Chelmsford City
3
James (40), Crichlow (66, 68)
Slough Town
1
Evans (34)
League
Attendance: 857
Chelmsford City secured a deserved 3-1 victory over Slough Town at Melbourne Stadium in National League South. Substitute Kane Crichlow was the star of the show, scoring twice in the second half to turn the game decisively in the Clarets' favour.
Slough, missing several key players through injury, illness, and suspension, made four changes from their midweek lineup. Academy defender Noah Hay earned his first start at right wing-back, while Gary Abisogun slotted into an unfamiliar central midfield role. Despite these challenges, the Rebels started with resilience, absorbing early pressure before taking a brief lead.
The game began with Chelmsford asserting control, penning Slough into their own half. An early booking for Slough’s John Gilbert, who lunged in on Chelmsford’s Jazzi Barnum-Bobb in the second minute, set the tone for a scrappy opening.
Chelmsford came close to breaking the deadlock in the 23rd minute when Oluwabunmi Babajide’s glancing header from a well-delivered Alfie Bendle free-kick narrowly missed the target. As the game struggled to find rhythm, Osman Foyo missed a golden opportunity in the 31st minute, shooting straight at Slough keeper Charlie Horlock from close range after being picked out by a precise pass from Barnum-Bobb.
Against the run of play, Slough found a moment of inspiration in the 34th minute. Slavi Spasov’s clever footwork inside the penalty area saw him touch the ball away from Clarets goalkeeper Woody Williamson – a loanee from Ipswich Town – allowing him to set up Sam Evans for a simple finish. The goal sparked joy among the traveling supporters and gave Slough a brief foothold in the game.
Chelmsford responded aggressively. Foyo rattled the post, and Bendle saw his follow-up deflected over the bar. Their persistence paid off just before half time, as captain Cameron James lashed in a powerful shot from close range following a defensive scramble. The teams went into the break level at 1-1, with Chelmsford carrying the momentum.
The second half mirrored much of the first, with Chelmsford maintaining the lion’s share of possession and Slough looking to capitalize on counterattacks. Gary Abisogun made way for David Ogbonna in the 61st minute in an attempt to spark fresh energy for the Rebels, who changed their shape.
The turning point came in the 64th minute when Chelmsford manager Robbie Simpson brought on Kane Crichlow and Charlie Ruff. The changes were immediate and transformative. Just a minute later, Ruff delivered a sublime through ball that split the Slough defence wide open. Crichlow latched onto it, skipped past two defenders, and coolly finished beyond Horlock to give Chelmsford a 2-1 lead.
Before Slough could regroup, Crichlow struck again. In the 69th minute, Ruff was the architect once more, threading another incisive pass into Crichlow’s path. With only one touch, Crichlow rounded Horlock and slotted home to make it 3-1.
Slough made further substitutions, bringing on Francis Amartey and Oliver Spicer to try and claw their way back into the match. They came close in the 83rd minute when Lexus Beeden’s pinpoint pass found Ogbonna on the right flank. Ogbonna teed up Spasov, whose shot beat the keeper but clipped the crossbar and went over.
Chelmsford could have added a fourth late on, with Crichlow turning provider for Barnum-Bobb, whose effort from the edge of the box sailed just over. Despite six minutes of added time, Slough were unable to mount a significant comeback.
Chelmsford’s victory was richly deserved, driven by their control in midfield and the clinical contributions of Crichlow and Ruff off the bench. Slough’s lack of creativity and depth, exacerbated by the absence of key players such as Dan Bayliss and Henry Ochieng, was clearly a factor.
Slough will now take a break from league action and look forward to a huge Isuzu FA Trophy derby clash against Maidenhead United next weekend.
Slough, missing several key players through injury, illness, and suspension, made four changes from their midweek lineup. Academy defender Noah Hay earned his first start at right wing-back, while Gary Abisogun slotted into an unfamiliar central midfield role. Despite these challenges, the Rebels started with resilience, absorbing early pressure before taking a brief lead.
The game began with Chelmsford asserting control, penning Slough into their own half. An early booking for Slough’s John Gilbert, who lunged in on Chelmsford’s Jazzi Barnum-Bobb in the second minute, set the tone for a scrappy opening.
Chelmsford came close to breaking the deadlock in the 23rd minute when Oluwabunmi Babajide’s glancing header from a well-delivered Alfie Bendle free-kick narrowly missed the target. As the game struggled to find rhythm, Osman Foyo missed a golden opportunity in the 31st minute, shooting straight at Slough keeper Charlie Horlock from close range after being picked out by a precise pass from Barnum-Bobb.
Against the run of play, Slough found a moment of inspiration in the 34th minute. Slavi Spasov’s clever footwork inside the penalty area saw him touch the ball away from Clarets goalkeeper Woody Williamson – a loanee from Ipswich Town – allowing him to set up Sam Evans for a simple finish. The goal sparked joy among the traveling supporters and gave Slough a brief foothold in the game.
Chelmsford responded aggressively. Foyo rattled the post, and Bendle saw his follow-up deflected over the bar. Their persistence paid off just before half time, as captain Cameron James lashed in a powerful shot from close range following a defensive scramble. The teams went into the break level at 1-1, with Chelmsford carrying the momentum.
The second half mirrored much of the first, with Chelmsford maintaining the lion’s share of possession and Slough looking to capitalize on counterattacks. Gary Abisogun made way for David Ogbonna in the 61st minute in an attempt to spark fresh energy for the Rebels, who changed their shape.
The turning point came in the 64th minute when Chelmsford manager Robbie Simpson brought on Kane Crichlow and Charlie Ruff. The changes were immediate and transformative. Just a minute later, Ruff delivered a sublime through ball that split the Slough defence wide open. Crichlow latched onto it, skipped past two defenders, and coolly finished beyond Horlock to give Chelmsford a 2-1 lead.
Before Slough could regroup, Crichlow struck again. In the 69th minute, Ruff was the architect once more, threading another incisive pass into Crichlow’s path. With only one touch, Crichlow rounded Horlock and slotted home to make it 3-1.
Slough made further substitutions, bringing on Francis Amartey and Oliver Spicer to try and claw their way back into the match. They came close in the 83rd minute when Lexus Beeden’s pinpoint pass found Ogbonna on the right flank. Ogbonna teed up Spasov, whose shot beat the keeper but clipped the crossbar and went over.
Chelmsford could have added a fourth late on, with Crichlow turning provider for Barnum-Bobb, whose effort from the edge of the box sailed just over. Despite six minutes of added time, Slough were unable to mount a significant comeback.
Chelmsford’s victory was richly deserved, driven by their control in midfield and the clinical contributions of Crichlow and Ruff off the bench. Slough’s lack of creativity and depth, exacerbated by the absence of key players such as Dan Bayliss and Henry Ochieng, was clearly a factor.
Slough will now take a break from league action and look forward to a huge Isuzu FA Trophy derby clash against Maidenhead United next weekend.
Slough Town Lineup
- 1 Charlie Horlock
- 2 Josh Jackman
- 4 Lexus Beeden
- 6 Jeanmal Prosper
- 7 Gary Abisogun 23
- 9 Slavi Spasov
- 10 John Gilbert 17
- 12 Leon Chambers-Parillon
- 14 Scott Davies 11
- 19 Sam Evans
- 22 Noah Hay
Substitutes
- 11 Francis Amartey 14
- 13 Ryan North
- 17 Oliver Spicer 10
- 20 Johnny Goddard
- 23 David Ogbonna 7
Chelmsford City Lineup
Williamson, James (c), Tamplin (Crichlow 64), Bendle, Foyo (Appiah 80), Barnum-Bobb, Williams, Bland (McConnell 88), Gale, Babajide (Ruff 64), Greenidge (Hyde 78). Subs not used: none.