Slough Town
1
Mpi (50)
Bedworth United
2
Archer (52, 55)
League
Attendance: 247
Leigh Rumbold
A double from Jordan Archer ensured second-from-bottom visitors Bedworth United would follow up their recent victory over Weymouth by completing the 'double' over the Rebels at a wet and windy Holloways Park.
This was a frustratingly awful game that offered little in the way of entertainment as the continuous high winds made a mockery of the players' skills throughout the ninety minutes, and the visitors' more direct style proved to be more efficient in the end. A crazy six minute spell at the beginning of the second half would ultimately decide the destination of the three points.
Defender Paul Stonehouse was recalled to the starting eleven, the Oxford City player having signed another loan deal. He came closest to scoring in the first half with a long-range strike which goalkeeper Denham Hinds turned behind at full stretch on 13 minutes.
On the whole the Slough players spent too much time weaving complicated patterns on the Holloways Park turf rather than taking the conditions by the scruff of the neck, and the Rebels struggled to carve out chances.
Warren Harris almost had a sniff of goal after running onto Charlie Mpi's flick but Hinds advanced quickly off his line to smother the ball. Lewis Putman was frustrated as efforts from the edge of the box were well blocked.
Leigh Rumbold was impressive in midfield for Slough, but despite having the lion's share of possession, as a unit Slough were unable to test Hinds again.
Bedworth, meanwhile, were largely contained by Slough, with Justin Marsden firing a chance well over the bar from Daniel Creaney's cross.
Slough were handed a warning early in the second half when Archer was sent clean through on goal, but the striker hit the ball straight at Mark Scott.
Shortly afterwards came the first of three goals in six minutes. In the 50th minute Warren Harris dribbled through the visitors' defence on the right before whipping in a low ball which Charlie Mpi controlled and acrobatically steered past Hinds to give Slough a lead they had deserved to that point.
But that lead was then cancelled out minutes later by some poor marking as Jordan Archer headed powerfully home after Guy Hollis' poor clearance gave Creaney the chance to cross into the box.
Leigh Rumbold very nearly put Slough back into the lead almost immediately as he evaded a series of challenges in the penalty area, but he could only fire straight at Hinds.
Instead, Bedworth broke again and took the lead. Archer again did well to hold off the challenge of Hollis and strike the ball past Scott via a post with 59 minutes played.
Slough looked to the substitutes' bench in an attempt to get back on level terms, and Eddie Smith replaced Lee Barney. After heading a Putman corner just wide, he went on to spurn a clear chance in the 70th minute. Rumbold lifted a ball into the box which Hinds could only punch straight to Smith, but the striker put the ball wide with the whole goal to aim at.
It proved to be Slough's best chance to find a way back into the game, as late on Dan Hicks could only prod the ball wide from Stonehouse's free kick.
In the dying moments, Mark Scott escaped with only a yellow card after bringing down Bedworth's Aron Wint when he was clean through on goal.
This was a frustratingly awful game that offered little in the way of entertainment as the continuous high winds made a mockery of the players' skills throughout the ninety minutes, and the visitors' more direct style proved to be more efficient in the end. A crazy six minute spell at the beginning of the second half would ultimately decide the destination of the three points.
Defender Paul Stonehouse was recalled to the starting eleven, the Oxford City player having signed another loan deal. He came closest to scoring in the first half with a long-range strike which goalkeeper Denham Hinds turned behind at full stretch on 13 minutes.
On the whole the Slough players spent too much time weaving complicated patterns on the Holloways Park turf rather than taking the conditions by the scruff of the neck, and the Rebels struggled to carve out chances.
Warren Harris almost had a sniff of goal after running onto Charlie Mpi's flick but Hinds advanced quickly off his line to smother the ball. Lewis Putman was frustrated as efforts from the edge of the box were well blocked.
Leigh Rumbold was impressive in midfield for Slough, but despite having the lion's share of possession, as a unit Slough were unable to test Hinds again.
Bedworth, meanwhile, were largely contained by Slough, with Justin Marsden firing a chance well over the bar from Daniel Creaney's cross.
Slough were handed a warning early in the second half when Archer was sent clean through on goal, but the striker hit the ball straight at Mark Scott.
Shortly afterwards came the first of three goals in six minutes. In the 50th minute Warren Harris dribbled through the visitors' defence on the right before whipping in a low ball which Charlie Mpi controlled and acrobatically steered past Hinds to give Slough a lead they had deserved to that point.
But that lead was then cancelled out minutes later by some poor marking as Jordan Archer headed powerfully home after Guy Hollis' poor clearance gave Creaney the chance to cross into the box.
Leigh Rumbold very nearly put Slough back into the lead almost immediately as he evaded a series of challenges in the penalty area, but he could only fire straight at Hinds.
Instead, Bedworth broke again and took the lead. Archer again did well to hold off the challenge of Hollis and strike the ball past Scott via a post with 59 minutes played.
Slough looked to the substitutes' bench in an attempt to get back on level terms, and Eddie Smith replaced Lee Barney. After heading a Putman corner just wide, he went on to spurn a clear chance in the 70th minute. Rumbold lifted a ball into the box which Hinds could only punch straight to Smith, but the striker put the ball wide with the whole goal to aim at.
It proved to be Slough's best chance to find a way back into the game, as late on Dan Hicks could only prod the ball wide from Stonehouse's free kick.
In the dying moments, Mark Scott escaped with only a yellow card after bringing down Bedworth's Aron Wint when he was clean through on goal.
Slough Town Lineup
- 1 Mark Scott
- 2 Sean Fraser
- 3 Paul Stonehouse
- 4 Guy Hollis
- 5 Daniel Hicks
- 6 Leigh Rumbold
- 7 Lewis Putman 12
- 8 Nathan Webb 15
- 9 Charlie Mpi
- 10 Lee Barney 16
- 11 Warren Harris
Substitutes
- 12 Jhai Dhillon 7
- 14 Gurkan Gokmen
- 15 Ryan Hope 8
- 16 Edward Smith 10
Bedworth United Lineup
Denham Hinds, Daniel Kavanagh, Luke Rowe, Andrew Westwood, Nathan Haines (c), Richard Bryan, Justin Marsden, Elliot Parrot, Jordan Archer, Daniel Dubidat, Daniel Creaney. Subs: Iyseden Christie, Aron Wint, Harry Walker-Donovan, Rudy Misambo.