Poole hit back to take the points at Holloways Park

Slough Town

Slough Town

1
Smith (47)
Poole Town

Poole Town

3
Devlin (48), Gillespie (65), Brooks (90)
League Attendance: 304 Sean Fraser
Poole Town recovered after falling behind early in the second half, and claimed all three points in clinical fashion against Slough, who were reduced to ten men late on.


In a goalless first half, Poole had the better of the play but Slough more than matched last season’s runners-up, and went close to opening the scoring.


Warren Harris hacked the ball away from the line from a Poole corner, and Alan Connell flicked a header wide soon after.


A minute later, Luke Roberts chested down a delicious deep cross from Steve Devlin and fired a low ball all the way across goal, but no white-shirted player was there to apply the finish.


Slough withstood the early pressure and started to create their own openings, with Adrian Sear having a shot well blocked after Warren Harris’ cross fell to him on 26 minutes.


Two minutes later, Poole keeper Nick Hutchings produced a fine save to touch Harris’ angled shot wide for a corner.


Five minutes before the break, both sides traded chances – Connell brought a save from Mark Scott at his near post, and Slough then counter-attacked, with Eddie Smith curling a shot wide.


The game burst to life two minutes into the second half. Eddie Smith was played onside as half-time substitute Jamie McClurg headed the ball forward, and from close range he chested the ball down and volleyed his first goal of the season past Nick Hutchings to give Slough the lead, with Poole players appealing for an offside flag.


But within a minute, the influential Steve Devlin, who pulled all the strings in Poole's midfield, volleyed in a superb equaliser, with Slough once again being caught cold from a kick-off.


Despite this setback, Slough then went on to enjoy a good spell. The industrious Charlie Mpi, making his second debut for the Rebels, showed great strength to hold off several defenders and pull the ball across, but the ball was deflected behind for a corner with Smith lurking.


From the resulting corner, Slough were denied again when Gary MacDonald's header was cleared off the line by the excellent Poole right-back, Lewis Tallack.


The Rebels were made to pay as Poole regained the lead on 65 minutes. Richard Gillespie had only just entered the fray from the substitutes’ bench, and he scored with his first touch, turning a cross from the right through the legs of Scott and into the back of the net.


Slough struggled to find any kind of opening as they went in search of an equaliser, and in the final fifteen minutes, Callum Webb and Gurkan Gokmen replaced Sear and MacDonald respectively with the Rebels chasing the game.


However, on 88 minutes, just three minutes after MacDonald had been replaced, Slough were reduced to ten men when their other centre-back Stuart Lake brought down Gillespie, who was racing clear as Poole broke away quickly.


With Slough now light on defenders, Poole added a third goal to make sure of the win. Marvin Brooks rolled past his marker from a throw-in and fired into the roof of the net from a tight angle, leaving Scott no chance.

Poole Town Lineup

Nick Hutchings, Lewis Tallack, Keith Emmerson, Michael Walker, Jamie Whisken (c), Carl Pettefer, Luke Roberts (Jamie Gleeson 80), Steve Devlin, Alan Connell (Richard Gillespie 63), Marvin Brooks, Jamie Davidson (Will Spetch 55). Subs not used: Luke Holmes, Jack Dickson.

Rebels

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