Match day

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Tilehurst Panthers LFC (H)
Thu Mar 28
19:45

Match day

Team logo
Tilehurst Panthers LFC (H)
Thu Mar 28 19:45
Thames Valley Counties Women's Football League
1st
45pts

Last-gasp strike caps a game to remember

Slough Town

Slough Town

3
Owusu (53), Fiore (80), Brazil (90)
Morecambe

Morecambe

3
Healy (6), Norman (45), Coroalo (54)
League Attendance: 792 Unknown
Never mind game of the season, some fans in the bar afterwards dared to call it the best match they had ever seen.

It had all the elements —autumn sunshine, a fabulous atmosphere, a game played with pace and skill, six goals and a thrilling finish.

Throw in a four-figure crowd and all three points for Slough and it would have been the perfect afternoon. Morecambe came to Wexham Park unbeaten away from home and having conceded only one goal on the road. But while the scoresheet might show it was Gary Brazil's injury-time equaliser that secured a point for the Rebels, in truth it was the three earlier sucker punches that denied them the win they deserved.

The visitors' goals came from a free kick and twice on the break, but throughout the 90 minutes they failed to build up and create a single goal-scoring chance, for the simple reason that all the possession and momentum was with Slough.

With Corey Browne suspended, Mark West made his first Conference start since the recurrence of his injury in December last year. His return lasted only half an hour before he was replaced by Lloyd Owusu, but in that time he showed his characteristic hard work off the ball and reminded fans just how dangerous he will be again when fully fit.

Morecambe took the lead after just six minutes when Brian Healy's free kick crept round the Slough wall and was palmed into the back of the net by Paul Wilkerson.

The Slough players knew it was a soft goal and didn't let it put them off. They built well, kept possession, and regular chances fell. Danny Bailey fired behind the goal when he picked up a loose ball at the edge of the box, Cliff Hercules headed over from a corner, and Gary Abbott headed across the face of goal.

The Rebels were playing as well as they have all season, but by half-time Morecambe had managed to extend their lead as at the end of a rare break, John Norman fired past Paul Wilkerson while the static Slough defence appealed for offside.

An early goal was needed in the second half to bring things around, and Brazil was the provider in the 53rd when after seeing his shot blocked, he kept his cool and instead of blasting the rebound, chipped it over the recovering keeper for Owusu to head in unmarked at the far post.

The Rebels fans were lifted, but their joy lasted less than a minute as another long clearance put Mark Coroalo in space, with the Slough defenders again looking for offside. Coroalo took his time and beat Wilkerson at the near post.

With the two goal deficit restored there was a fear that the Slough players might drop their heads, but nothing could have been further from the truth. They kept coming, and ten minutes from time brought themselves back into the game. Lee Randall, on for Bailey, tried his luck from outside the box after a corner was cleared, his shot was blocked, but in the scramble Mark Fiore stabbed it home.

There was no holding the Rebels back now, and they got another break when Morecambe were reduced to ten men, after substitute Mike Bignall, already booked, slid in for a dreadful challenge on Terry Angus which brought his second yellow.

The pressure was so intense on the Morecambe goalmouth, that it seemed only the whistle could save them, but it didn't as Brazil fired in right on 90 minutes to send Wexham Park into delirium. And five minutes into injury time it took a good piece of goal-keeping from Steve Mcllhargey to stop Brazil's cross reaching Abbott at the far post and keep out a possible winner.

Morecambe Lineup

Rebels

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