St Albans City
1
Bendle (90+2)
Slough Town
0
League
St Albans City secured a dramatic late victory against Slough Town with a 1-0 win at Clarence Park, thanks to a stoppage-time goal from Alfie Bendle, as the Rebels’ woes on the road continued.
The match was characterised by St Albans’ dominance in possession and attacking opportunities, while Slough struggled to create meaningful chances throughout the 90 minutes.
The game began with early attacking intent from St Albans, as they looked to test Slough’s defensive resolve. In the third minute, a dangerous cross from the left found James Sweet at the back post, but he was unable to convert from close range. The hosts continued to press, with Josh Castiglione narrowly missing a cross from Mason in the 11th minute, and Gio Rasulo firing over the bar just two minutes later.
A crucial moment in the match came in the 17th minute when St Albans were awarded a penalty after Slough goalkeeper Charlie Horlock fouled Aidan Dausch. However, Horlock atoned for his mistake, diving to his left to deny Dausch’s low effort. Slough were struggling to get a foothold in the game, picking up bookings through Edon Pruti and Dan Bayliss as they attempted to contain the relentless attacks from the Saints.
The home side continued to pile on the pressure, with David Longe-King heading over from a Rasulo corner in the 28th minute and Bendle forcing a fine save from Horlock in the 37th minute. Just before half time, Dausch had another great chance, but his strike flew over the bar following a powerful cross from Bendle. Despite numerous opportunities, St Albans went into the break frustrated, with the score still goalless.
The second half saw a shift in momentum, with Slough looking more composed in defence and attempting to establish control. However, their attacking struggles persisted, as they failed to register a single shot on target. St Albans continued to threaten, with Banton weaving his way into the box in the 62nd minute, only for his shot to be blocked by the resolute Slough defence.
Substitutions were made by both sides as they sought a breakthrough. Slough introduced Sam Evans in the 59th minute for Francis Amartey, while St Albans made changes in the 67th and 73rd minutes, bringing on Oliver Davis and Alfie Payne. Despite these adjustments, the game remained finely poised, with neither team able to carve out clear-cut opportunities as the clock ticked down.
As the match entered its final stages, drama unfolded in the 85th minute when Olly Davis went down in the Slough penalty area. However, to the frustration of the home fans, the referee adjudged Davis to have simulated contact and booked him for diving. With six minutes of added time signalled, it seemed as though the match was heading for a stalemate.
However, in the second minute of stoppage time, St Albans finally broke the deadlock in somewhat controversial circumstances. Bendle shifted the ball onto his right foot before unleashing a powerful strike into the near post, leaving Horlock with no chance. The Saints' celebrations were jubilant, knowing they had snatched all three points at the death. Slough were aggrieved that the referee did not stop play for Sam Evans to receive treatment for a head injury in the build-up.
Slough made late substitutions, bringing on Jack Timberlake and Scott Davies, but it was too late to salvage anything from the contest. The final whistle confirmed a hard-fought 1-0 victory for St Albans City, a result that was thoroughly deserved based on their dominance throughout the game.
Speaking after the match, Slough manager Scott Davies acknowledged his side’s shortcomings, stating, “People can blame the ref for not stopping the game, but that would be papering over the cracks. We weren’t good enough tonight and St Albans fully deserved to win the game, just a shame it came so late. The only positive was our supporters, which we thank you for.”
The match was characterised by St Albans’ dominance in possession and attacking opportunities, while Slough struggled to create meaningful chances throughout the 90 minutes.
The game began with early attacking intent from St Albans, as they looked to test Slough’s defensive resolve. In the third minute, a dangerous cross from the left found James Sweet at the back post, but he was unable to convert from close range. The hosts continued to press, with Josh Castiglione narrowly missing a cross from Mason in the 11th minute, and Gio Rasulo firing over the bar just two minutes later.
A crucial moment in the match came in the 17th minute when St Albans were awarded a penalty after Slough goalkeeper Charlie Horlock fouled Aidan Dausch. However, Horlock atoned for his mistake, diving to his left to deny Dausch’s low effort. Slough were struggling to get a foothold in the game, picking up bookings through Edon Pruti and Dan Bayliss as they attempted to contain the relentless attacks from the Saints.
The home side continued to pile on the pressure, with David Longe-King heading over from a Rasulo corner in the 28th minute and Bendle forcing a fine save from Horlock in the 37th minute. Just before half time, Dausch had another great chance, but his strike flew over the bar following a powerful cross from Bendle. Despite numerous opportunities, St Albans went into the break frustrated, with the score still goalless.
The second half saw a shift in momentum, with Slough looking more composed in defence and attempting to establish control. However, their attacking struggles persisted, as they failed to register a single shot on target. St Albans continued to threaten, with Banton weaving his way into the box in the 62nd minute, only for his shot to be blocked by the resolute Slough defence.
Substitutions were made by both sides as they sought a breakthrough. Slough introduced Sam Evans in the 59th minute for Francis Amartey, while St Albans made changes in the 67th and 73rd minutes, bringing on Oliver Davis and Alfie Payne. Despite these adjustments, the game remained finely poised, with neither team able to carve out clear-cut opportunities as the clock ticked down.
As the match entered its final stages, drama unfolded in the 85th minute when Olly Davis went down in the Slough penalty area. However, to the frustration of the home fans, the referee adjudged Davis to have simulated contact and booked him for diving. With six minutes of added time signalled, it seemed as though the match was heading for a stalemate.
However, in the second minute of stoppage time, St Albans finally broke the deadlock in somewhat controversial circumstances. Bendle shifted the ball onto his right foot before unleashing a powerful strike into the near post, leaving Horlock with no chance. The Saints' celebrations were jubilant, knowing they had snatched all three points at the death. Slough were aggrieved that the referee did not stop play for Sam Evans to receive treatment for a head injury in the build-up.
Slough made late substitutions, bringing on Jack Timberlake and Scott Davies, but it was too late to salvage anything from the contest. The final whistle confirmed a hard-fought 1-0 victory for St Albans City, a result that was thoroughly deserved based on their dominance throughout the game.
Speaking after the match, Slough manager Scott Davies acknowledged his side’s shortcomings, stating, “People can blame the ref for not stopping the game, but that would be papering over the cracks. We weren’t good enough tonight and St Albans fully deserved to win the game, just a shame it came so late. The only positive was our supporters, which we thank you for.”
Slough Town Lineup
- 1 Charlie Horlock
- 2 Josh Jackman
- 4 Edon Pruti
- 5 Dan Bayliss
- 6 Jeanmal Prosper
- 10 John Gilbert 17
- 11 Francis Amartey 19
- 15 Henry Ochieng 24
- 16 Dan Roth 14
- 20 Johnny Goddard
- 23 David Ogbonna
Substitutes
- 13 Ryan North
- 14 Scott Davies 16
- 17 Oliver Spicer 10
- 19 Sam Evans 11
- 24 Jack Timberlake 15
St Albans City Lineup
Johnson (c), Longe-King, Banton, Bendle, Castiglione (Davis 67), Woodman, Dausch (Jeffers 77), Rasulo (Payne 73), Sweet, Mason, Clarridle. Unused substitutes: Moore, Smith.