Single Goal Enough For Tudors

Slough Town faced up to life without Veli Hakki and consequently slumped to their first home defeat of the season despite dominating large chunks of the game.

Slough started the better of the two sides with Tony Boot crossing in for Winston, only to see the ball bounce in front of the striker and as a result could not keep his effort down. Fifteen minutes into the half, Slough countered from a Hemel corner with Byron Bubb, Anthony Howard and Sammy Winston facing a single Hemel defender. As Bubb committed the defender, he laid the ball off to Howard who saw his effort well saved by Bonfield in the Hemel goal for a corner. From the resultant corner, Howard again saw his headed effort crash off the bar, before the ball was given again to Gilkes on the right wing whose cross again found Howard, but again, the bar thwarted the Rebels defender and the ball ran out of play.

Michael Gilkes was again insturmental in attacking moves for Slough twice giving Boot opportunites which the young striker failed to capitalise on.

In Hemel's first chance of the half, a well struck effort from 25 yards out by Marcelle Bruce was well held by McCann making his league debut this season for Slough. Soon after though, the keeper should have done better with a low drive from Hemel sub Jack Berry which crept in under McCann as he dived low to his left giving Hemel the lead. Gilkes was soon to leave the field with injury and was replaced by Alvin Bubb at this point.

McCann atoned for his earlier mistake producing a fingertip save from Richard McDonagh's long range drive, tipping the ball around the post, and again soon after from Grieves. With Steve Browne scouting, the management team of Eddie Denton and Troy Townsend had some work to do at half time.

Shortly after the interval, a change was required by Slough as Nick Gyoury was replaced by Adrian Brown and as a result, the Rebels looked stronger at the back against the continual aerial ball from Hemel. Shortly after the change, Alvin Bubb was given space on the left wing and his cross to the back post was met on the volley by Chris Metcalf but somehow Bonfield managed to keep the ball out.

Watters should have extended Hemel's lead ten minutes into the second half after a mix up between Howard and Byron Bubb which allowed the winger to run through but his effort from the edge of the area went comfortably wide of McCann's goal.

Byron Bubb showed his trickery again as he created himself some space and hit a shot which Bonfield again did well to judge and push around the post after the ball bounced in front of the keeper. From the corner by Spencer, Howard again saw a header hit the bar and go out of play and Rebels fans could sense it wasn't going to be their day.

Howard again was proving to be the Rebels best scoring outlet at this point in the game as he received the ball in space on the right channel of the area. His well struck drive narrowly missed the frame of the goal and crashed into the side netting.

Winston was released moments later but found himself as part of a sandwich between Fitzgerald and West being hauled down on the edge of the area. Paul Barrowcliff's free kick managed to get over the wall, but was narrowly the wrong side of the post. McCann again was to thank for keeping the defecit to a single goal midway through the second half as a back post cross found its way through to Watters in space, but his volleyed effort was repelled by McCann.

The Rebels continued to push forward, but with Boot and Winston seeming ineffective, the goals and chances were having to come from other sources. Alvin Bubb created two late chances for Slough. Receving the ball on the edge of the area, his low effort through a crowd of players was saved by Bonfield to the keepers left, and in the dying moments, a dangerous cross was blocked by the knee of ex-Rebel Fitzgerald, and the ball flew narrowly wide.