Slough Town
3
Buchanan (pen 11, 70), Sharif (90)
Beaconsfield Town
1
Sweeney o.g. (45)
League
Attendance: 283
Elliott Buchanan
A double from Elliot Buchanan and a late goal from Mo Sharif meant Slough Town saw off the challenge of Beaconsfield SYCOB and consolidated fifth place in the league table.
After a disappointing result midweek against Arlesey Town, Slough were in desperate need of three points, but started slowly and Beaconsfield were first to attack - however Rhys Price fired well over the bar.
However, with new loan signing Adam Martin starting to stamp his authority on the midfield and dictate the play, it didn’t take long for Slough to settle down into the game and the Rebels won a penalty in the tenth minute. Adam’s namesake Simon showed good control in the box before being unceremoniously bundled over by Aronn Taylor-Ives, leaving referee Adrian Gillett to point to the spot and give Elliot Buchanan the chance to score his 20th goal of the season. The Slough top-scorer obliged, placing the ball low into the corner of Chris Baker’s goal.
Slough were good value for their lead against a SYCOB side which, Craig O’Connor apart, threatened little and the Rebels would have gone further ahead had Chris Seeby’s header not been cleared off the line from a Buchanan corner.
On a difficult pitch, Slough continued to play the better football and Mo Sharif was inches away from reaching Adam Martin’s cross from the right before Robbie Kean cracked a shot from the edge of the box which was pushed wide by Baker.
Referee Gillett missed another foul as Simon Martin was manhandled again, and Buchanan’s fierce drive was deflected wide as the pressure mounted on SYCOB, who could only muster a shot from John Swift which dipped over the bar.
But Beaconsfield went into the half-time interval on level terms thanks to a freak own goal. A high ball pumped forward from a free-kick was headed high into the air by Simon Sweeney, who in the process of trying to clear, succeeded in looping the ball high over the reach of Ricky Perks and just under the crossbar for an unlikely goal.
In the first minute of the second half, a golden chance came for Slough to regain the lead as Simon Martin ran clear on goal, but he carried the ball too far and Baker rushed out to smother.
Slough hearts were in mouths soon after though, as former Rebel O’Connor hit an audacious effort from 25 yards which had Perks well beaten, but cannoned back off the far post and to safety.
This chance aside, SYCOB threatened rarely as Slough started to create the better chances. Simon Martin again had a good sight of goal, but his weak effort from ten yards was saved by Baker at the second attempt.
Elliot Buchanan headed just over the bar from the impressive Steve Sinclair’s cross as Rebels fans wondered if this was not going to be their day.
But with twenty minutes remaining, Mo Sharif picked up a pass from Kean and cleverly laid the ball off for Buchanan to rifle past Baker and into the corner of the net to give Slough the lead and notch his tenth goal in his last eleven games.
Buchanan wasted a glorious chance of a hat-trick when Baker flapped at a corner, and the ball was hacked away no more than a yard from the goal line.
Slough always seemed in control going into the closing stages, but made the game safe in stoppage time when Sharif found space just inside the box, controlled the ball and smashed it past Baker, scoring his first league goal in the process.
After a disappointing result midweek against Arlesey Town, Slough were in desperate need of three points, but started slowly and Beaconsfield were first to attack - however Rhys Price fired well over the bar.
However, with new loan signing Adam Martin starting to stamp his authority on the midfield and dictate the play, it didn’t take long for Slough to settle down into the game and the Rebels won a penalty in the tenth minute. Adam’s namesake Simon showed good control in the box before being unceremoniously bundled over by Aronn Taylor-Ives, leaving referee Adrian Gillett to point to the spot and give Elliot Buchanan the chance to score his 20th goal of the season. The Slough top-scorer obliged, placing the ball low into the corner of Chris Baker’s goal.
Slough were good value for their lead against a SYCOB side which, Craig O’Connor apart, threatened little and the Rebels would have gone further ahead had Chris Seeby’s header not been cleared off the line from a Buchanan corner.
On a difficult pitch, Slough continued to play the better football and Mo Sharif was inches away from reaching Adam Martin’s cross from the right before Robbie Kean cracked a shot from the edge of the box which was pushed wide by Baker.
Referee Gillett missed another foul as Simon Martin was manhandled again, and Buchanan’s fierce drive was deflected wide as the pressure mounted on SYCOB, who could only muster a shot from John Swift which dipped over the bar.
But Beaconsfield went into the half-time interval on level terms thanks to a freak own goal. A high ball pumped forward from a free-kick was headed high into the air by Simon Sweeney, who in the process of trying to clear, succeeded in looping the ball high over the reach of Ricky Perks and just under the crossbar for an unlikely goal.
In the first minute of the second half, a golden chance came for Slough to regain the lead as Simon Martin ran clear on goal, but he carried the ball too far and Baker rushed out to smother.
Slough hearts were in mouths soon after though, as former Rebel O’Connor hit an audacious effort from 25 yards which had Perks well beaten, but cannoned back off the far post and to safety.
This chance aside, SYCOB threatened rarely as Slough started to create the better chances. Simon Martin again had a good sight of goal, but his weak effort from ten yards was saved by Baker at the second attempt.
Elliot Buchanan headed just over the bar from the impressive Steve Sinclair’s cross as Rebels fans wondered if this was not going to be their day.
But with twenty minutes remaining, Mo Sharif picked up a pass from Kean and cleverly laid the ball off for Buchanan to rifle past Baker and into the corner of the net to give Slough the lead and notch his tenth goal in his last eleven games.
Buchanan wasted a glorious chance of a hat-trick when Baker flapped at a corner, and the ball was hacked away no more than a yard from the goal line.
Slough always seemed in control going into the closing stages, but made the game safe in stoppage time when Sharif found space just inside the box, controlled the ball and smashed it past Baker, scoring his first league goal in the process.
Slough Town Lineup
- 1 Ricky Perks
- 2 Simon Sweeney
- 3 Danny Murphy
- 4 Rob Kean
- 5 Chris Seeby
- 6 Dean Harper
- 7 Mo Sharif
- 8 Adam Martin
- 9 Simon Martin
- 10 Elliott Buchanan
- 11 Steve Sinclair
Substitutes
- 12 Sam Bateman
- 14 Garry Sippetts
- 15 Thomas Hayes
- 16 James Duncan
- 17 Kyle Jeffrey
Beaconsfield Town Lineup
Baker, Pattison, Owens, Swift (c), Taylor-Ives, Bernard, Lake, Ahir, O'Connor, Price, Martin. Subs: Lovell, Cornell, Duffy, Horler, Sumner.