v Hayes & Yeading

[Curtis]

If it was a shot it wasn't on target.... I was standing in line behind Sean.

 

Important thing though is that it ended up between the posts and was therefore a goal!!

[Reading Rebel]

When this team is 2-0 down its absolutely expected that they will win. How things have changed.More significantly after Leamingtons poor showing yesterday no team in the league has lost fewer points this season than the Rebels Several months ago I invited all forum members to come up with a persuasive reason why Slough couldnt be champions None did then and Im sure this improved squad will be hard to finish higher than.

 

 

I'm not sure many at today's game 'absolutely expected' that we would win at half-time.

 

Certainly don't remember your question about why Slough couldn't be champions. If you did I would have expected the answer to be something around the fact that we had so many new players it would take time for us to gel as a team.

 

Long way to go and a lot of points to play for so lets not get too carried away. Of course we are in the mix to win the league but so are about half a dozen other teams. 

Edited December 27, 2016 by Reading Rebel

[HorshamRebel]

Match Photos

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/horshamrebel/albums/72157676521338522

[Reading Rebel]

Seeing is believing but I really couldn't believe what I'd just seen after the first 45 minutes.

 

H&Y were really up for a scrap and we really looked like we didn't want to be out there. Second best in every department, not helped by continually giving the ball away, half-time couldn't come quick enough.

 

After some choice words and a couple of masterly substitutions from the gaffers at half-time (not creeping just facts ) we started the second half on the front foot, scored early doors from a Mark Nisbet volley after an excellent cross from Putts, followed quickly by Sean Fraser's seemingly deflected screamer and then a delightful Gav James solo effort into the bottom corner capped a quite remarkable second half transformation and comeback to get the 3 crucial points.

[Curtis]

We are making life very difficult for ourselves at the moment.

 

In 6 of our last 12 matches we have been two goals down..... in three we have fought back to get a draw, and today managed a win (losing the other two against Wingate and Frome).

[Neil Baker]

Far from ideal no doubt, however we also have 52 points from 24 games.... our two previous seasons we got 51 and 57 points from 44 and 46 games....

 

We have also been 3 nil up in our last 2 games, and also scored 3 goals in each of our last 4 games.....

 

There will always be positives and negatives, personally I am just enjoying the fact that we got ourselves out the mire today with an excellent second half performance and won 3 points in a local derby.....

[Sloughboy]

Cracking result and cracking game on a poor pitch! - used to be ours, that rally does hammer message home how far we have come!

 

Massive result that will have sent chills to leamington and the others but especially them as I think they may have felt they were pulling away a week or two ago.

 

Roll on the next one. Well done lads

[David Carpenter]

I was behind the goal on the motorway side and Sean's shot definitely took a bit of a deflection. Nevertheless a good move and a thoroughly deserved goal. Congratulations to everyone for the grit, determination and good play shown after what we all accept was a poor first half. COYR!

[epicrebel]

Sean Fraser.

 

IN 199 games only a total of 15 yellow cards, and that from a (mostly) defender.

 

All 3 goal scored in local derby's 

[3spirit]

Far from ideal no doubt, however we also have 52 points from 24 games.... our two previous seasons we got 51 and 57 points from 44 and 46 games....

 

We have also been 3 nil up in our last 2 games, and also scored 3 goals in each of our last 4 games.....

 

There will always be positives and negatives, personally I am just enjoying the fact that we got ourselves out the mire today with an excellent second half performance and won 3 points in a local derby.....

There's no disputing how well the team are doing, in terms of points and our league table position, up to this week.

There's also no disputing what a good squad we have this season.

There's also no disputing that we have two very able and efficent managers, who make the right calls, in relation to substitions and geeing up the team, when things aren't going well performance wise.

 

Yesterday, as good as the second half comeback was, and how good Gavin James and Warren Harris were in reviving our fortunes, there's no getting away from the fact that Slough were crap in the first 40 minutes of the game and had we been playing a better team than Hayes and Yeading, we would have lost that match by half time.

 

We've all witnessed Xmas holiday games which turn out to be non events and we know that players may start sluggish and that a few will be out of sorts; to what they usually offer.

However what I didn't expect was that the whole team would look lifeless and haveno leaders out on the pitch, when Hayes scored their first and then their second.

 

Given the experienced Conference South players we had in our first eleven yesterday, we shouldn't be going into our shells like we did. We gave Hayes and Yeading acres of space to run into and first half we looked like a team of novices.

Too many players were passing the buck and expecting others to do the work.

 

Games like that, you need players to make strong tackles and get stuck in, not play like a bunch of airy fairies and sit off players.

 

It's all very well having talented players that play sublime football on 3g but we don't play all our games on 3g.

The pitch at Beaconsfield is no excuse for such an inept first half showing.

 

We got lucky that we were only 2-0 down at the interval.

 

We cannot afford to start like that against Chesham.

Edited December 28, 2016 by 3spirit

[Neil Baker]

There's no disputing how well the team are doing, in terms of points and our league table position, up to this week.

There's also no disputing what a good squad we have this season.

There's also no disputing that we have two very able and efficent managers, who make the right calls, in relation to substitions and geeing up the team, when things aren't going well performance wise.

 

Yesterday, as good as the second half comeback was, and how good Gavin James and Warren Harris were in reviving our fortunes, there's no getting away from the fact that Slough were crap in the first 40 minutes of the game and had we been playing a better team than Hayes and Yeading, we would have lost that match by half time.

 

We've all witnessed Xmas holiday games which turn out to be non events and we know that players may start sluggish and that a few will be out of sorts; to what they usually offer.

However what I didn't expect was that the whole team would look lifeless and haveno leaders out on the pitch, when Hayes scored their first and then their second.

 

Given the experienced Conference South players we had in our first eleven yesterday, we shouldn't be going into our shells like we did. We gave Hayes and Yeading acres of space to run into and first half we looked like a team of novices.

Too many players were passing the buck and expecting others to do the work.

 

Games like that, you need players to make strong tackles and get stuck in, not play like a bunch of airy fairies and sit off players.

 

It's all very well having talented players that play sublime football on 3g but we don't play all our games on 3g.

The pitch at Beaconsfield is no excuse for such an inept first half showing.

 

We got lucky that we were only 2-0 down at the interval.

 

We cannot afford to start like that against Chesham.

But Stuart, the players didn't go into their shells or hide, they came out determined and put the first half performance right... so I would say we have plenty of leaders... I am not excusing the fact we were awful first half, as we were, but it happens sometimes, but it is how you deal with it (and we did)

 

I don't subscribe to if we were playing a better side we would have been out of sight at half time, every game is different, and who knows what might have been happening if for example we were playing leamington... the fact is we weren't we were playing Hayes and Yeading.

 

Like we often say no half of football is ever the same, and that was again proved yesterday, it is not all about playing fantastic football, and well every week, it just doesn't happen (and we said to the lads not to play yesterday and to try and turn them round as much as we could, we did not do this first half, however second half this happened plenty of times), not being funny if we got that out of our side every week, we would be managing in the football league... but the reality is we are not, we are all semi pro players/managers who have off days, halves/periods of games...

 

The main thing is the determination to get back in the game, and the fact that we had the quality to do so... that is the sign of a good team....

[SloughFlyer]

With the change of the date i wasnt able to get there yesterday, but looking at the comments on here and those on Twitter looks like the stereo typical game of 2 halves.

 

Whilst it is no good for any of our hearts, i dont care if we are 2-0 at half time ever week, if we then win 3-2 we'll be champions. Playing brilliant football and getting results dont always go hand in hand, and all of the time, the result is what was important.

[3spirit]

But Stuart, the players didn't go into their shells or hide, they came out determined and put the first half performance right... so I would say we have plenty of leaders... I am not excusing the fact we were awful first half, as we were, but it happens sometimes, but it is how you deal with it (and we did)

 

I don't subscribe to if we were playing a better side we would have been out of sight at half time, every game is different, and who knows what might have been happening if for example we were playing leamington... the fact is we weren't we were playing Hayes and Yeading.

 

Like we often say no half of football is ever the same, and that was again proved yesterday, it is not all about playing fantastic football, and well every week, it just doesn't happen (and we said to the lads not to play yesterday and to try and turn them round as much as we could, we did not do this first half, however second half this happened plenty of times), not being funny if we got that out of our side every week, we would be managing in the football league... but the reality is we are not, we are all semi pro players/managers who have off days, halves/periods of games...

 

The main thing is the determination to get back in the game, and the fact that we had the quality to do so... that is the sign of a good team....

 

Neil, I'm not disagreeing that players have off days and that it's only non league and that every game is different.

I agree that the second half pefrformance rectified the first half shambolic one.

 

My point is that your starting 11 yesterday, all of whom have experience in bundles, shouldn't be as quiet as they were or be playing like shrinking violets.

 

I know all teams lose games and that games don't go to plan, that's part and parcel of football.

I also know, Neil, that you have to be tactful,in what you say about the players but I'm sure you weren't all sweetness and light in the changing room at half time to the players, to turn that performance around ! ha ha !  

I was embarassed how we played first half and was glad I was not standing near any Hayes supporters because I know that Slough this season has all attributes to be among the best,if not be the best.

That is why I was disappointed with our ineptness in the first half.

What we got first half from our team was awful and you cannot dress up that fact.

 

Anyway,it's not the end of the world or the end of our challenge for the Southern Premier division title.

As you know, I would love to beat Chesham and turn on the style against them but as you rightly point out games don't always go how you want them to.

I don't mind losing to any good footballing side, it's how we play in the match itself, that for me, makes the difference.

 

Hayes and Yeading deserved to be 2 nil up at half time.A better team would have been about three or four or five up.

So the players need to front up and take the responsibility of what is our main derby match this season,against Chesham, as it cannot always be down to the managers to get the team out of trouble.

 

Ironically, for best part this season the team have played their best against the better sides.

So here's hoping.......

[Reading Rebel]

I think 3spirit is up big time for the Chesham game  

 

It does seem a long time since we turned them over in a league game.

[kirk]

Makes you wonder why Gavin James wasn't playing first half.

I agree with you that we seem to struggle against teams from the lower reaches of the league,something we must rectify if we want promotion.

[3spirit]

With the change of the date i wasnt able to get there yesterday, but looking at the comments on here and those on Twitter looks like the stereo typical game of 2 halves.

 

Whilst it is no good for any of our hearts, i dont care if we are 2-0 at half time ever week, if we then win 3-2 we'll be champions. Playing brilliant football and getting results dont always go hand in hand, and all of the time, the result is what was important.

 

I agree the win is what matters.  

 

I'm not saying we have to play breathtaking football week in week out.  On Beaconsfield's pitch it was never going to be great passing football. 

From a neutral perspective it was an entertaining 2-3 but I'm not a neutral !

 

Hayes and Yeading are rebuilding their team and are on the back of some poor results but first half they looked like they were the promotion chasing team and Slough were the strugglers. In their losses they've played some good sides ie Leamington, Banbury, Chesham , Hitchin and Frome. All of them scored at least three goals against Hayes,only one team conceded a goal.

Their last two games they got an away draw 0-0 at Stratford and lost 0-1 to Cockfosters in the Middlesex County Cup.

 

While I know it's a Christmas derby match and we're the away team on a poor Beaconsfield surface and that Hayes and Yeading have added to their squad, I was confident Slough would address any problems HYFC gave us but for 40 minutes they dominated us.

The players we have now, given their experience,shouldn't be getting dominated by a young, enthusiastic but not the finished article of a side like Hayes,

 

The very least we should be offering from the start, is a team willing to roll up their sleeves and get stuck in.

We made them look like worldbeaters and were yards off the pace.

That was, what was unacceptable about how Slough played IMO.

Nothing more,nothing less.

 

Anyway on to the next match.

[Jon Underwood]

Anyone else starting to feel like we lost yesterday? ?

Edited December 28, 2016 by Jon Underwood

[3spirit]

Anyone else starting to feel like we lost yesterday?

 

Hello, Jon.

 

Don't tell me, you were happy with how Slough played first half? !

Edited December 28, 2016 by 3spirit

[Jon Underwood]

Hi, no I wasn't.

[Mr Rebel]

I am sure everyone has frustrations and concerns about how poor the first half went for us but under pressure and with a mountain to climb we came up with the answers and still found a win that further consolidates the superb position we find ourselves in. 

 

Sure we all want to simply win games but its never going to happen that way all the time. The managers, coaches and players will all know that 1st half wasn't good enough and it is up to them to identify what went wrong and find ways to try and stop that sort of thing happening again. 

 

I can understand most of what could be construed as negative comments about yesterday but the 3 points are on the board and we move on and learn from this. The team deserves huge credit for reacting to what was said at half time and coming storming out of the blocks 2nd half and ultimately gaining what after 45 mins looked a hugely unlikely win.