Burnell to the rescue as Rebels see off Northwood

Danny Burnell's finishing skills were on display at a sun-drenched Holloways Park, the striker bagging a hat-trick to eventually put this game beyond a plucky Northwood site, despite another last-minute scare.

Steve Bateman continued with the same starting line-up which so impressively beat Daventry on Tuesday evening, and with the team on a high, it took just three minutes for his side to break the deadlock against relegation-haunted Northwood.

Good work by the hard-working front pairing of Sonner and Burnell saw Slough win a corner. Coyne’s textbook delivery into the six yard box was met by top scorer Burnell, who was unmarked and rose unchallenged to head past Styles.

Slough then set about the task of extending their lead, and Burnell put an audacious attempted lob over the bar – and the Rebels looked comfortable at the back, snuffing out a rare Northwood threaten as Danny Murphy got across well to cover after a Tackley cross was attacked by Orphanou.

Adam Logie blasted a free-kick wide with the help of a Northwood deflection, before Burnell looked to have doubled his tally – but the goal was ruled out due to a previous foul spotted by referee Lee Marshallsay.

With 32 minutes played, Slough’s pressure resulted in a second goal. Steve Sinclair was set free on the right, and the winger cut inside and had his shot palmed away by Styles – but Shaun Byrne was on hand to control the ball and calmly sidefoot home.

The second goal really should have given Slough a springboard to go on and kill the game off, but on the stroke of half-time, Northwood pulled a goal back. There looked to be little danger as the visitors won a free kick 40 yards from goal, but the ball into the box was headed past the despairing dive of Bullivant by Oliver Hawkins, despite the close attention of Dave Woozley.

Slough have often made things hard for themselves in games this season, but suffered a blow beyond their control early in the second half, as Steve Sinclair pulled up with an apparent hamstring injury whilst trying to keep a ball in play on the right touchline. With the winger unable to continue, Ben Porter took his place.

Sean Sonner was guilty of missing a clear chance which would have given Slough their two-goal lead back, scooping a shot well over after doing well to beat his man – though the dry, dusty pitch was to blame for the mishit.

And on 70 minutes, almost out of nothing, Northwood netted a well-worked equaliser. Former AFC Wimbledon midfielder Rob Ursell picked up the ball on the left flank, and showed good trickery to beat Simon Sweeney and dig out a left-footed cross into the middle, which substitute Kevin Wynter sidefooted low past Bullivant on the volley.

Danny Burnell had a clear chance to immediately give Slough the lead back as he was played clean through on Styles’s goal, but full-back Scott Raper got back quickly to apply pressure to the striker, and the chance was lost.

But just six minutes after the equaliser, Ben Porter whipped in a super cross from the right and Danny Burnell guided a brilliant header past Styles, and Slough found themselves back in front.

Rebels continued to pour forward and almost killed the game off. Burnell superbly kept alive a deep Coyne cross as it looked to be going behind, and he twisted and turned past his man before hitting a fierce effort which rebounded agonisingly back off the post and straight into the arms of Styles.

With three minutes remaining and Northwood committing players forward, Slough took advantage of massive gaps at the back. Sean Sonner found himself with time and space to drive forward and square the ball across to Porter who had a seemingly easy chance, but he succeeded only in hitting Styles, who spread himself to block - but Burnell picked up the pieces on the far side of the box, bearing down on goal and curling a shot into the far corner to seal his third hat-trick of the season.

There was still time for a typically nervy last few moments as the visitors grabbed a third goal in stoppage time. Adam Logie’s poor attempted clearance fell kindly to Scott Orphanou, who placed a neat finish across Bullivant and into the far corner – but luckily Slough had done enough to earn the points.