Rebels Blow It

Tony Knight’s last minute sending-off capped Slough's miserable day against Woking on Saturday.

The suave, former male model — playing only his second game after returning from suspension for his dismissal against Uxbridge in the Third Qualifying Round — was given his marching orders for trampling over Mark Biggins. He had earlier been booked for a foul on Tim Buzaglo.

Knight's action, probably borne out of frustration, was the final ignominy for the Rebels who were outclassed and very nearly humiliated by a Woking side who are a division below them.

The Cardinals lived up to all the pre-match hype with a fluent performance that suggests they will be more than a handful for Barclays League Cambridge United in the next round. Slough manager Alan Davies couldn't hide his disappointment afterwards and appeared to be choking back the tears.

"Over the last three or four weeks this result has always appeared to be on the cards," he said "Too many players are not performing to their true potential at the moment and we can't have any complaints about the result. Woking played very well."

To add to Davies' problems robust midfielder Tony Dell seems certain to be handed a three-match ban after picking up his fifth booking in a month. The former Marlow player was cautioned after only 12 minutes for a late challenge on Biggins and was lucky not to be sent-off before the end following a series of wild tackles.

With Knight due to start another suspension and injury-prone skipper Mark Hill probably out until Christmas, Davies faces a testing time over the next few weeks. Of his selection worries, Davies said: "This is the worst time I can remember for injuries since I came to Slough, but no excuses."

Woking, thoroughly pumped up, made their intentions clear in the opening few seconds, Rebels keeper Trevor Bunting saving from Paul Mulvaney and then seeing a Knight header narrowly clear his own bar.

The Cardinals didn't have to wait long, however, for the vital breakthrough. Highly-rated striker Buzaglo whipped the ball away from Jeff Bateman after a rash challenge and calmly stroked it under Bunting's body for his 17th goal of the season.

Davies couldn't believe it. "We told the players not to dive in with their challenges but we do exactly the opposite after less than 10 minutes."
Buzaglo, the star name in a Woking team consisting mainly of rejects and journeymen, tormented Slough's reshuffled defence throughout the 90 minutes and must have impressed the watching Football League scouts among the 2,182 crowd.

With former Slough player Trevor Baron majestic in Woking's back-four, it took the Rebels 31 minutes before they conjured up an effort — Neal Stanley having a shot scrambled off the line.

Tommy Langley's equaliser on the stroke of half-time ¬when he controlled a Steve Thompson cross, turned and drilled it into the roof of the net in one movement — proved to be only a temporary reprieve for Slough.

They still seemed to be celebrating the goal two minutes after the break when Buzaglo crossed for the unmarked Mulvaney to head into the corner of the net.

Despite being roared on by the biggest Wexham Park crowd for four years, the Rebels were unable to make any impression on the scrooge-like Cardinals defence. Their best effort came in the 68th minute when Thompson drove a shot over the bar from the edge of the penalty-area.

Highlights courtesy of Cardinal Tales YouTube channel.