Stalemate at Aggborough

As they did last year Slough returned from Aggborough on Saturday with a point and on the face of it that's far from a disaster. However it was a shoddy performance and a share of the spoils is the most Town deserved.

True they did come closest to scoring when Mark Fiore volleyed powerfully against the crossbar midway through the second half but that strike apart they rarely threatened and once again were indebted to an impeccable performance from Trevor Bunting who has hardly put a foot or hand wrong 450 minutes into the season. Even he however will be a little surprised that nothing got past him on Saturday as at times Slough relied on sheer numbers rather than organisation to keep Kidderminster at bay.

It wasn't pretty but Harriers couldn't break through, so John Docherty can claim a qualified success.

In attack Slough carried less venom than a grass snake with front men Lee Walker and Morrys Scott looking somewhat out of their depth. Scott's height would suggest he could prove the ideal foil for Andy Sayer when the little man returns to fitness but there is a big difference between being tall and good in the air and being tall.

Walker ran his heart out for 70 minutes before tiring noticeably late on but whether or not he has the natural ability to succeed at this level is, at this stage, somewhat questionable. Slough looked at their most dangerous when Fiore joined Stanley as a fourth forward, but his forays into Kidderminster's half were all too rare and the crossbar bound volley was his finest contribution.

Accepting that Docherty is working with a pencil slim squad and that Fiore is a more than capable full back it does seem a dreadful waste of the team's only real free spirit to restrict him to a mainly defensive role. At his best running at defences Fiore's full worth will surely only be appreciated in a more attacking role and if the Doc wants to retain his five man defensive unit then Fiore could switch with Stanley who rarely lets the Rebels down whatever position he takes up.

Behind those two Docherty will have been encouraged by the impressive display of Alan Dowson, who after the odd shaky moment and a booking early on settled down to enjoy perhaps his best game yet, persistently thwarting the efforts of Cartwright to get round him.

Dowson will though have been glad that he didn't have to contend with Kidderminster's best player, left winger Jon Purdie, who instead gave Darren Hancock a busy afternoon. One delightful reverse pass from Purdie gave Paul Grainger the chance to but with more time than he realised he shot first time straight at Trevor Bunting.

Twice in the first half Purdie tried himself from Purdie tried himself for long range though neither time did he seriously trouble Bunting. Grainger set up Forsythe, getting past Hancock and cutting the ball back, but his midfield colleague shot over from eight yards.

Bunting was called upon again when Kidderminster's target man, Cohn Gordon headed into Paul Davies' path and brought a fine tumbling save from Slough's keeper. But Trevor's best save of the first half came just prior to the interval when he again kept out Davies from 18 yards as he cracked Grainger's through ball towards the left hand corner of Bunting's goal.

Slough's best moment of the first half was a well weighted through-ball from Walker that Stanley took in his stride and, holding off the challenge of Williams, he forced Rose to block well.

The quality of the football played was little better in the second half and Slough should take their share of the blame for the amount of kick and rush served up for the crowd of 1,100. Yet there were still a number of chances and if Rebels had the better of things after the break they were still behind on the chances count.

Davies and Forsythe exchanged passes but the latter under pressure from Quamina shot weakly at Bunting. Then came Fiore's effort as Stanley let the ball go and Slough had another opportunity as a fluent move involving Fiore — of course —Stanley and Walker allowed Scott a free header that he directed straight at Rose.

Walker put his header from Hancock's free kick — the youngster does deliver a delicious cross —in the same place and Hazel, on his one run of note, caused all sorts of panic in the home defence before his shot was cut out.

Davies and big Chris Brindley were both denied by a mass of Slough bodies in the goalmouth as the Rebels failed to clear an 80th minute corner and Forsythe and Purdie struck just wide as the hosts looked in vain for a winner.

Slough could have had the last word however undeserved it would have been when Hancock got in another curling cross and for once Brindley missed out, unfortunately so did Scott coming in behind him, the striker failing to get a significant touch and the ball deflecting wide.