Langley Returns To Boost Rebels To Win

Tommy Langley climbed off the treatment table to give Slough's championship challenge another massive boost at Nyewood Lane on Saturday. The former Chelsea striker — who had not trained all week because of groin injury — scored the Rebels' vital second goal which helped them clinch their sixth Vauxhall League win in seven games.

This consolidated their position at the head of the Premier Division, especially as favourites Aylesbury United slipped to another defeat at Grays Athletic and are now six points behind the Rebels. Langley's goal capped another outstanding performance which again showed just how vital he has become to the Rebels since joining them from Exeter City at the start of the season.

Slough's all-round display at struggling Bognor was not their best of the season, but the Sussex side were not the push-overs their recent record — they have not won a League match since October 14 suggested they would be.

They even led for 18 minutes before a mix-up in their defence presented the Rebels with the chance to equalise from the penalty-spot. "We didn't play as well as we can," admitted Slough manager Alan Davies afterwards. "But at the end of the day we won and that's the most important thing. We are at the stage where points are all that matter."

Davies was forced to reshuffle his side around after Jeff Bateman failed a fitness test on an injured groin and centre-back partner Gary Dodd didn't recover in time from a trapped nerve in his foot. Injury-plagued skipper Mark Hill was drafted in for his first match since November and gave a competent performance alongside Tony Knight. They were given a surprisingly tough test by a Bognor side who had scored only 18 goals all season.

Neither side had really got into their stride when the home side took the lead after a mistake by Gary Lester in the Rebels goal. He failed to collect Martin Cox's cross and when the ball broke loose Chris Stanley was on hand to curl the ball home from an acute angle in the 22nd minute. Rocks keeper Lee Edwards was not really troubled until five minutes from the break. Full-back Martin Cox hit a weak backpass which was picked up by Mark Adams. The Slough winger looked like he had gone round Edwards when he was tripped just inside the penalty-area. Robbie Johnson confidently converted the spot-kick for his 12th goal of the season — 11 of them from penalties.

Bognor pressurised the Rebels at the start of the second-half without ever really looking like scoring and were caught on the break in the 63rd minute. Adams — who was a thorn in Bognor's side all afternoon — whipped in a low cross and Langley found the time and the space to glance a header past Edwards into the corner of the net. Less than 60 seconds later Neal Stanley was inches away from adding a third with a 20-yard chip that nearly caught the flat-footed Edwards off his line.

The Rocks bombarded Slough during the last 15 minutes and came close to equalising on two occasions. Johnson cleared Graham Mariner's header off the line in the 77th minute and then, a minute into injury time, Richard Tiltman couldn't force the ball over from less than three yards after excellent work from substitute Dean Fosbury. Stanley put the match beyond Bognor's reach, however, two minutes later with a firm header from Johnson's pinpoint cross for his 15th goal of the season.