Wasteful Rebels defeated in Devon

Slough squandered a host of chances and succumbed to two quick-fire second half goals from bottom side Bideford as they fell to defeat in North Devon on Tuesday evening.

With the first choice centre-back pairing of Guy Hollis and Dan Hicks both unavailable for the long trip, Tom Williams continued and partnered 17-year-old debutant Adam New.

Despite their lowly position at the bottom of the league, Bideford made it just one defeat in their last six games with this win, which came courtesy of goals from Ben Wood and Billy Tucker after half time. Joe Grant, another teenager drafted in by Jon Underwood and Neil Baker, pulled a goal back with twelve minutes remaining, but it proved not to be enough for the Rebels.

Slough have struggled for goals recently, having not scored in their last three games before this match, and looked to put that right from the off. Tom Williams played a free kick into the box which defender Chris McGrath headed onto the roof of his own net, and Warren Harris fired over from close range.

Bideford offered little going forward barring a good spell where they forced three consecutive corner kicks, but Slough carried a threat. Good interplay between Jhai Dhillon and Lewis Putman resulted in McGrath again getting his head to a cross to put it behind, and on the other wing, Warren Harris got in behind the defence but failed to pick anyone out with his cross.

The hosts were indebted to goalkeeper Kyle Moore on 26 minutes as he kept out a point-blank effort from Warren Harris with his face after Putman had worked his way into the box and chipped a cross in.

Slough continued to create chances, and seven minutes later Lee Barney wastefully headed over the bar after Scott Harris had flicked on a cross from his brother.

The Rebels had nothing to show for their attacking play at half time, and Bideford had the first chance of the second half, but Matt Andrew's shot was blocked behind for a corner.

Slough made a triple substitution on the hour mark, with Jake Parsons, Gurkan Gokmen and Joe Grant all taking to the field – but the Rebels were caught cold just two minutes later as Bideford took the lead.

Kevin Squire slipped in Ben Wood with a neat pass, and Wood showed great composure to finish past the advancing Mark Scott – the home side's first shot on target.

Three minutes later, the hosts doubled their lead with Squire again influential. He received and held the ball up in midfield before playing a pass through to Billy Ticker, and he hit a low first-time effort cross Scott and into the bottom corner.

Slough had given themselves a mountain to climb to get back into the game, and Dhillon hit a weak effort wide from distance before Joe Grant pulled a goal back on 78 minutes. A mistake from Kyle Moore helped the Rebels, with the Bideford keeper opting to try and kick away Dhillon's low cross rather than grab it, and the ball fell straight to the teenage striker, who finished coolly with the aid of a slight deflection for his first Slough goal.

With time running out for Slough, Putman charged into the box and fed Grant, but this time the striker failed to get a shot away and the ball was cleared. The striker had earlier been on the receiving end of a poor tackle which would prove to end his season prematurely.

In a final flurry, Scott Harris poked the ball across goal but no Slough player was there to apply the finish, and then Gokmen's cross from the other side of the box was cleared as the Rebels failed to make their dominance count, particularly in the first half and late in the game.