Enfield
1
Livett (77)
Slough Town
3
Richardson (7, 17), Hawthorne (43)
League
Attendance: 204
Marcus Richardson
A brace from Marcus Richardson and a 35-yard block-buster by Mark Hawthorne before half-time was enough to secure all three points against Enfield at Hendon on Saturday.
It was all that Slough deserved in a match dictated by the boggy and dank conditions. Richardson was substituted at half-time with a suspected hamstring injury but looked dangerous throughout the match.
He breached the Enfield defence as early as the fifth minute, when he latched onto a Dwight Marshall pass, outpaced the covering defender, but saw his shot saved by the keeper Jerome John.
Two minutes later and he did one better to give the Rebels an early advantage. Diving in from close range after a Slough corner had caused panic and consternation in the six-yard box.
Slough had took control of the game and good link-up play between Marshall and Richardson allied with shambolic defending from the Enfield back line set up Slough's second. A cross from the right by Marshall found Richardson totally unmarked in the six-yard box who promptly headed home to make it 2-0.
The goal brought brief resistance from the Enfield forwards who bravely sprawled in the thick mud in search of an equaliser and were unlucky not to score in the 20th minute. A shot by Danny Clarke beat Danny Honey but was blocked by Rebel's skipper Steve Daly on the line and then cleared from danger. Yet it was all in vain as poor defending and a non-existent Enfield midfield always meant that Slough had an easy outlet with which to progress.
The third and decisive goal came in the 43rd minute when a Slough free kick found Hawthorne in space. He took one furtive glance up to see where the keeper was and then fired an unstoppable shot into the top right-hand corner. The goal was met with rapturous applause from his team-mates and a wry grin from the midfield player.
After the break, Enfield took a decisive grip on the game coinciding with a change in formation due to the withdrawal of Graham Kemp for Aaron Patton. Patton, who has been in good form recently, did not have the best afternoons and could do little to calm a revamped Enfield whose ears were possibly still ringing from a half-time ear-bashing.
In the 55th minute a mistake by Leon Townley let in striker Jean Okita who rounded the stranded Honey only for his shot to be deflected for a corner. It was the beginning of a lacklustre half for the Rebels who never really got going. The only noticeable feature for Slough in the second half seemed to be the fitness of Honey who was visibly favouring his right leg and needed Junior Haynes to take his goal kicks.
Honey's incapacity may have gifted Enfield a consolation goal in the 77th minute when a fierce 40-yard drive from Simon Livett skipped off the wet surface and into the bottom corner. But despite their second half dominance Enfield were foiled by a spirited Slough defence determined to reverse the sides recent poor form.
Livett, Okita and Danny Jones all came close before the end but it was Slough who almost finished the game with a goal when Mark Hall's shot from close range was saved by keeper John.
So it finished 3-1, a result that does little to change Slough's season but possibly provides Steve Browne with an ideal platform to think about his team for next season.
It was all that Slough deserved in a match dictated by the boggy and dank conditions. Richardson was substituted at half-time with a suspected hamstring injury but looked dangerous throughout the match.
He breached the Enfield defence as early as the fifth minute, when he latched onto a Dwight Marshall pass, outpaced the covering defender, but saw his shot saved by the keeper Jerome John.
Two minutes later and he did one better to give the Rebels an early advantage. Diving in from close range after a Slough corner had caused panic and consternation in the six-yard box.
Slough had took control of the game and good link-up play between Marshall and Richardson allied with shambolic defending from the Enfield back line set up Slough's second. A cross from the right by Marshall found Richardson totally unmarked in the six-yard box who promptly headed home to make it 2-0.
The goal brought brief resistance from the Enfield forwards who bravely sprawled in the thick mud in search of an equaliser and were unlucky not to score in the 20th minute. A shot by Danny Clarke beat Danny Honey but was blocked by Rebel's skipper Steve Daly on the line and then cleared from danger. Yet it was all in vain as poor defending and a non-existent Enfield midfield always meant that Slough had an easy outlet with which to progress.
The third and decisive goal came in the 43rd minute when a Slough free kick found Hawthorne in space. He took one furtive glance up to see where the keeper was and then fired an unstoppable shot into the top right-hand corner. The goal was met with rapturous applause from his team-mates and a wry grin from the midfield player.
After the break, Enfield took a decisive grip on the game coinciding with a change in formation due to the withdrawal of Graham Kemp for Aaron Patton. Patton, who has been in good form recently, did not have the best afternoons and could do little to calm a revamped Enfield whose ears were possibly still ringing from a half-time ear-bashing.
In the 55th minute a mistake by Leon Townley let in striker Jean Okita who rounded the stranded Honey only for his shot to be deflected for a corner. It was the beginning of a lacklustre half for the Rebels who never really got going. The only noticeable feature for Slough in the second half seemed to be the fitness of Honey who was visibly favouring his right leg and needed Junior Haynes to take his goal kicks.
Honey's incapacity may have gifted Enfield a consolation goal in the 77th minute when a fierce 40-yard drive from Simon Livett skipped off the wet surface and into the bottom corner. But despite their second half dominance Enfield were foiled by a spirited Slough defence determined to reverse the sides recent poor form.
Livett, Okita and Danny Jones all came close before the end but it was Slough who almost finished the game with a goal when Mark Hall's shot from close range was saved by keeper John.
So it finished 3-1, a result that does little to change Slough's season but possibly provides Steve Browne with an ideal platform to think about his team for next season.
Slough Town Lineup
- 1 Danny Honey
- 2 Dave Timothy
- 3 Junior Haynes
- 4 Steve Daly
- 5 Leon Townley
- 6 Paul Barrowcliff
- 7 David Rainford
- 8 Graham Kemp
- 9 Marcus Richardson
- 10 Dwight Marshall
- 11 Mark Hawthorne
Substitutes
- 12 Aaron Patton
- 14 Mark Hall
- 15 Steve Browne