Slough Through To Cup Final

Slough and Maidenhead United met for the right to play in the final of the Berks & Bucks Cup and Slough qualified with a score of 2-0.

A crowd of over 2,000. spectators, including a large following from Maidenhead, saw Maidenhead take the field at full strength, and Slough were strengthened by the return of Alex Grant, whose benefit match this was.

Marcham won the toss and took advantage of the sun. Each goal was quickly visited but nothing tangible happened. Grant got going and beating Evans, centred for Cox to force a corner off Neighbour, who was compelled to give away a second corner before danger was averted.

Glover was next prominent, but Neighbour saved his lines by running out. The keenness of the Slough halves stopped one or two of the Maidenhead moves, and the Slough forwards continued to press, and once when Morris sent out, to the left, Grant dropped a shot on the top of the bar and the ball fell behind.

Following this Maidenhead broke away and from a throw-in. Saunders shot across the goal, the ball being just too fast for Jackman to reach. Grant again brought the Maidenhead goal into danger, but Morris and Cox missed his centre and a foul relieved the pressure.

Maidenhead attacked and Jackman cleverly took the ball through to give Saunders a nice opening, but Luff easily saved a weak shot from Saunders, and Slough were able to put in another spell of attack, only to find the Maidenhead defence equal to all their efforts, one clearance by Evans with Glover almost through being excellent.

After Grace and Jackman had made a valiant attempt to break down the Slough lines, Rose got away and with Copas's aid, enabled Saunders to score, but the point was disallowed. This let-off roused Slough to further efforts, and Stott was seen to break through only to finish weakly, but soon after Neighbour made two good saves from Glover and Snow, while a bout of heading in the Maidenhead goalmouth ended in Laurie conceding an abortive corner.

When Jackman set Grace going with a clear run, the latter looked all over a scorer, but at the critical moment he fell, and T. Evans was able to clear with a kick to touch.

Another nice move by the Maidenhead right was spoilt by "hands" and Payne stopped Jackman soon after when things looked bad for Slough. Each side hereabouts were frequently pulled up for one thing or another, and the game proceeded tamely til two minutes from the interval, when T. Evans, receiving from a throw-in punted the bull into the goalmouth; it passed over the heads of Marcham and Care to Glover, who gave Slough the lead with a lightning ground shot was the only goal prior to the interval.

Slough were early prominent on resuming, and Stott quickly tested Neighbour with a shot, but the Maidenhead goalkeeper fielded smartly.

Maidenhead attacked and Evans conceded a corner, from which Laurie headed goalwards, but Jackman was given offside. Slough responded, and Laurie cleared nicely from Glover, while soon after Snow and Morris gave Cox an easy chance, but he shot over.

Maidenhead ought to have equalised when Payne mis-kicked, and let in Grace who centred into the goalmouth, but neither Rose, Copas nor Saunders could turn the chance to account and eventually Laurie shot by.

After a corner kick had been unsuccessfully taken at each end. Glover got nicely away from a free-kick, but Marcham successfully tackled him, however, Wareham fell, and Glover regained possessions and centred squarely; Evans missed a clearance and Morris, unmarked, put Slough further ahead with a hard drive well clear of Neighbour.

Maidenhead from the re-start put in a spell of attack in an effort to beat Luff, but Slough defended resolutely and a header from Copas was the nearest scoring attempt from the Maidenhead forwards.

A few minutes before the finish Stott was carried off as the result of an injury sustained in trying to reach a high ball.

Despite his absence, Slough quite held their own but could not beat Neighbour again, and with Maidenhead failing to score the Dolphinites won by two goals to nil.