gave a sparkle of what may be achieved this year. But with two wins under his Slough tie, the Rebels boss is still cautious and even anxious about scoring goals and not reading too much into a decent start to the season.

"We played some good football and created one or two chances, but you could say that if we won four or five nil it would have been better. We've had to make a couple of changes this season and one or two players haven't played in the side before but we've done well."

Despite the injuries which saw Tony Knight replace Jimmy Jacobs in right midfield, Ray Duffy come back in at right back and Trevor How team up with Jeff Bateman, Slough battled and showed flashes of sheer brilliance both in defence and up front. Wayne Wanklyn pushed up to support the striking partnership of Steve Thompson and Colin Landeg, and was immediately in the thick of things when dumped to the floor by Hayes skipper Reg Leather. But his workmanlike performance helped Slough gain momentum as did the 29th minute breakthrough.

Hayes 'keeper Paul Hyde blundered a punch allowing Tony Knight to cross the ball back in for Steve Thompson to poke home in the goalmouth scramble, although it looked like it took a deflection off Leather.

Last year's much maligned 'keeper at the opposite end, Trevor Bunting, however, played superbly, following the swift forward play by the Rebels to delight the visiting supporters. As Slough took command, the best chance of the half came when Keith White swept a 50 yard crossfield ball to Steve Thompson allowing the tireless striker to roast Churchouse for an earlier foul which earned the left back a booking.

Thompson's low cross from the byline was right out of the coaching manual but Colin Landeg could only manage to put the ball into the side netting. But it was Thompson who almost made amends just before the interval, picking up a long defensive clearance and blasting a ferocious half volley that went agonisingly wide. Then with a minute left of the first half, the Hayes striker, Tony Kelly, paid the price for fouling Dodd earlier when he was sent for an early bath after hacking down Wanklyn from behind.

Down to 10 men at the restart, Hayes struggled to stay in the game as Slough piled on the pressure with Jeff Bateman rifling in a header off a Landeg corner and Steve Thompson producing a reflex nod on only to see the ball drop over the bar. From here on in only the diminutive central midfielder Derek Payne could put a spanner in the Slough cogs with his brilliant close ball control and distribution preventing an overwhelming onslaught on the Hayes goal.

Although welcome relief for the home side was a thumping shot by Hayes' Mark Graves grazing Trevor Bunting's post, Slough continued to press for the second goal that just wouldn't come. Even a startling three man move involving Keith White, Landeg and Thompson with Landeg screwing just wide at the death, couldn't help Slough boost their goal difference against the ten men and with Wokingham blasting seven past Tooting and Mitcham, this could definitely be the season's bugbear for Slough.

For in the 85th minute, skipper Keith White blasted a dipping volley, but the 'keeper was equal to the task, and Landeg could only scorch the side netting with the follow up. On a day when the net eluded the Rebels and the referee excelled, the unlucky Tony Dennis received a last minute booking for time wasting which was unnecessary, but it summed up the Rebels need for a goal scorer, and now.