Magpies Walk Tall At Slough

Although Slough Town beat Maidenhead United in the semi-final of the Athenian League Cup at Slough Stadium on Monday night, it was the Magpies who won praise for the way in which they contained one of the most powerful sides in amateur football.

Fielding virtually a scratch team with two local players, Cliff Weller and Trevor Cox, to make up the numbers, Maidenhead held the Rebels at bay until the 58th minute when Micky O'Sullivan scrambled the first goal.

Cox was only drafted into the side at the last minute as a replacement for Dennis Montague who had agreed to make a second comeback, but failed to turn up. The injured John Englefield had to don a tracksuit and act as substitute.

Although it was a chaotic situation, the players themselves deserved the highest possible praise for the way in which they left all the problems in the dressing room, and proceeded to operate a shut out policy which nearly succeeded.

Obviously Maidenhead's hopes were pinned on Slough committing themselves to all-out attack in an effort to break down the defence wall, and then retaliating with a quick break up the middle.

But Slough were too skilled to be caught by such simple tactics and kept tight control of the midfield.

Maidenhead's defence was under pressure for most of the game, and goalkeeper lan Wolstenholme only had two saves to make throughout the match. One of those was to tip a bad back pass from colleague lan Reid round the post for a corner.

Despite all their pressure, Slough scarcely got in a telling shot in the first half. Defenders Peter Johnson, Gerry Olson, Malcolm Cole and Malcolm Pike fought like trojans to block all the approaches.

Olson kept a tight hand on his former colleague Mick Chatterton, and the Slough leader was given little chance to increase his already considerable goal tally.

Cole's task was to watch Roger Day, while Pike and Johnson dealt with Micky Sullivan and Kenny Gaine, and those four were the real heroes of the side. They tackled and fought for every ball, and in the first half won the aerial battle hands down.

It was painfully obvious that Maidenhead's fortune could not last, and the first goal came in the 58th minute when Slough forced their ninth corner. In the scramble Peter Whitlock made his only error when he let the ball roll out of his grasp, and O'Sullivan was on hand to tap it into the net.

The game certainly livened up after that. Maidenhead tried a couple of tentative breaks, and David Kemp got in a shot which really tested Wolstenholme. But their best chance came midway through the half. Roy Davies lobbed over a corner, and the ball was cleared straight to Cole who shot high over the bar from a good position.

A few minutes earlier, Davies, who had just completed seven days suspension, was booked for a tackle on Geoff Anthony. Slough roared back into the attack, and Whitlock brought off successive saves from Gaines and Alf D'Arcy, but was beaten by a shot from Reid which hit the bar.

Slough's pressure told again in the 85th minute when Cole was booked for tripping Anthony on the edge of the area. Chatterton took the free kick and slipped the ball to O'Sullivan, who had time to choose his spot and score. So ended Maidenhead's last chance of achieving any honours this season. But at least the players can walk tall after this performance.