SLOUGH GRAB WIN IN SPIRITED COMEBACK AS CIREN FADE AWAY

Slough Town 3

Cirencester Town 2

Cirencester dominated the first hour and should have scored more than just two within the first half hour. Slough Town had grabbed one good goal on 29 minutes, a moment that should have reminded the Ciren defence to stay focused. They were let back into the game on 70 minutes, through a freak equaliser smartly netted by the always awkward Dan Jordan. And won on 82 minutes when the Ciren defence let Matt Platt plant a header from a free kick into the far corner.

Apologies for delay in posting the report. Went home via the granddaughter. Plus, after seeing my awful few photies, was very grateful to receive permission to use some of the photos from Slough by Gary House. And from Nathan Plenty of www.rebelsonline.co.uk

Mr Hughes, on his return to the dugout for Ciren, had already had one change forced on the line up. Tom King had signalled, way back in June, that he had to attend his sister's wedding today. Adam Miller from The Academy had already been slotted in for this match.

And Mr Hughes had already secured Jamie Reid from The Tigers, our tenants being considerate and waiving the 7 day notice period, so the feisty youngster was in midfield making his Centurion debut beside our Nathan.

Mr Hughes had listened hard to the advice from Oggy Hunt and fielded the team our former Assistant Manager had recommended, putting Minno and Gary in the centre of the back line with Kes and Spud on their flanks. With young Steve Davis and Ben Pugh in the wing back slots this was a very clear 4-4-2. With a lot of versatile options on the bench, the Ciren fans were optimistic pre-match.

The Slough manager, Mr Sweetman, has a big squad but had injury problems, plus rumours of an approach from Farnborough for his experienced striker Dan Jordan. So, he moved in the week to sign Yashwa Romeo, a forward whom we've seen before when Maidenhead were in the Prem. And played him in a 3-5-3 with his normal striker the club icon Roy Gumbs put in at the back to counter our Julian. He towered over our Number Nine.

Early on, Slough slung the ball long but Minno was in determined mode and won every challenge, with Jordan starting to concede free kicks when he could not compete for the balls. Gary Thorne was calm and quick and, every time, he was first to the ball and made sure Jamie Reid or Kes Metitiri got the ball in space.

James Pritchard, in the Slough midfield, was giving Nathan more than a few clips but our icon just shrugs those off and Ciren were moving the ball well. Matt Williams was working imaginatively and with a lot of guile off Julian Alsop. Both were being fed with passes as the Ciren midfield saw that Gumbs was going for everything in the air but was far from composed or positioned well to cope with passes on the deck.

Within five minutes Minturn, up for a corner, collected from Nathan as he gobbled up the poor clearance and he placed his shot just wide of the far post from the edge of the box. A minute later Jamie Reid, whose touch and change of pace had the Slough midfield chasing shadows, was up to collect from Willo on the edge of the box and was even closer with his curled attempt.

A lovely lay-off by Julian, redirecting a neat pass from Steve Davis into Willo on the run inside him, saw a first time shot roar a fraction past the post. Jordan, back to defend yet another Ciren corner, got enough of a nudge on Gary Thorne at the far post to force a misdirected header just past. Thorney winced but the lino saw it as just part of the man's game. I saw it as a lucky escape, but I would, wouldn't I?

What was clear was that while Slough were unbalanced, Romeo as the third man upfront was looking lively and starting to go up against Spud on our left. Ciren were containing the thrusts but the increasing edginess was there to see. Ciren needed a goal and at last on 14 minutes it came.

Ben Pugh hurled a near post throw in from the right, Julian heaved himself up and got there before Gumbs and with the Slough defence disorganised Matt Williams had got himself free on the back stick and stepped inside Dean Harper and calmly sidefooted the ball back across goal and into the net with Minno sniffing on the run to make sure it was over the line.

The chances had been coming but they were half chances. While the Slough backline was getting itself in a terrible fret they were not giving up on the challenges and still making it hard for Ciren to open them up. It was frustrating when Willo, who had been running his socks off to stretch the back line, bamboozled Fenton out on the right.

His cross was expertly met and nodded back by Julian Alsop but, with no Ciren player reading the play and gambling that the knockback would arrive, all that hard work came to naught. John Gray gratefully thumped clear.

The Slough attacking moves had so far been too hasty and misdirected but when on 20 minutes Romeo roasted Spud out on the left, Gary Thorne had read the play at the back and made a masterful tackle just as Jordan thought he had got clear onto the cutback. The Slough fans may be partisan but the cluster behind the goal were generous in their appreciation of some high class defending.

Ciren had to be deadly while they were bossing this match. Yet again, Jamie Reid and Nathan Haisley cleared up in midfield on 22 minutes, freeing Spud up the left. He played another one-two with Jamie to send Ben Pugh clear up the left.

It needed the cross to be on the mark, with Jools going onto the back stick ready to come back inside and Willo roaring onto open space 18 yards out. But, neither fish nor fowl, the cross was just hit in and Jackson came to his near post for an easy catch.

Just as easy was the Slough equaliser on 29 minutes Steve Davis was caught up the right, looking to come inside and Riddell getting a lucky, but effective, desperate toe in to rob him. Brown collected, slotted up to Pritchard and he laid back to Fenton. Unchallenged by Ben Pugh who had lost focus for that vital instant, Fenton had time to look up and see Jordan coming down the line of the inside pass to meet it.

The pass slid in, was immediately redirected behind Spud where Yashwa Romeo had already come off his shoulder. In loads of space and at the edge of the box he steadied and calmly sidefooted round the onrushing Adam Miller with Gary Thorne still charging across to close the sliced open Ciren defence. It was an ominous goal to concede. And thereafter Slough tormented Spud on the left corner of the Ciren defence.

Ciren led again on 32 minutes. Gary Thorne and Kes Metitiri calmly controlled a Slough attack and fed Steve Davies. He found Nathan Haisley, coming away from the spiky James Pritchard, with a crisp inside pass. Moved on to Jamie Reid in the middle of the park he then sent Andy Minturn, coming through from the back on the break, to surge past John Gray and into space 25 yards out.

Some might say Minturn intended to split the defence. Others might say his was a skewed shot. Either way, Matt Williams was alert, was already on the burst and inside Ryan Fenton. As the ball arrived through a forest of defending legs he first timed the ball unchallenged past Jamie Jackson from 6 yards out. Jackson's reaction to his defence was more than ripe.

Slough had to contain, and they just about did it. Not appearing to worry about how best to get the ball, they were giving Julian a battering. And, while he could not be expected to see what was happening on his blind side, the ref was owed some help from his linos.

Pritchard and Gray were reduced to nudging Reid and Williams to try and get them off balance as they started their runs to get into the gaps. Either the ref had instructed the linos not to interfere with his control in the middle. Or the linos just did not realise what was happening.

It was old fashioned 'experienced' defending and just needs to be worked around. A forward runner always is the one who chooses when to start the burst. Sometimes the 'defender' needs to be moved into the wrong place first. We were not doing it and Slough survived to half time.

Twice, early second half, Ben Pugh and Steve Davis again got to the by-line with their crosses being cleared desperately by a flailing Slough defence. It needed Ciren to continue to work the ball on the deck through to Alsop, whose touch was far too good for the rumbustious Gumbs. He was getting increasingly, shall we say, 'determined' in his efforts to stop Jools getting anywhere near the ball.

But he had no chance when he was beaten by a well timed jump by Alsop to connect with a Gary Thorne free kick. The ball looped over the stranded Jackson, bounced down off the bar and was cleared by Gray.

Mind you, Gumbs does not let anything unsettle him and was again up like a salmon to be first to the corner that followed. You had to admire his spirit while at he same time wondering whether he actually had any idea about defensive angles.

Whether it was due to increased midfield pressure from the Slough team, the wrong choice of pass from the wing backs or increasing weariness, the Ciren attack was not being fed with the service they needed. Sent far too often in chase of hopeful balls hoisted into the gaps and then isolated as they tried to bring their midfield back into play, the Ciren front pair were unable to control the ball as well as they had done earlier.

And Slough had changed their play and now sent long passes arrowing into the channels for Platt and Romeo to chase. Ciren were coping, with Minturn as dominant and effective as he had been in the first half. But it was becoming obvious that Lee Spalding and Ben Pugh were under pressure on the Ciren left flank and Slough exploited the wobbles ruthlessly.

By the hour mark Slough were driving on in wave after wave of attacks to what I would call the Town End (some 10 miles away. The other end has to be the M40 end). Dan Jordan miskicked over the top from 6 yards after Romeo set him up, skating easily past Spalding on the Ciren left defensive flank.

Minturn kicked a Romeo cross landing wickedly in the six yard box off the toe of Platt, with Adam Miller making a marvellous reaction tip over as the ball looked to be going under the bar. That save alone got Adam a man of the match vote on the spot from one travelling Centurion.

Ciren conceded on 69 minutes. Yet another quick feet reaction from Jamie Reid had put Nathan in space and he surged past two defenders to get within 25 yards out. Looking to find Ben Pugh on his left but the gap not opening, he checked inside and tried to find Steve Davis coming up on his right. Hit not quite firm enough to let Davo collect and go past the last line of defence, it allowed Ryan Fenton to step in and swing a desperate boot and send the ball soaring away down the park.

Gary Thorne was in to reach it on halfway but was a fraction off it when the ball bounced away beyond him. Dan Jordan scooted gratefully through the huge gap to beat Miller unerringly from the corner of the box with Minno on the cover coming in from the opposite flank but caught, as had every other defender, by the instant bang downfield. But, you have to credit Jordan with his response when the chance arrived. He only had the option to shoot but it was deadly.

Tails up, Slough went for it. They had sorted out how their middle five were playing, with Jamie Reid receiving close personal attention from Pritchard. Who had, ludicrously, protested a free kick and was yellowed for dissent on 51 minutes. But he had stuck to his task and left Brown to do all the collecting and carrying while he denied Reidy space. It was good tactical football.

And, with Ciren fading badly, Slough were keeping possession better and were scampering up the channels to good effect. Platt got sent through up the left, scooted round Adam Miller who had to come out to block, only for Thorne to kick his shot off the line. Jordan escaped up the left after a half cleared corner, with first Steve Davis pouncing to close him down then Nathan finishing the job with a crunching block.

Romeo was close to a second goal, just getting to a wicked cross after Gray had turned Spud inside out on the left but lifting the ball over the top from 6 yards. It was his last action, being replaced by fresh legs, and trudging off to an ovation from the Rebel faithful.

And Ciren started to concede yellows. First Nathan, biting back from too far away on Pritchard.

Then Minno collected one when he tangled with Harper while steadying and concentrating on heading clear on the edge of his box.

I'd argue that Harper was interfering but the blood that poured (apparently from a not yet fully healed previous cut) obviously influenced the ref and the crowd.

Somehow, Gumbs got tangled up in a spat as the free kick was being organised and got an unnecessary yellow for his pains.

With Julian lurking, I wondered if he had also been involved. But he was just being nosey, maybe? It looked as if it was petering out into a draw.

Steve Davis raced away but Fenton blocked his shot. Robbo, on for a weary Willo, was not troubling Gumbs but was holding the ball well enough to keep bringing Ben Pugh into play and keep the Slough backline at least concentrating on keeping the crosses out.

Wondered then, as Slough started to show that the fresh legs they had on the pitch on a hot day were beginning to run us ragged, whether Heathy might come on for Ben to give their defence something to think about. Or whether Julian, battered to bits, might be replaced by Jamie going up front with either Matt Thorne or Lee Stevens on in midfield to contain the increasingly influential little sub Byron Bubb.

He sent Platt away through the left channel, Adam was out to block and did enough to give Spud the chance to hack off the line. But, it was looking more and more likely now that if there was to be a winner it would go to The Rebels.

If the equaliser had been an unlucky, fluky, chance to concede, then there was no doubt the winner for Slough on 82 minutes was dreadful. The ref decided Jamie had fouled sufficiently for a yellow, Gray lined up his kick from the left and sent it into a huge gap in front of the mass of players on the far side of the box. What had happened to our organisation? You don't invite runners into the space.

Matt Platt checked out, timed his burst perfectly to coincide with the kick and was in front of Kes Metitiri to connect and send the ball back across the goal and inside the far post.

Two minutes later, Roy Gumbs, clumsy but enormously effective as a makeshift defender, took Steve Robertson's legs away as the lanky forward was about to shoot. He got a ferociously contested second yellow card. It appeared to me that Slough felt that 'normal rules' should not apply in this match.

What was crystal clear was that what Slough now held they would certainly hold. They threw themselves into every block and every tackle. Ciren could not find a way past that backs to the wall determination and slumped to an unacceptable defeat on a day when the win had been there for the taking.

The Rebels: Jamie Jackson, Dean Harper [Tom Windsor 77], Ryan Fenton, Roy Gumbs Y76 Y84, John Gray, Lee Riddell, James Pritchard (c) Y51, Laurence Brown, Dan Jordan, Matt Platt, Yashwa Romeo [Byron Bubb 72]

subs: Tom Attrell, Stan Mugisha, Alex Tullett

Centurions: Adam Miller, Kes Metitiri, Lee Spalding, Gary Thorne (c), Jamie Reid Y82, Andy Minturn Y76, Steve Davis, Nathan Haisley Y75, Julian Alsop, Matt Williams [Steve Robertson 77], Ben Pugh

other subs: Harry Etheridge, Adam Heath, Lee Stevens, Matt Thorne

Ref: Mr S Maynard [London]    Thoroughly and most unreasonably abused by some of the Slough fans at the end, he actually did OK. If he had not invited his linos to join in controlling the match he may find it useful to do so in the future.

Not blaming him for Ciren's inability to turn their dominance into goals – but, in truth, if the Slough 'desperate' measures in the middle half hour had been spotted maybe the runs onto the passes might have been completed. We'll never know. Finished – move on.

Att: 263    After the display last week, plus possibly the appearance of a huge fried egg in the sky had tempted some people into gardening, only half our usual travelling crew showed up. Not sure, after that display, whether the team will attract that many again until we see the results to tempt us back.

Weird welcome at the ground. Thought jobsworths had gone but no, still a couple around .... hey ho. Not entirely enchanted by the interpretation of a hot meal for visitors. Bummer when you travel for two hours. But the fans were welcoming enough, and there were more cameras in that lot than seen anywhere else. Thank goodness. Cheers, Gary and Nathan from The Rebels.

Ciren MoM: From the 16 votes collected the range was quite interesting. I went for Minno, after thinking about it quite some time. Adam Miller collected votes, as did Nathan, Kes and Julian.

And more than a few for Gary Thorne. But, by quite a margin, the Ciren away fans votes went for Matt Williams. All that faithful off the ball running for increasingly fewer chances as the day wore on was recognised.