FA Trophy 3rd Qualifying Round - Hendon v Slough Town

[Stuntman Mark]

Out on penalties. We looked like a team without a striker and couldn't quite finish off some of the good football we played. When we did get through we found ourselves against a 17 year old having quite an inspired debut. A draw seemed fair and our penalties were pretty poor but I'm not too devastated to go out of this competition. 

[PaxtonLee]

Fair play to the keeper, looked like he'd never kicked a ball in his life, very unconvential, took a lot of stick and ended up being the hero.

 

A bit disappointing that we didn't continue the head of steam that led to the equaliser but can't fault the effort.

 

Looked like it was going to get nasty at the end with the Hendon players. Why so aggressive having won?

[Reading Rebel]

First half we looked all at sea with players playing out of position and the obvious no striker.

 

Second half we gave it a real good go and looked much the better team but unfortunately couldn't get the deserved second goal to kill Hendon off.

 

Our penalties were so poor the less said about them the better.

 

For me, especially for his second half performance, I thought Matt Lench was by far our best player on the night. 

 

In truth I'm not too disappointed to have lost the game.

 

If we want to have any chance of getting promoted by way of winning the league we cannot afford to fall too far behind in terms of games played with the likes of Kings Lynn and Kettering.  

Edited November 29, 2017 by Reading Rebel

[Stuntman Mark]

Yes and if we'd got through we would be looking at Kings Lynn away midweek and that's a game we need to travel in numbers for.

[bluerebel]

Agree with RR. mixed feelings do not like losing in cup games ( except for B&B and League cup) especially at home. But with the game on Monday and our games to catch up in the league could be a blessing in disguise.

[Jon Underwood]

First half we looked all at sea with players playing out of position and the obvious no striker.

Wow! Just shows this game is all about opinions. I thought for the first half an hour (before they scored) we were superb, a joy to watch and they couldn’t get near us!

[Reading Rebel]

Wow! Just shows this game is all about opinions. I thought for the first half an hour (before they scored) we were superb, a joy to watch and they couldn’t get near us!

 

 

Agree Unders in that we looked OK and did well for the initial part of the half but as the half wore on it seemed to get very scrappy with nothing like the normal fluency in our play. 

 

Perhaps we've been spoilt with what we normally watch at home? 

[Jon Underwood]

You may have a point!

[3spirit]

On the night I thought it was a very evenly fought contest with Slough playing the better passing football and having numerous chances to score but failing to make the most of them.

Hendon looked a well drilled resolute side who took no prisoners, ie their tackling was very strong and there was no way they were going to lose without a fight. A few useful players in their ranks but nothing for Slough to be daunted by.

 

Unlucky to be 0-1 down at half time,given the amount of possession and chances we had, though, in the second half we began to run out of ideas and looked like we would concede a second goal until we made our substitions which buoyed us and suddenly we had new found belief that we could get something from the game. Thought Nathan Smart and George Wells added some steel and Manny Willams skills got us back on the front foot and then duly obliged to get the equalizer.

 

Unfortunately extra time came on a bitterly cold night and the half hour failed to warm the fans and ended in stalemate.

 

Their keeper turned out to be the hero in the penalty shoot out but I think we can count ourselves unlucky not to have won it in open play. Their young goalie was a good shot stopper but his handling wasn't very good and he fumbled a lot of balls that came to him. It's a pity we couldn't have pressurized him a bit more in the game but it never seemed to happen and he got away with it.

Certainly a good game for character building for the Hendon goalkeeper.

 

Oh well, not the end of the world for Slough leaving this competition especially as we need to catch up on games in the league to put us back up in the promotion race. 

 

................On to the biggie with Rochdale.

[3spirit]

Wow! Just shows this game is all about opinions. I thought for the first half an hour (before they scored) we were superb, a joy to watch and they couldn’t get near us!

 

Because I find it hard to write concisely didn't see your post,Jon, or Reading Rebel's and a few of the others.

Takes me a while to write but agree with you, Jon, I thought Sough played well first half.

[Guest route104]

Could not fault the players for effort but without a recognised striker up front, we did look a bit lightweight,time and again Hendon defenders failed to clear their lines but no one to take advantage.Still not the end of the world we move on to bigger things.                                                                                                                                                                       

[HorshamRebel]

Match Photos

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/horshamrebel/albums/72157690261529545

[rebelbrewer]

Wow! Just shows this game is all about opinions. I thought for the first half an hour (before they scored) we were superb, a joy to watch and they couldn’t get near us!

I thought we controlled the game until they scored and again for the bulk of the second half. Playing without a striker showed and also affected the freedom that Dobbo and Lench had so limiting their effectiveness a little. I'd much prefer us still to be in the trophy as it's our best chance any year of a Wembley Final but we are within sight of the FA Cup 3rd round and in the promotion hunt so am still very optimistic that a great start will turn into a fantastic season.

 

Best thing for me was that Manny played 40 minutes, scored and had an immediate impact.

[3spirit]

I thought we controlled the game until they scored and again for the bulk of the second half. Playing without a striker showed and also affected the freedom that Dobbo and Lench had so limiting their effectiveness a little. I'd much prefer us still to be in the trophy as it's our best chance any year of a Wembley Final but we are within sight of the FA Cup 3rd round and in the promotion hunt so am still very optimistic that a great start will turn into a fantastic season.

 

Best thing for me was that Manny played 40 minutes, scored and had an immediate impact.

 

You couldn't level that Slough didn't try to win the game,the fact that they didn't is just one of those things.

As has been said ,this season the league holds priority.

Over the two games, were Hendon any better than Slough?  I don't believe so.

Just unlucky on the night IMO.

 

One thing that has come to light ahead of our FA Cup match / posible matches, is for our players to sharpen up their penalty taking in training this week, ha ha !

Edited November 29, 2017 by 3spirit

[Stuntman Mark]

Absolutely embarrassing that one of our fans was asked to take down their Slough Town flag last night by facilities management. 

[Reading Rebel]

Absolutely embarrassing that one of our fans was asked to take down their Slough Town flag last night by facilities management. 

 

 

?? Don't we had flags/banners up at every game ?  

Edited November 29, 2017 by Reading Rebel

[camra rebel]

Absolutely embarrassing that one of our fans was asked to take down their Slough Town flag last night by facilities management. 

another council jobsworth must have been a Health and Safety issue...shame none of them don't actually know anything about H&S

[Bernie Gogan]

Was it covering up one of those TV ready SBC adverts by any chance?

[Stuntman Mark]

Nowhere near them. 

[A Rebel and a Saint]

Not council, external stewards.