So tough at the top

The Rebels made a tremendous start with the pace of Tony Dennis causing the visitors a few problems at the back. That turn of speed almost brought a goal inside the first minute when the winger latched onto a long free-kick from Tony Knight before shooting wide from an acute angle.

However, Dennis's finishing was spot on just nine minutes later when he received the ball on the edge of the visitors' area and cracked a splendid snapshot past keeper Andy Beales and inside the upright to give Slough the lead.

Slough were desperately unlucky not to extend their advantage only a few seconds later. Jimmy Brown won the ball straight from the restart and smote a ferocious dipping shot that rattled the Basingstoke crossbar from 25 yards out. Brown went close again two minutes later when he rose well to meet a Jimmy Jacobs cross only to head over the bar.

The shell shocked visitors had no answer to Slough's incisive attacks and were lucky to go unpunished when Kenny Wilson's diving header from a Neal Stanley centre flew harmlessly across the face of the goal after Keith White, Gary Dodd and Stanley had combined to good effect on the left flank.

But just as the Rebels looked like running away with things, Basingstoke struck back with an equaliser totally against the run of play. The visitors managed to win a corner which Brian Lucas swung in to the near post. Bunting came for it, but completely misjudged the flight of the ball and was left flapping at thin air as Nigel Taylor headed firmly inside the near post.

Two minutes later, Brown made it a hat-trick of missed chances when he rose unmarked only to head Stanley's far post cross back across the face of the goalmouth. Basingstoke's timely equaliser spurred them onto greater things and they soon started taking the game to the home side. They piled on the pressure for the remainder of the first period, but a good save from Bunting thwarted their best chance when Paul White broke a tackle from Wilson before blasting goalwards from 15 yards.

Slough appeared to have rediscovered their early zest during the break and proceeded to take command. However, they were given a fright in the 51st minute when Eurshall Fearon raced onto a useful through ball, but he was a little over anxious to shoot and hammered the bouncing ball way over the bar when he was left with only Bunting to beat.

Neal Stanley was proving a real handful for the midfield as he made a string of probing runs and showed a willingness to shoot on sight. It very nearly brought him a goal in the 54th minute when he received the ball just outside the area and found a gap in a mass of Basingstoke players to rifle a splendid shot against the inside of the post with Beales well and truly beaten.

The woodwork came to the visitors' rescue again when another long range effort from Stanley looked like giving the Rebels a 69th minute lead.

Although, the rub of the green was not working in Slough's favour, Basingstoke deserved some of the credit for the way their tireless defence battled desperately to keep the Rebels at bay. Stanley wasted another opportunity in the 82nd minute screwing his shot wide when well placed and in the following minute Beales got down well to save from Des McMahon.

The excitement approached almost unbearable proportions in the dying minutes as Slough continued their onslaught to no avail with Beales pulling off a splendid reflex save to deny a header from Brown.