Slough Town
1
McCleary (64)
Heybridge Swifts
2
Abbott (41), Jolly (89)
League
Attendance: 274
Josias Carbon
Slough took to the field for the final time this season with nothing to play for. Their visitors, Heybridge Swifts, needed a win to confirm home advantage in the playoffs and they came away with what they needed in an entertaining encounter.
Slough started well and had a strong penalty shout waved away with their first opportunity. Michael Alexis passed the ball to the right flank for Josias Carbon. He cut inside his defender and put the ball back across the box. Mark West appeared to be fouled but the ball fell back to Leigh Mason whose shot was put wide under pressure.
Slough sprung a quick counter as Alexis fed in Gareth McCleary down the right and the strikers effort looped over Paul Nicholls but also off the top of the bar.
Richard Jolly saw Masters hold the ball well from a well hit volley from the edge of the area in the away sides first opportunity of the game. Jolly again went close having been played in by veteran striker Dean Holdsworth but again found Masters in the way, turning his effort round the post.
With four minutes of the half left, the visitors took the led. A deep from from the left was only half cleared by Slough and the ball sat nicley for Paul Abbott on the edge of the area and his volley flew into the top corner.
In the final chance of the half, a long distance swerving volley from Leon Woodruffe was well covered by Nicholls.
Slough got themselves on level terms with their next real chance of the game. A quick corner from the right saw Leigh Mason pass to Josias Carbon. The defender made space for the cross and the ball went to Andy Ballard at the back post. The midfielder fed the ball back across goal and found the run of McCleary who volleyed home from close range.
The Swifts earned themselves a penalty as Masters brought down Jolly, after a shot from Sam Keevil had looped up but Masters guessed correctly, diving to his right, to keep out the strikers attmempted penalty.
Heybridge cleared off the line from Carbon's cross and Jolly again went close at the other end, forcing Masters to tip over a fierce volley.
The Swifts had a sense of urgency around them for the final stages as they still had something to play for, where the Rebels did not, and this had swung the game into the visitors favour. Their increase in tempo was rewarded when a throw from the right was played into the path of Jolly and he finally got onto the scoresheet with a neat finish across the goal and in off the far post with one minute remaining.
Slough started well and had a strong penalty shout waved away with their first opportunity. Michael Alexis passed the ball to the right flank for Josias Carbon. He cut inside his defender and put the ball back across the box. Mark West appeared to be fouled but the ball fell back to Leigh Mason whose shot was put wide under pressure.
Slough sprung a quick counter as Alexis fed in Gareth McCleary down the right and the strikers effort looped over Paul Nicholls but also off the top of the bar.
Richard Jolly saw Masters hold the ball well from a well hit volley from the edge of the area in the away sides first opportunity of the game. Jolly again went close having been played in by veteran striker Dean Holdsworth but again found Masters in the way, turning his effort round the post.
With four minutes of the half left, the visitors took the led. A deep from from the left was only half cleared by Slough and the ball sat nicley for Paul Abbott on the edge of the area and his volley flew into the top corner.
In the final chance of the half, a long distance swerving volley from Leon Woodruffe was well covered by Nicholls.
Slough got themselves on level terms with their next real chance of the game. A quick corner from the right saw Leigh Mason pass to Josias Carbon. The defender made space for the cross and the ball went to Andy Ballard at the back post. The midfielder fed the ball back across goal and found the run of McCleary who volleyed home from close range.
The Swifts earned themselves a penalty as Masters brought down Jolly, after a shot from Sam Keevil had looped up but Masters guessed correctly, diving to his right, to keep out the strikers attmempted penalty.
Heybridge cleared off the line from Carbon's cross and Jolly again went close at the other end, forcing Masters to tip over a fierce volley.
The Swifts had a sense of urgency around them for the final stages as they still had something to play for, where the Rebels did not, and this had swung the game into the visitors favour. Their increase in tempo was rewarded when a throw from the right was played into the path of Jolly and he finally got onto the scoresheet with a neat finish across the goal and in off the far post with one minute remaining.
Slough Town Lineup
- 1 Clark Masters
- 2 Josias Carbon
- 3 Andy Ballard
- 4 Steve Daly
- 5 Aaron Steele
- 6 Mark Avery
- 7 Leigh Mason
- 8 Michael Alexis
- 9 Leon Woodruffe
- 10 Garath McCleary
- 11 Mark West
Substitutes
- 12 George Moleski
- 14 Darron Wilkinson
- 15 Michael Parkin
- 16 Christian Metcalfe
- 17 Rav Braith
Heybridge Swifts Lineup
Paul Nicholls, Russell Pond, Ian Cousins (c), Sam Keevil, Ian Wiles, Danny Barber, Simon Glover, Adam Gillespie, Dean Holdsworth, Richard Jolly, Paul Abbott. Subs: Danny Hill, Gianni Frankis(for Holdsworth), Neil Cousins (for Glover), Sean Marks (for Abbott), John Farley.