Slough steal the points from ten-man Greenbacks

Slough Town

Slough Town

2
Sonner (64), Bowden-Haase (69)
Bedworth United

Bedworth United

1
Robinson (26)
League Attendance: 312 James Warrington
Two scrappy second-half goals, scored by Sean Sonner and Nathan Bowden-Haase, helped Slough overcome third-placed Bedworth United and return to the top of the league.

Undoubtedly the turning point of the match was the first-half dismissal of Greenbacks striker Ashley Robinson, who was shown a second yellow card for a late challenge on goalkeeper James Warrington, who kept the Rebels in the game with a string of superb saves.

Indeed, Bedworth could have been out of sight with barely 20 minutes played. Warrington had to make a good save to keep out a shot from Mitchell Piggon, who was a threat for the whole of the first half at least.

Paul Coyne drilled a shot well wide, but the Bedworth pressure was incessant, with Slough's midfield bypassed easily time and time again. Slough failed to close down Ashley Spencer and he was allowed to run right at the heart of the defence, but his shot was straight at Warrington.

Warrington was busy again, making another fine save to keep out Piggon as he was one-on-one again, and the goalkeeper beat out a shot from Matthew Gardner at his near post. In between, Dan Burnell headed a cross from Steve Sinclair wide, but the Slough threat was virtually non-existent.

Eventually though, Bedworth deservedly took the lead with 26 minutes played. Once again, Bedworth got the better of Slough in a wide area, Piggon picking the ball up on the left and floating in a cross which Ashley Robinson volleyed past Warrington.

Gardner then missed horribly from no more than six yards out after the ball was cut back to him, and Warrington pushed another shot from Robinson over the bar as Bedworth continued to attack relentlessly.

But the game turned as Robinson went from hero to zero, picking up a second yellow card for leaving his foot in on Warrington as he challenged for the ball, the damage clear to see on the goalkeeper's leg.

Immediately, Bedworth's approach changed as they tried to regroup and defend their narrow lead, and Slough were grateful to get back into the changing room just a single goal behind due to the profligacy of the visitors.

In the second period, on a terrible Holloways Park pitch, Slough made their numerical advantage count and Tom Cross was by far the busier goalkeeper as the Rebels poured forward and Bedworth sat back.

Stuart Swift replaced Chris Herron at half time and almost made an immediate impact, his inswinging corner being cleared off the line after a throng of Bedworth defenders had prevented it from crossing the goal line.

Slough were now holding on to the ball more effectively and making their opponents work a lot harder as the rain poured down. The next goal looked to be the most vital, and so it proved as Slough gained a scrappy equaliser with 64 minutes played.

After another corner came in, a massive goalmouth scramble ensued and Sean Sonner found the space to fire into the bottom corner from six yards.

Just five minutes later the Rebels went ahead with a similarly untidy goal. Another corner, this time from Coyne, was only half cleared. Coyne retrieved the ball and crossed back in for Sonner to power a header goalwards. As the ball bounced around, Nathan Bowden-Haase was on hand to control and force the ball on target and past Cross. The ball was correctly adjudged to have crossed the goal-line, much to the chagrin of the furious Bedworth players, and Slough were ahead.

Slough had numerous chances to extend their lead, but Sinclair's attempted chip was held well by Cross, and Paul Coyne narrowly failed to get the telling touch to SonnerĂ­s cross as the keeper gathered.

Sonner later struck a shot just over the bar on his left foot after Slough had worked it beautifully to him on the edge of the box, and Burnell saw a header saved brilliantly by Cross onto the post.

At the death though, Warrington was called upon to make one final crucial save from Piggon as Bedworth broke away, the keeper rushing out to block as the midfielder was one-on-one again.

The result was undoubtedly tough on a Bedworth side which could have gone in to the half-time break with a large lead, but massive for Slough with half the league campaign now played.

Bedworth United Lineup

Tom Cross, Christopher Tullin, Nathan Haines, Jamie Greenaway, Kyle Cartwright, Kyle Baxter, Andrew Spencer, Ashley Spencer, Matthew Gardner, Ashley Robinson, Mitchell Piggon. Subs: Matthew Bannister, Kieron Brehon, Nicholas Pollard, Richard Hearne.

Rebels

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