Winston Strikes For The Win

A second half strike from Sammy Winston helped Slough record only their second win in Essex this season and their first midweek away victory since their success at Wingate & Finchley in October.

The Rebels started with a makeshift defence but their favoured striking partnership of Sammy Winston and Tony Boot were a threat from the beginning enabling Slough to take control early on. After a bright opening they were unlucky not to be awarded a penalty after seven minutes when Sammy Winston beat his marker on the right and was brought down seemingly inside the box. Both the referee, and his assistant who was closer, ruled the challenge had occurred outside the area and gave a free kick which came to nothing.

Slough did have the ball in the net fifteen minutes later when another surging run and cross from Winston resulted in a goalmouth scramble. The ball broke to leading scorer Tony Boot who fired home only to see the linesman flag for offside suggesting that one of the several bodies on the floor was interferring with play.

The Rebels eventually got the breakthrough their approach play deserved although when it arrived on twenty-eight minutes it did so in bizarre and comical fashion. A high ball played back to the Wivenhoe penalty area was not contested by the Slough forwards. The young keeper came off his line to claim the bouncing ball although completely misjudged his run and could only watch in horror as it hit the hard surface and sailed over his flailing hands into the net.

Having had one reasonable claim for a penalty turned down Slough were denied an even more obvious spot kick ten minutes before half time when Sammy Winston broke into the area. As he rounded the Wivenhoe keeper he was blatantly upended although Mr English, who was poor all evening, inexplicably waved play on.

Dominque Jean Zepherin made important saves either side of the interval to protect the lead, first saving a snap shot from the Wivenhoe number nine then saving a goal-bound header from the same player after Slough had needlessly conceded a free kick on their left.

Slough took advantage and extended their lead after forty-nine minutes with a goal of the season contender after a long ball up the left channel was brilliantly kept in play by Tony Boot. His cross was controlled on the penalty spot by Ryan Spencer who exchanged one touch passes with Sammy Winston and Byron Bubb before the ball was layed back to Winston who fired his twentieth of the season past the Wivenhoe keeper.

Slough continued to press and looked dominant but after sixty-two minutes the hosts halved the deficit against the run of play. A fine pass from midfield found Sean Caton who beat the offside trap and toe poked the ball past Zepherin who had rushed from his line, possibly committing himself too early. A combination of defender and post stopped the initial effort although the follow up shot was blasted high into the net. This gave the home team a chance and they were unlucky not to equalise shortly after when Matt Carmichael rattled a shot against the foot of the post after latching onto a long ball from Steve Howe.

Slough continued to press though and Ryan Spencer, who had shot wide when well positioned minutes earlier, almost made the game safe with ten minutes to play when his shot cannoned off the bar after a brilliant finger tip save from the Wivenhoe keeper who atoned for his earlier error. As the game moved into injury time further chances fell to Dean Palmer and Byron Bubb but neither were taken and the Rebels held firm to claim three well deserved and long overdue away points.