Slough edged out by Marlow after extra time

Simon Martin's goal in normal time was not enough to secure passage into the Quarter Finals of the Berks & Bucks Senior Cup as a late goal from former Rebel Leigh Mason took the game to extra time.

Marlow's pacy striker Couch gave the home side the lead after 105 minutes, before Gary Sippetts equalised for the Rebels. But as penalties loomed, full-back Jon Case secured victory for Marlow.

Despite the low temperature at Oak Tree Road, the game soon caught fire and developed into an entertaining end-to-end encounter – though this owed much to poor finishing from both sides, as the scoreline could have been much higher.

Chances galore were spurned by both sides in the first half, but particularly Marlow – and Jamie Jackson kept a much-changed Slough team in the game time and time again. The pacy Couch was a constant threat, and the Slough stopper saved twice from him as well as keeping out an effort from Daniel Stone when it looked easier to score.

The unfamiliar back four of Seeby, Herron, Logie and Yeboah looked uncertain again as former Rebel Adam Dickens wasted another good chance, but Slough themselves looked a threat going forward, and Garry Sippetts saw a goal chalked off for offside.

More of the same was to come in an entertaining second half, and an opening arrived for Sippetts early on as he was played in by a great ball, but he cut inside and took too much time over his shot before eventually being crowded out.

Stuart Swift replaced Tom Windsor, making his first Rebels appearance since September 2008 – and soon after, Slough found the breakthrough as Swift’s corner was headed on at the near post by Sean Sonner, and Simon Martin stooped to head in at the far post on 64 minutes.

Martin then spurned a glorious chance to double the lead. Goalkeeper Watkins, clearly suffering with a leg injury, could only tip Sonner's shot toward his own goal and Martin, barely a yard out, headed against the bar. But just a matter of minutes later, Stone put a free header over Jackson’s bar.

Substitutions followed for Slough as Steve Bateman looked to close the game out, but Marlow struck a killer blow with just four minutes remaining. Slough switched off at the crucial moment and stood off the excellent Leigh Mason, who was allowed to dance through and blast an unstoppable shot into the top corner from the edge of the box.

Extra time followed, after Watkins uncomfortably palmed away a stinging drive from Burnell and Slough survived one last Marlow counter-attack. Mason was soon involved again, this time playing in Dickens, who could only blast his effort against the bar as yet another chance went begging.

As legs began to tire, the pace of Aaron Couch was becoming more and more important to Marlow, and the hosts looked to play him in with long passes. Couch's pace saw him run clear - not for the first time - but Jackson denied him again with another great block.

Burnell put a clear chance wide when he looked certain to hit the target and, as the game flowed from end to end, Jackson denied Dickens again and then Watkins saved with his feet as Sonner got clear of the Marlow defence.

Just before half time in extra time, Marlow finally took the lead. This time, Couch broke the offside trap and left Logie and Yeboah static, running 30 yards clear, before rounding Jackson and slotting home with ease.

Just three minutes later, Slough were back on level terms. Marlow lost the ball in midfield, and Danny Murphy fed Burnell, who took his time before laying the ball off to Sippetts, who curled a neat shot into Watkins’ bottom corner.

As a penalty shoot-out loomed, Mason picked out Jon Case as he found a burst of energy to make a run through the middle – and the full-back stormed into the box and crashed a shot past Jackson, who this time could do nothing to prevent Marlow inflicting the killer blow and ending the Rebels’ interest in the competition.