Rebels Remain Unbeaten After Wokingham Victory

The big clash at Wexham Park on Saturday saw Slough remain the only unbeaten side in the Vauxhall League Premier Divison thanks to two pieces of clinical finishing.

Wokingham came to Slough having only dropped two points in their first eight games, and top of the table. But despite periods of domination, they couldn't penetrate a well organised Rebels defence.

Jeff Bateman was revealed to have a broken arm, an injury which he picked up three weeks ago against Walthamstow Pennant, and the stalwart centre back was consequently sidelined. Gary Dodd took the number five shirt in his place, and turned in a magnificent performance at the heart of the Slough defence.

His display left Slough manager Alan Davies enthusing: "The more I see Gary there, the more I like it." The Rebels soaked up large periods of pressure, and then pushed forward purposefully, with Tommy Langley showing the class finish which often eluded Slough at critical times last season.

It was almost a different story though, when Bunting had to dive low to smother the ball on the line after it had cannoned off Dodd from close range.

Roy Merryweather had done his homework for the match, Mark Adams finding himself outnumbered when he received the ball, and the visitors getting men back in numbers when Slough pushed for¬ward.

Tony Dell and Brian Broome had a tigerish battle at the start in midfield, but the booking of Dell after 11 minutes meant that he became rather subdued for the rest of the game.

Bunting saved well from Wilkinson when he got his boot to his shot, but with the home defence knitting together and providing its best performance of the season so far, Wokingham couldn't penetrate.

It was left for Langley to produce a goal out of nothing, when Trevor How put a low ball through on the right. Langley got round the first challenge, and found himself clean through when Alexander slipped on the wet surface. Having drawn keeper Westwood, he curled the ball home from the edge of the box to perfection.

With a minute left before half time, Adams won a challenge with the keeper, but blasted the ball over with the Wokingham defence scrambling back.

The second half restarted under the heavy drizzle, and the game became fast and furious, the tackles crashing in. Langley sneaked in at the near post to fire into the keeper's. arms, but with nine minutes of the second half gone, the ex-Chelsea marks¬man put the Rebels further ahead. Steve Thompson took a free kick on the edge of the Wokingham penalty area, and the ball floated to Adams, who headed it downwards across the goal, and Langley reacted quickest to guide it home.

Minutes later neat play by Thompson and Langley saw the sliding Adams just fail to get enough of his foot to the low cross to turn it home at the far post.

Pearce almost brought Wokingham back into the match, but his header skim¬med onto the bar with Bunting beaten.

Neal Stanley then blasted over at the other end following good play from Adams and Langley. With 75 minutes gone, Adams and Langley again combined well, and Steve Thompson blasted a superb shot goalwards, only for it to be brilliantly tipped away by Westwood for a corner.

Wokingham pushed forward as the game wore on, and Bunting did well to deny Lucas with his feet after the midfielder had got into the area.

Pearce then went just wide after Bunting had tipped on a corner, and in the dying minutes, Thompson stretched to push away Collier's goal-bound effort, the ball running into the path of Lucas who could only watch as it flew over the bar.

Thompson was then carried off with suspected ligament damage, and Bobby Dell came on for a matter of seconds as substitute, before the final whistle went and Slough had toppled the top team.