Tonbridge Angels
0
Slough Town
0
League
Attendance: 1061
Slough Town’s new-look side made a positive start to the 2025/26 Enterprise National League South season with a goalless draw away at Tonbridge Angels – but will feel they did enough to return to Arbour Park with all three points.
On a hot August afternoon in Kent, Scott Davies handed full debuts to Adam Desbois, Peter Ojemen, Kiki Oshilaja, Reiss Greenidge, Tyrique Clarke, Jaiden Drakes-Thomas, Jordan Greenidge and Jared Myers, while Tarik Gidaree, Josh Adepoju and Kit Elliott also made their first appearances from the bench.
The Rebels made a blistering start and twice hit the woodwork inside the first ten minutes. Myers, lively from the off, saw his low shot come back off the inside of the post after being played in by Jordan Greenidge on six minutes. Two minutes later, Greenidge himself struck the opposite post from close range after being picked out by Myers.
Kiki Oshilaja headed over from a Johnny Goddard free-kick soon after, though the offside flag was raised. Slough’s pressing game – drilled on the training ground – was unsettling the hosts, and they enjoyed long spells of territorial control. Tonbridge offered a couple of half-chances, with Brody Peart and Marcus Sablier involved in the build-up, but Desbois remained largely untested.
Greenidge and Myers continued to combine well, with the striker’s 38th-minute effort saved by Jacob Adams. The half ended goalless, but with the Rebels on top.
The second half began with Goddard’s goalbound strike blocked, and Clarke and Drakes-Thomas linking nicely before a dangerous ball across goal just evaded Jordan Greenidge. Ojemen went into the book for a foul, before Jordan Greenidge dragged a left-footed effort wide after being found by his brother Reiss.
Slough kept the pressure on with a succession of corners and a near-miss when Drakes-Thomas was inches from connecting with a diving header. At the other end, Reiss Greenidge produced an excellent block to deny Brandon Pierrick, before Adams pulled off the save of the match to keep out Drakes-Thomas’ fierce low drive from the edge of the box.
Davies introduced Gidaree, Adepoju and Elliott late on in search of a breakthrough. In stoppage time, Gidaree saw a shot blocked at close range. The whistle confirmed a stalemate, but also a deserved clean sheet for a defence that Davies described as “the bouncers” in his post-match interview.
The Rebels boss was full of praise for his side’s organisation and intensity, saying:
“We were the ones knocking down the door for large parts of the game. I’d rather draw 0-0 than 3-3 – clean sheets win you games. It’s something we’ve worked on over the summer, and the lads executed the plan really well.”
Davies praised Myers, whose debut performance caused constant problems for the home defence:
“He’s been a breath of fresh air since coming in – the beautiful thing about him is that he just listens. He goes out there and does exactly what we want.”
With a point and a platform to build on, Slough now turn their attention to next Saturday’s home clash with Hemel Hempstead Town, where Davies wants Arbour Park to become “a fortress” once again.
On a hot August afternoon in Kent, Scott Davies handed full debuts to Adam Desbois, Peter Ojemen, Kiki Oshilaja, Reiss Greenidge, Tyrique Clarke, Jaiden Drakes-Thomas, Jordan Greenidge and Jared Myers, while Tarik Gidaree, Josh Adepoju and Kit Elliott also made their first appearances from the bench.
The Rebels made a blistering start and twice hit the woodwork inside the first ten minutes. Myers, lively from the off, saw his low shot come back off the inside of the post after being played in by Jordan Greenidge on six minutes. Two minutes later, Greenidge himself struck the opposite post from close range after being picked out by Myers.
Kiki Oshilaja headed over from a Johnny Goddard free-kick soon after, though the offside flag was raised. Slough’s pressing game – drilled on the training ground – was unsettling the hosts, and they enjoyed long spells of territorial control. Tonbridge offered a couple of half-chances, with Brody Peart and Marcus Sablier involved in the build-up, but Desbois remained largely untested.
Greenidge and Myers continued to combine well, with the striker’s 38th-minute effort saved by Jacob Adams. The half ended goalless, but with the Rebels on top.
The second half began with Goddard’s goalbound strike blocked, and Clarke and Drakes-Thomas linking nicely before a dangerous ball across goal just evaded Jordan Greenidge. Ojemen went into the book for a foul, before Jordan Greenidge dragged a left-footed effort wide after being found by his brother Reiss.
Slough kept the pressure on with a succession of corners and a near-miss when Drakes-Thomas was inches from connecting with a diving header. At the other end, Reiss Greenidge produced an excellent block to deny Brandon Pierrick, before Adams pulled off the save of the match to keep out Drakes-Thomas’ fierce low drive from the edge of the box.
Davies introduced Gidaree, Adepoju and Elliott late on in search of a breakthrough. In stoppage time, Gidaree saw a shot blocked at close range. The whistle confirmed a stalemate, but also a deserved clean sheet for a defence that Davies described as “the bouncers” in his post-match interview.
The Rebels boss was full of praise for his side’s organisation and intensity, saying:
“We were the ones knocking down the door for large parts of the game. I’d rather draw 0-0 than 3-3 – clean sheets win you games. It’s something we’ve worked on over the summer, and the lads executed the plan really well.”
Davies praised Myers, whose debut performance caused constant problems for the home defence:
“He’s been a breath of fresh air since coming in – the beautiful thing about him is that he just listens. He goes out there and does exactly what we want.”
With a point and a platform to build on, Slough now turn their attention to next Saturday’s home clash with Hemel Hempstead Town, where Davies wants Arbour Park to become “a fortress” once again.
Slough Town Lineup
- 1 Adam Desbois
- 3 Peter Ojemen 2
- 4 Henry Ochieng
- 5 Kiki Oshilaja
- 6 Reiss Greenidge
- 7 Tyrique Clarke
- 8 Jaiden Drakes-Thomas 26
- 9 Jordan Greenidge 21
- 10 Johnny Goddard
- 16 Dan Roth
- 23 Jared Myers
Substitutes
- 2 Tarik Gidaree 3
- 13 Michael Edegbe
- 14 Scott Davies
- 15 Brian Nelson
- 18 Nnaemeka Anyanwu
- 21 Kit Elliott 9
- 26 Josh Adepoju 8
Tonbridge Angels Lineup
Adams, Williams, Warren, Wagstaff, Penney, Pierrick (Babajide 65), Higgs, Simon (Taylor-Crossdale 65), Sablier (Allen 78), Peart (Unwin 90+2), Akehurst. Unused subs: Dubov, Bakrin, Matton.