Six Goal Thriller Sees Shared Points In Berkshire

Poor finishing, goalkeeping heroics and sloppy defending cost Slough all three points against local rivals Windsor & Eton.

The Royalists started the match the better of the two sides with a flurry of early corners, but they failed to create any real chances from their set pieces. In contrast Slough took a while to get into the match. Their first chance came after eight minutes when Kieran Gallagher's shot was saved at his near post by Ian Gardiner.

The Rebels took the lead after only 11 minutes when Neville Roach received the ball on the halfway line. He dribbled past Lee Rossier and Dave Tilbury before firing into the net beyond Gardiner. Just five minutes later Dennis Greene's men found themselves level. Darron Wilkinson lost the ball in defence which allowed Ashley Vickers to cross the ball into the area to Dean Wordsworth at the back post. He laid the ball into the path of Matt Brady to score.

The equaliser seemed to wake the Rebels up as they dominated for the remainder of the half and had several chances to go ahead before the break. The first of these chances fell to Roach who nicked the ball past Gardiner, but the striker was forced wide allowing Matthew Clarke to intercept. Gardiner was called into action once again midway through the half when Gallagher's free-kick from the edge of the area was turned over the bar.

The young keeper's best save of the half came after thirty-six minutes when Mark Hawthorne found Simon Ullathorne on the edge of the area. Ullathorne saw his low volley brilliantly saved by Gardiner with Roach only inches away from getting to the rebound. Just before half-time Windsor had two good chances to go ahead themselves. The first fell to Matt Brady who shot left-footed just wide. Then just minutes before half-time former Crawley striker Dean Wordsworth saw his close range shot saved by Dominique Jean-Zepherin.

Slough continued to waste good chances in the second half with Simon Ullathorne having a good chance early in the second half. The striker found himself just yards out but somehow contrived to shoot at Gardiner who produced another excellent save. Eight minutes after that chance Gallagher was the next player to go close to scoring when his shot from wide on the right went just over the bar.

Slough were left to rue those missed chances as Windsor took the lead after sixty-six minutes. An uncharacteristic mistake by Keith McPherson let Brady through on goal and the striker easily shot past Zepherin into the net. Almost immediately Slough had a chance to get back on level terms when Veli Hakki's cross into the area fell to Michael Gilkes who saw his toe-poked shot sail over the bar when he should have hit the target.

Seven minutes later the Rebels found themselves back on level terms with their most scrappy goal of the season. Gilkes shot from the edge of the area appeared to be going well wide until the ball hit Michael Bartley and the striker under pressure from Tilbury scrambled the ball into the net. The Rebels pressed for a winner after their equaliser and Gallagher went close to putting the Rebels back in front.

They did go back in front with just a minutes remaining when a pss from Hakki put Bartley through on goal. The striker chipped the ball over Gardiner into the back of the net for what looked like a winner. Windsor showed good spirit in the remaining minutes defying their league position and were soon level when Zepherin needlessly juggled the ball in the area allowing Windsor skipper Matt James with the easiest of chances to bring the scores level.

Deep into injury-time Slough had one last chance to grab all three points when Gallagher's corner was met by Ullathorne, but his header was straight at Gardiner and the points were shared.