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Wed Mar 20
14:00

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Wed Mar 20 14:00
The National League U19 Alliance
6th
19pts

Rebels suffer damaging defeat at Bedworth

Bedworth United

Bedworth United

5
Piggon (17, 65), Bates (40), Roper (47), Spencer (pen 61)
Slough Town

Slough Town

3
Logie (44), Bowden-Haase (46), Anderson (85)
League Attendance: 254 James Warrington
Slough Town's hopes of winning the Evo-Stik Central division title appear all but over after a high-scoring defeat at third-placed Bedworth United, who secured a playoff berth as a result.

Manager Steve Bateman stuck to the same starting eleven which drew with Beaconsfield on Easter Monday, knowing his side had to attack and score goals - but, just as they had done at Holloways Park back in December, Bedworth started by far the stronger of the two sides and were unlucky not to be several goals ahead by the break.

Bedworth fired a very early chance wide from the edge of the box and continued to attack at every opportunity.

Slough were dealt a major blow around a quarter of an hour in with the departure of Steve Perkins, man of the match against Beaconsfield, on a stretcher with a suspected broken collarbone.

Bedworth put a free kick just over the bar from the edge of the box, but were soon ahead as Mitchell Piggon drilled home a fine low drive after a long ball forward.

Slough’s first real effort of note came as Sean Sonner met a cross from strike partner Dan Burnell, but Bedworth goalkeeper Tom Cross saved. Almost immediately, Bedworth broke away and James Warrington was forced to make a fine save with his knees.

Bedworth midfielder Tom Bates struck home an equally fine second goal from the edge of the box five minutes before half-time to give the Greenbacks a two goal cushion and further dent Slough’s hopes.

Striker Ashley Robinson fired another chance over and Bedworth put another free header wide, but Slough pulled one back before half time, Adam Logie being credited with applying the final touch after Nathan Bowden-Haase had turned a corner kick towards goal, with almost the last touch of the half.

And then, just a minute into the second half, Bowden-Haase looked to have scored an almost identical goal, getting the telling touch to force the ball into the goal as another corner was swung in.

Slough’s joy was to be short-lived though. Just a minute later, veteran defender Ian Roper – a substitute for Walsall when Slough beat the Saddlers in the FA Cup in 2004 - gave Warrington no chance with a header from another corner as the Greenbacks regained the lead.

It was to be a lead which Bedworth would not throw away again, though Burgess went close to equalising, but fired inches past the post from 25 yards.

The hosts extended their lead further with 61 minutes played, after a penalty was awarded for an apparent handball offence. Spencer fired home from the spot to give Slough a mountain to climb.

Burgess had a goal ruled out for offside before the hosts made the game safe, Piggon bagging his second of the game and 17th goal of the season after 65 minutes when he curled a shot high into the net to make it 5-2.

The introductions of Steve Sinclair and Jerome Anderson had some impact, the latter grabbing his first Slough goal five minutes from the end, but the damage had been done as Bedworth secured a deserved victory having outplayed Slough for the majority of the game.

Bedworth United Lineup

Rebels

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