Defiant Bunts Keeps It Clean

A brilliant second half display from Trevor Bunting enabled Slough to come away from Stafford on Saturday with another clean sheet and an important point.

It was the eighth time Slough have failed to score on their travels and their fifth goalless draw of the campaign but it's now three without defeat and that's a half decent run to take into the hectic holiday schedule.

After the brief Christmas respite Town face Woking, Welling and Dagenham Redbridge in the space of seven days, and they can ill afford further slips if their Conference ambitions are to remain realistic.

On Saturday in foul conditions — nothing new there then — they faced a side eager to gain some measure of revenge for a 3-0 hammering by Slough at Wexham Park earlier in the season.

Playing into a fierce first half wind, Bunting was too often guilty of thumping aimless balls high into the sky gaining minimal yardage on occasions. Only near the half's end did he catch on and instead bring the ball out.

By this stage Slough had ridden their luck. Pushed forward by the winds, Stafford seemed certain to make a breakthrough but were consistently denied by a resolute, organised defence.

Andy Mee's faint flick on Clayton's shot was a fraction wide of Bunting's post in the second minute and Bodkin's 20 yard shot on the turn was held held by Bunting at the second attempt.

Slough's only outlet at this stage appeared to Mark Fiore — nothing new about that either — and he provided the visitors' first moment of promise, whipping in a cross which only just eluded the incoming Sayer.

Such forays however were to prove rare, especially in the first half.

Stanley's instant header from Steve Scott's misdirected shot surprised everyone but was a yard off target while Sayer twisting sharply to meet Steve Scott's downward header did at least force a save from Price.

Bunting was by far the busier and after saving from Foy's disappointing header he enjoyed his bit of fortune for the afternoon. Bunting and Manning got in a terrible mess as Mee — a Rangers debutant — chased another overhit through ball rather more in hope than expectation. The Slough duo, concious of a collision, hacked at the ball neither making contact, and as Mee seemed set to benefit, Alan Dowson swept round behind his colleagues to clear.

Hancock almost gifted the home side an advantage as his intended head back to Bunting went straight to Foy standing between the two. The full back would have been mighty relieved to see Foy turn and pull his shot wide.

However having survived against the wind surely Slough would now benefit from it. Well, not really, Bunting was still the busier 'keeper.

He made a fine tumbling save from Simpson's curling free-kick and was happy to Morrys Scott's big right boot divert Foy's edge of the box drive wide of goal.

The save of the game however came with 20 minutes remaining. Mee, determined to grab a debut goal, seemed to have few options from a restricted angle inside the Town area but managed a shot of tremendous power that somehow Bunting, leaping like a salmon, tipped the ball up and beyond the crossbar.

Slough's response was encouraging, Fiore volleyed recklessly over — he had much more time than he took —from Manning's cross and Steve Scott should really have scored but instead found the side netting from Stanley's cross.

The last few minutes belonged to Stafford. Bodkin's ball across goal was eventually half-cleared by Hancock and as Bradshaw hammered the ball back in, Hancock, bravely, got his body in the way.

Bunting capped his own afternoon with an athletic reflex save when Simpson crashed in a low shot from Bradshaw's long throw and as Rangers reacted to the loose ball, Bunting, panther like, pounced to gather.