Rebels take three points at The Meadow

Slough Town brought some Easter joy to their travelling supporters with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Chesham United on Easter Monday—marking their first win at The Meadow since 1994.

First-half goals from Slavi Spasov and Johnny Goddard, followed by a stunning strike from David Ogbonna in the second half, secured the three points for the Rebels in their final away game of the season.

With safety in the National League South already secured, manager Scott Davies made six changes to the side defeated by Boreham Wood on Good Friday, using the opportunity to hand valuable minutes to the club’s next generation. Academy prospects Brian Nelson and Aaron White were both handed senior debuts, while EDS teammates Owen Rennie, Jack Timberlake and Nnaemeka Anyanwu were named on the bench—highlighting the club’s commitment to youth development with an eye on next season.

Despite the bold selection, Slough showed composure and character throughout against a Chesham side which also had nothing but pride to play for.

It was the hosts who got off to the brighter start. Just three minutes in, a lofted cross from Alex Lafleur into the box found former Rebel Nathan Minhas. Despite questions of offside, the flag stayed down and Minhas tucked away the opener to give the Generals an early lead.

Slough didn’t take long to respond. Within six minutes, they were back on level terms. Brian Nelson’s midfield tenacity won the ball back high up the pitch, and Dan Roth’s low delivery into the box caused chaos. A failed clearance at the near post meant the ball dropped kindly for Spasov, who slotted home confidently from close range to make it 1-1.

The Rebels grew in confidence from there and took the lead on 20 minutes. Johnny Goddard, playing with flair and freedom, skipped past his marker with a neat chop on the edge of the box before firing a low effort into the bottom corner. Although keeper Ben Goode got a hand to it, the ball nestled into the back of the net to complete the turnaround.

Chesham looked to respond with Omar Rowe forcing a save from Charlie Horlock and Joe Grant firing over, but Slough stood firm. One of the home side’s best chances came shortly before the break, when a misjudged header from Edon Pruti gifted Grant a clear run at goal—but his effort clipped the post and went wide, with captain Josh Jackman doing just enough to pressure him.

The pitch, made slick by rain throughout the afternoon, added an unpredictable element to the contest, with both sides struggling to keep their footing at times. Nonetheless, Slough went into the interval with a deserved 2-1 lead, showing both quality and grit in the first 45 minutes.

After the break, Chesham came out pushing for an equaliser, but Slough weathered the early storm. And then, came a moment of magic.

In the 53rd minute, David Ogbonna picked up the ball on the edge of the box and took a moment to weigh up his options. With Chesham’s defenders backing off, he unleashed a stunning curling effort into the net—leaving Goode with no chance and sparking celebrations among the Rebels’ faithful. It was a goal worthy of any occasion, and it gave Slough a two-goal cushion at 3-1.

Chesham responded with urgency, with Minhas stinging the palms of Horlock minutes later. Then came a moment of controversy: a long ball forward from Horlock found Gilbert, whose immediate cross created panic in the home defence. Spasov was brought down amid the chaos, but referee Chay Hathway waved away strong penalty appeals.

Just after the hour mark, Slough were forced into their first change as Brian Nelson—who had impressed on debut—was unable to continue, replaced by Francis Amartey.

The Rebels came close to extending their lead through Edon Pruti, who twice met set pieces with headers—one wide, the other held by Goode. Meanwhile, Spasov was again brought down in the area on 68 minutes, but once more the appeals were dismissed by the referee.

Chesham kept pushing, with Samson Esan firing over after a scramble in the box, and their persistence finally paid off with seven minutes to play. A corner from Clayton was flicked on and substitute Mitchell Weiss got the decisive touch with a header which went in off the underside of the bar to pull the hosts back to 3-2.

Slough made two further changes, with Timberlake replacing Spasov and Scott Davies coming on for Goddard, as they looked to manage the closing stages. Chesham threw bodies forward in search of an equaliser, but Slough stood tall. Jackman led by example at the back, and Horlock remained assured under pressure. The Rebels dug deep through a nervy few minutes of stoppage time to hold on for a deserved and long-awaited win at The Meadow.

With just one game remaining—at home to Hampton & Richmond this coming Saturday—Slough will look to end the campaign on a high in front of what promises to be a bumper crowd at Arbour Park.