Southport
1
Deary (9)
Slough Town
2
Owusu (47, 90+2)
League
Attendance: 1460
Lloyd Owusu
Super Sub Lloyd Owusu grabbed a sensational stoppage time winner to give the Rebels their second Conference win of the season at Haig Avenue.
Manager Brian McDermott's rallying half-time team-talk proved the turning point in this remarkable match. McDermott had seen his side concede an unstoppable ninth minute strike from ex-Burnley and Rochdale midfielder John Deary that curled into Ben Miles' top right-hand corner from 16 yards.
And eight minutes later Gary Abbott needlessly retaliated after being awarded a free kick following an aerial challenge from Southport defender Tim Ryan on the halfway line. Abbott's heat of the moment actions gave referee Mr Andrew Butler no option but to produce a red card, reducing the Rebels to a rear guard display for 72 minutes.
Slough failed to come to terms with Southport's fluent first half approach play. Only a brilliant near post save from Miles off a fierce Paul Mitten drive, and a stroke of luck when Brian Ross struck the post with Miles beaten, kept the deficit for Slough to a solitary goal.
McDermott saw his side further disrupted when Terry Angus had to limp off seven minutes before half-time, to be replaced by Owusu.
But the manager based his half-time team-talk on Southport's failure to punish them. He said later: "I told my players I felt we could get something out of the game. Southport could not sustain the standard they had set and had failed to get a crucial second when they were so much on top. We just needed a break, and in the end we got two — at the start and end of the second half. That's what playing away from home is all about."
Owusu made the scores level 90 seconds after the restart when he latched onto a Gary Smart right wing cross following a Danny Bailey free kick on the halfway line. Owusu, unmarked and seven yards out, gave Billy Stewart no chance.
Stewart, apart from a shot on the run from Corey Browne and Gary Brazil's follow-up on the hour, was virtually redundant until he had to pick the ball out of the net deep into stoppage time. Slough keeper Miles gained praise from his manager for a number of excellent saves to keep the scores level. When he was beaten, in the 71st minute by substitute Andy Whittaker's header, the ball crashed off the bar and to safety.
Gary McGinnis and Cliff Hercules were the heroes in the Slough defence, but after Owusu's shock equaliser the home side lost their first half form and became increasingly frustrated by the spirited ten men of Slough.
Two minutes into stoppage time. and with the Slough bench pleading for the whistle. Smart pierced the Southport defence with a 45-yard low free kick. Player-manager Paul Futcher failed to intercept and he gifted the ball straight to the unmarked Owusu.
The young striker, for the second time in the match, easily beat the stranded Stewart to record a remarkable ten man comeback.
Manager Brian McDermott's rallying half-time team-talk proved the turning point in this remarkable match. McDermott had seen his side concede an unstoppable ninth minute strike from ex-Burnley and Rochdale midfielder John Deary that curled into Ben Miles' top right-hand corner from 16 yards.
And eight minutes later Gary Abbott needlessly retaliated after being awarded a free kick following an aerial challenge from Southport defender Tim Ryan on the halfway line. Abbott's heat of the moment actions gave referee Mr Andrew Butler no option but to produce a red card, reducing the Rebels to a rear guard display for 72 minutes.
Slough failed to come to terms with Southport's fluent first half approach play. Only a brilliant near post save from Miles off a fierce Paul Mitten drive, and a stroke of luck when Brian Ross struck the post with Miles beaten, kept the deficit for Slough to a solitary goal.
McDermott saw his side further disrupted when Terry Angus had to limp off seven minutes before half-time, to be replaced by Owusu.
But the manager based his half-time team-talk on Southport's failure to punish them. He said later: "I told my players I felt we could get something out of the game. Southport could not sustain the standard they had set and had failed to get a crucial second when they were so much on top. We just needed a break, and in the end we got two — at the start and end of the second half. That's what playing away from home is all about."
Owusu made the scores level 90 seconds after the restart when he latched onto a Gary Smart right wing cross following a Danny Bailey free kick on the halfway line. Owusu, unmarked and seven yards out, gave Billy Stewart no chance.
Stewart, apart from a shot on the run from Corey Browne and Gary Brazil's follow-up on the hour, was virtually redundant until he had to pick the ball out of the net deep into stoppage time. Slough keeper Miles gained praise from his manager for a number of excellent saves to keep the scores level. When he was beaten, in the 71st minute by substitute Andy Whittaker's header, the ball crashed off the bar and to safety.
Gary McGinnis and Cliff Hercules were the heroes in the Slough defence, but after Owusu's shock equaliser the home side lost their first half form and became increasingly frustrated by the spirited ten men of Slough.
Two minutes into stoppage time. and with the Slough bench pleading for the whistle. Smart pierced the Southport defence with a 45-yard low free kick. Player-manager Paul Futcher failed to intercept and he gifted the ball straight to the unmarked Owusu.
The young striker, for the second time in the match, easily beat the stranded Stewart to record a remarkable ten man comeback.
Slough Town Lineup
- 1 Ben Miles
- 2 Garry Smart
- 3 Derek Simpson
- 4 Gary McGinnis
- 5 Cliff Hercules
- 6 Terry Angus 14
- 7 Danny Bailey
- 8 Corey Browne
- 9 Gary Brazil
- 10 Gary Abbott
- 11 Danny Bolt
Substitutes
- 12 Tony Nolan
- 14 Lloyd Owusu 6
- 15 Lee Randall