Slough Town
2
Smith (42, 81)
Marlow
1
Lingwood (79)
League
Attendance: 250
Sean Fraser
Striker Ed Smith continued his rich of goalscoring form, scoring a brace against an impressive Marlow side at a rain soaked Holloways Park.
Smith’s double helped his side get back to winning ways after their FA Trophy exit at the hands of Merthyr Town, and this was a hard-fought three points against opposition which Neil Baker described as the best opposition Slough have faced so far this season.
Indeed, it was Marlow who had by far the better of the first half, and should have gone into the half time interval in the lead. Top scorer Jon Bennett brought a straightforward save out of Jake Somerville early on, before the highly-rated Ben Gladwin, the best player on the pitch on the night, had a superbly-hit free kick tipped over by the Slough stopper.
Bennett missed the target horribly six yards out as Marlow continued to have the better of the play, and later on Ian Davies put the ball wide after being played one on one with Somerville.
Slough finally forced Simon Grant into his first save when he pushed away a Warren Harris header, before Scott Harris dragged a shot wide on his left foot after good hold up play by Eddie Smith.
Gladwin continued to pepper the Slough goal with long-range free kicks, but his next three all sailed over the crossbar, and Davies was inches away from making contact with a low whipped cross.
But against the run of play, Slough took the lead as Smith glanced in a chipped cross from Darren Wheeler, who had been kept fairly quiet to that point, into the bottom corner past Grant in the Marlow goal.
Early in the second half, Slough were again indebted to Somerville as he kept out a first-time shot from Davies as a ball over the top found him.
Rain had started to teem down during the half time break, and much of the second half was played in terrible conditions, with a thunderstorm overhead.
Slough got a hold of the game and went in search of a second goal, with Smith seeing a header blocked by Grant after a run and cross from Warren Harris.
Moments after Smith had seen an effort ruled out for offside, Marlow won a corner, from which Danny Lingwood equalised for Marlow with an emphatic header. It was a goal which Marlow had certainly deserved.
But just two minutes later, Smith regained the lead for Slough, heading in after superb saves from efforts by first Scott Harris and then Wheeler, who drove the ball towards the top corner as the ball rolled out to him. Grant, who spent time at Slough last season, was powerless to keep out Smith’s header, a real poacher’s goal.
The three points never felt safe until the final whistle, and Slough managed to run down the clock successfully to hold on against an unlucky Marlow side.
Smith’s double helped his side get back to winning ways after their FA Trophy exit at the hands of Merthyr Town, and this was a hard-fought three points against opposition which Neil Baker described as the best opposition Slough have faced so far this season.
Indeed, it was Marlow who had by far the better of the first half, and should have gone into the half time interval in the lead. Top scorer Jon Bennett brought a straightforward save out of Jake Somerville early on, before the highly-rated Ben Gladwin, the best player on the pitch on the night, had a superbly-hit free kick tipped over by the Slough stopper.
Bennett missed the target horribly six yards out as Marlow continued to have the better of the play, and later on Ian Davies put the ball wide after being played one on one with Somerville.
Slough finally forced Simon Grant into his first save when he pushed away a Warren Harris header, before Scott Harris dragged a shot wide on his left foot after good hold up play by Eddie Smith.
Gladwin continued to pepper the Slough goal with long-range free kicks, but his next three all sailed over the crossbar, and Davies was inches away from making contact with a low whipped cross.
But against the run of play, Slough took the lead as Smith glanced in a chipped cross from Darren Wheeler, who had been kept fairly quiet to that point, into the bottom corner past Grant in the Marlow goal.
Early in the second half, Slough were again indebted to Somerville as he kept out a first-time shot from Davies as a ball over the top found him.
Rain had started to teem down during the half time break, and much of the second half was played in terrible conditions, with a thunderstorm overhead.
Slough got a hold of the game and went in search of a second goal, with Smith seeing a header blocked by Grant after a run and cross from Warren Harris.
Moments after Smith had seen an effort ruled out for offside, Marlow won a corner, from which Danny Lingwood equalised for Marlow with an emphatic header. It was a goal which Marlow had certainly deserved.
But just two minutes later, Smith regained the lead for Slough, heading in after superb saves from efforts by first Scott Harris and then Wheeler, who drove the ball towards the top corner as the ball rolled out to him. Grant, who spent time at Slough last season, was powerless to keep out Smith’s header, a real poacher’s goal.
The three points never felt safe until the final whistle, and Slough managed to run down the clock successfully to hold on against an unlucky Marlow side.
Slough Town Lineup
- 1 Jake Somerville
- 2 Sean Fraser
- 3 Ryan Lake
- 4 Guy Hollis
- 5 David Woozley
- 6 Ben Edwards
- 7 Scott Harris 14
- 8 Jamie McClurg
- 9 Edward Smith
- 10 Darren Wheeler 15
- 11 Warren Harris 16
Substitutes
- 12 Wes Harrison
- 14 George Short 7
- 15 Ollie Burgess 10
- 16 Robert Carrick 11
Marlow Lineup
Simon Grant, Chris Ovenden, Jordan Lee-Brown, Davontae Romeo (Michael Bartley), Alex Salmon, Danny Lingwood, Tom Moran, Ben Gladwin, Ian Davies (Jahson Downes), Richard Witt, Jon Bennett. Subs not used: Chris Hatton, Simieon Howell, Jordan Eggleton.