Match day

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Truro City (A)
Fri Mar 29
17:00

Match day

Team logo
Truro City (A)
Fri Mar 29 17:00
The Vanarama National League South
12th
56pts

Slough recover to defeat Leighton

Slough Town

Slough Town

4
S Harris (40), Woozley (45), Dyer (53, 70)
Leighton Town

Leighton Town

1
Doughty (11)
League Attendance: 248 Leigh Rumbold
Slough recovered after falling a goal behind, to see off struggling Leighton Town and keep up the pressure on the other contenders in the playoff race.

Managers Neil Baker and Jon Underwood brought Guy Hollis back into the side in place of Dan Sintim, after the defender came through 90 minutes for Badshot Lea in midweek. New faces Steve Duff and Gareth Risbridger took places on the bench, and both made cameo appearances late on with Slough eventually in complete control.

Leigh Rumbold played his final match for the Rebels this season before returning to the United States to work, and did not disappoint with an all-action display which earned him the Man of the Match award.

Early on, chances were at a premium, with Leighton’s Jamie Bather requiring treatment for a head injury.

With 11 minutes played, a long throw from Bilal Hassan caused confusion in the Slough penalty box, with Jake Somerville staying on his line instead of trying to reach the ball. Leighton capitalised, and the ball fell to the feet of Kieran Doughty, who scored into an empty goal.

Slough struggled to get any foothold in the game, losing possession frequently and appearing too predictable and desperate in their attempts to work the ball into attacking positions. Shorn of attacking options in wide areas, with Warren Harris and Jake Parsons missing the game through injury, Leighton started to become wise to the Rebels’ attempts to play through the middle of the park, frustrating full-backs Sean Fraser and Ryan Parsons whenever they tried to get forward.

Johnnie Dyer looked most likely for Slough, and he flicked the ball over Warren Plowright before trying an ambitious volley from 25 yards, but the ball sailed well wide.

Rumbold started to make the side tick, and his cross in for Scott Harris was controlled well by the striker, who got in a strike from a narrow angle, but Matt Griggs beat it away. Minutes later, a superb ball from Rumbold found Smith, who came inside but blasted well wide on his left foot.

Slough heaped on the pressure, with Smith having a shot saved by the feet of Griggs, with the ball bouncing over the bar. But Leighton could not hold out until half time, and two quick-fire goals in the final five minutes of the first half turned the game on its head.

Scott Harris found himself with space on the right hand side of the penalty area after being fed by Jamie McClurg, and fired hard and accurately across Griggs and into the bottom corner to level the scores.

Slough then went ahead, with skipper Dave Woozley getting his name on the score sheet. Guy Hollis’ long throw was not dealt with by the visitors, with Griggs failing to claim the ball, which eventually fell to Woozley, who swept it in to the goal through a crowd of bodies.

This changed the tone of the half time team talk significantly, and Slough emerged from the tunnel eager to kill the game off.

Eight minutes into the second half, Dyer made it 3-1 with the aid of a deflection off the boot of Plowright. Griggs was helpless on this occasion as the ball flew past him, with Dyer’s strike appearing to be on its way through to the keeper.

Slough were now in complete control and Duff, on as a substitute for George Short, was able to stretch his legs on the left wing, with Adam Cornell also introduced in place of Harris. The Rebels went close to extending the lead through Jamie McClurg, who side footed a Dyer centre across goal and wide, with Rumbold also trying his luck from distance, but the ball was easily claimed by Griggs.

Slough made certain of the points with a fourth goal twenty minutes from time. Duff, who seemed to be hobbling around having just taken a knock, whipped in a superb cross which Dyer turned in to the goal at the second attempt from close range, after Griggs had stopped his initial effort with a foot.

Risbridger, having replaced Smith, showed a glimpse of his ability in the final five minutes, spotting Duff and playing a superb cross-field pass to him, with the winger’s cross being blocked in the Leighton six yard box.

Leighton Town Lineup

Matt Griggs, Jamie Bather, Jake Bewley, Sean Bishop, Warren Plowright, Enzo Silvestri, Kieran Doughty, Shane Bush, Dennis Fenemore, Dom Marsala, Bilal Hassan. Subs: Gareth Chendlik, Jerry Lyons, Craig Maisiri, Ennock Suve.

Rebels

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