Cirencester Town
3
Parsons (21, 60, 71)
Slough Town
5
S Harris (12, 47), Henry (23, 78), Smith (30)
League
Attendance: 144
Chris Henry
Slough Town halted a run of four straight defeats with a breathless 5-3 win at play-off chasing Cirencester Town.
Josh Parsons hit a hat-trick for the hosts, who recovered from 4-1 down to trail 4-3 until winger Chris Henry grabbed his second of the game to seal the points. On another day 'Ciren', who also hit the woodwork on a number of occasions, could have scored a few more, though the Rebels also wasted chances to make the game safe towards the end.
Nat Jarvis forced a low save from Luke Williams inside the first minute, and a minute later were denied a penalty when Aidan Bennett claimed he had been hauled down in the box. Then, in the seventh minute, Leigh Henry saw his header from a corner hit the underside of the bar, with Slough struggling to get hold of the ball in the early going.
But it was the visitors who opened the scoring on 12 minutes. Reece Yorke got up well to flick on a free kick, and Scott Harris was alert and on hand to tuck the ball home from a tight angle.
Slough then went close moments later as Smith’s looping effort looked to be heading in, before it was hacked away from the goal line.
Cirencester stepped up the pressure, and Williams somehow kept out a Herring strike following a corner. But the hosts grabbed a deserved equaliser on 21 minutes. Aidan Bennett’s cross was slotted home easily by the industrious Josh Parsons to level the scores.
However, just two minutes later, Slough restored their lead. Chris Henry, a recent signing from Kingstonian, beat goalkeeper Glyn Garner to a cross from Jake Parsons and finished into an open net as the loose ball broke to him.
Seven minutes later, Eddie Smith made it 3-1. The striker, after a run of just one goal in ten games, ran on to a long ball forward amidst claims he was offside from the home support, bore down on the Cirencester goal, and coolly beat Garner.
Cirencester responded with a shot from Bennett which flew wide of goal, but half time arrived with Slough holding a two goal lead.
That margin became three goals two minutes into the second half. Smith turned well in the box and crossed from the byline, for Scott Harris to turn the ball in from a yard out to make it 4-1 – the Rebels’ recent goal drought well and truly ended.
The hosts almost immediately pulled a goal back, but Bennett saw a shot cannon back off the bar before Williams was called upon to make a good save from Brad Hooper on the follow-up.
Slough continued to play neat attacking football, with man of the match Chris Henry particularly influential, and Adam Martin fired into the side netting, the midfielder returning to the starting line-up after a three-game ban.
Cirencester pulled a goal back on 60 minutes with Josh Parsons beating Williams. Jarvis was the architect, helping on a pass into the path of Parsons, and he was able to finish accurately past Williams.
The home side responded to this goal by bringing on substitute Jacob Davidge and pushing four men into attack, and started to apply real pressure to the Slough goal.
On 71 minutes, Cirencester pulled another goal back. Jarvis saw a shot blocked bravely by Ryan Parsons, Bennett hit the bar from the rebound, and Josh Parsons was on hand to volley in acrobatically from close range as the ball fell to him.
Five minutes later, the hosts went agonisingly close to an equaliser when a shot from Jarvis was saved well by Williams one-on-one, and Jacob Davidge fired over the bar with the goal gaping.
But instead, on 78 minutes, Slough made it 5-3. Henry was on hand to side foot in from a superb low cross from Smith to give the Rebels some breathing space.
The away side went in search of a sixth as Cirencester pushed men forwards, and Harris blazed over the bar under pressure from Pritchett, and Smith headed wide from a free kick.
Cirencester were by no means finished, but Slough were dangerous on the counter attack, and Smith again forced a save from the legs of Garner after Jake Parsons’ shot was blocked.
In stoppage time, the luckless Bennett hit a superb volley which Williams did well to stop, and Cirencester’s hopes of a dramatic comeback ended.
Josh Parsons hit a hat-trick for the hosts, who recovered from 4-1 down to trail 4-3 until winger Chris Henry grabbed his second of the game to seal the points. On another day 'Ciren', who also hit the woodwork on a number of occasions, could have scored a few more, though the Rebels also wasted chances to make the game safe towards the end.
Nat Jarvis forced a low save from Luke Williams inside the first minute, and a minute later were denied a penalty when Aidan Bennett claimed he had been hauled down in the box. Then, in the seventh minute, Leigh Henry saw his header from a corner hit the underside of the bar, with Slough struggling to get hold of the ball in the early going.
But it was the visitors who opened the scoring on 12 minutes. Reece Yorke got up well to flick on a free kick, and Scott Harris was alert and on hand to tuck the ball home from a tight angle.
Slough then went close moments later as Smith’s looping effort looked to be heading in, before it was hacked away from the goal line.
Cirencester stepped up the pressure, and Williams somehow kept out a Herring strike following a corner. But the hosts grabbed a deserved equaliser on 21 minutes. Aidan Bennett’s cross was slotted home easily by the industrious Josh Parsons to level the scores.
However, just two minutes later, Slough restored their lead. Chris Henry, a recent signing from Kingstonian, beat goalkeeper Glyn Garner to a cross from Jake Parsons and finished into an open net as the loose ball broke to him.
Seven minutes later, Eddie Smith made it 3-1. The striker, after a run of just one goal in ten games, ran on to a long ball forward amidst claims he was offside from the home support, bore down on the Cirencester goal, and coolly beat Garner.
Cirencester responded with a shot from Bennett which flew wide of goal, but half time arrived with Slough holding a two goal lead.
That margin became three goals two minutes into the second half. Smith turned well in the box and crossed from the byline, for Scott Harris to turn the ball in from a yard out to make it 4-1 – the Rebels’ recent goal drought well and truly ended.
The hosts almost immediately pulled a goal back, but Bennett saw a shot cannon back off the bar before Williams was called upon to make a good save from Brad Hooper on the follow-up.
Slough continued to play neat attacking football, with man of the match Chris Henry particularly influential, and Adam Martin fired into the side netting, the midfielder returning to the starting line-up after a three-game ban.
Cirencester pulled a goal back on 60 minutes with Josh Parsons beating Williams. Jarvis was the architect, helping on a pass into the path of Parsons, and he was able to finish accurately past Williams.
The home side responded to this goal by bringing on substitute Jacob Davidge and pushing four men into attack, and started to apply real pressure to the Slough goal.
On 71 minutes, Cirencester pulled another goal back. Jarvis saw a shot blocked bravely by Ryan Parsons, Bennett hit the bar from the rebound, and Josh Parsons was on hand to volley in acrobatically from close range as the ball fell to him.
Five minutes later, the hosts went agonisingly close to an equaliser when a shot from Jarvis was saved well by Williams one-on-one, and Jacob Davidge fired over the bar with the goal gaping.
But instead, on 78 minutes, Slough made it 5-3. Henry was on hand to side foot in from a superb low cross from Smith to give the Rebels some breathing space.
The away side went in search of a sixth as Cirencester pushed men forwards, and Harris blazed over the bar under pressure from Pritchett, and Smith headed wide from a free kick.
Cirencester were by no means finished, but Slough were dangerous on the counter attack, and Smith again forced a save from the legs of Garner after Jake Parsons’ shot was blocked.
In stoppage time, the luckless Bennett hit a superb volley which Williams did well to stop, and Cirencester’s hopes of a dramatic comeback ended.
Slough Town Lineup
- 1 Luke Williams
- 2 Sean Fraser
- 3 Ryan Parsons
- 4 Guy Hollis
- 5 Reece Yorke
- 6 Adam Martin
- 7 Jake Parsons
- 8 Jamie McClurg
- 9 Scott Harris 14
- 10 Edward Smith
- 11 Chris Henry
Substitutes
- 12 Tom Moran
- 14 Liam Malone 9
- 15 George Short
- 16 Gurkan Gokmen
- 18 Ben Edwards
Cirencester Town Lineup
Glyn Garner, Ian Herring, Gethin Jones, Mark Pritchett, Matt Liddiard, Leigh Henry (c), Brad Hooper (Jacob Davidge), Ben Wells (Ollie Knight), Nat Jarvis, Aidan Bennett, Josh Parsons. Subs not used: Jordon Ricketts, Kyle Pitts, Jody Bevan.