Rebels beaten at Biggleswade

Slough Town suffered another setback in their quest for a playoff place with a narrow defeat at Biggleswade Town.

Rebels boss Steve Bateman introduced both recent signings, Chris Seeby and James Duncan, into the starting line-up with Dean Harper and Robbie Kean dropping down to the bench.

The Waders, with just one win in their last eight league games and currently in the midst of a run of five home games in the space of ten days, started the brighter and from an early corner, skipper Liam Folds headed wide as Slough were almost caught cold.

Slough began to get into their stride and enjoyed by far the better of the opening quarter of an hour. Sean Sonner was proving a menace and he played the ball out right to Sinclair, who cut inside and blasted straight at Dean Bull.

Slough’s best opportunity came as Sonner hooked the ball back across goal from Edgeworth’s blocked free kick, and Sinclair blasted the ball towards the bottom corner from the edge of the box, only for Bull to make a fine save diving at full stretch to his left.

From the resulting corner, Seeby crossed back into the middle, and the ball was flicked just wide by a defender as Biggleswade struggled to contain the pressure from the Rebels.

However, with Slough not scoring in their period of pressure, the rest of the half degenerated into a scrappy affair with much long-ball football and little quality on display from either side, though James Duncan impressed throughout with his retention of possession and ability to find a simple pass.

Chances were few and far between, with Jamie Steele blasting over for Biggleswade and Garry Sippetts, still looking for his first Rebels goal on his path to recovery, seeing his deflected shot saved comfortably after a counter-attack.

The hosts started the second half at a higher tempo than Slough and almost broke the deadlock a few minutes in. The ball was worked to James Hall, whose cross was half-cleared out to full-back Craig Radcliffe, who fired just over from 25 yards.

Then, a nice bit of interplay resulted in Bobby Dance playing the ball down for Aaran Cavill, but the midfielder blazed over under considerable pressure from Yeboah.

Unlike Slough in the first half, Biggleswade conjured up a goal as a reward for their spell of pressure after 54 minutes. Ricky Perks was beaten as, after a corner was only half-cleared, striker Dance took a touch and fired hard past the unsighted goalkeeper from 15 yards.

The momentum was now with the Waders and the hosts almost found a second goal, but a last-ditch header from Seeby just in front of Hall denied the winger a goal from Mark Webster’s cross.

Just as against Leighton, Steve Bateman replaced his strike force, with Martin and Clarke replacing Sonner and Sippetts, and Buchanan returning to his more familiar role at the heart of the attack having started the game on the left. But while Clarke was able to get on the ball and try to influence things, the Waders defence held firm and Slough struggled to create openings.

Instead, Biggleswade almost scored again as Radcliffe’s ball across goal was controlled and struck by Paul Reynolds, but Perks made himself big and blocked well to keep Slough in the game.

The golden chance for an equaliser - Slough’s first and only real sight of goal in the second half - came as Clarke worked some space and played the ball in from the left, but Simon Martin’s luck was out as his first touch was too heavy and the ball rolled behind.

Late pressure from Slough was too little, too late as Biggleswade held on comfortably and recorded three points which their hard work had merited in a game of few chances.