Slough's report

[Hempstead Gaz]

SeFA Trophy fifth round

 

Gravesend & Northfleet 3, Slough Town 2

 

Attendance: 963

 

 

SLOUGH Town bowed out of the FA Trophy this afternoon having led their fifth-round match with Conference club Gravesend & Northfleet.

 

 

Two goals from left wing-back Michael Murphy had the home side fighting to stay in the competition, until Manny Omoyinmi struck a 73rd-minute winner.

 

 

Just 32 minutes had been played and the crowd, just shy of 1,000, had seen two goals and three substitutions. Lee Gledhill replaced Graham Porter in defence for Gravesend in the eighth minute after he injured an ankle with the slightest of knocks by Matt Murphy.

 

 

But within two minutes the hosts had taken the lead. Lee Protheroe delivered a corner from the left and Paul McCarthy was able to tap in a simple header.

 

 

Slough’s reply, however, was awesome. The ball was fed in to Michael Murphy who was given room to cut inside and unleash a fierce strike from about five yards outside the penalty area, which rocketed over former Slough stopper Paul Wilkerson.

 

 

Then Rebels’ midfield player Darron Wilkinson was unable to continue after aggravating an injury to his hamstring sustained initially in the 4-2 victory over AFC Wimbledon last Tuesday. It is not yet known whether he will now miss Slough’s match at home to Hendon on March 1. Glen Harris, left on the bench by manager Eddie Denton following Christian Metcalfe’s surprise availability from suspension, came on as a replacement in the 19th minute.

 

 

Roy Essandoh was the final player to leave the field in the first half. Chasing through in an attempt to meet Andy Drury’s cross from the right-hand side, he collided with the post and was taken off on a stretcher. It seems all he sustained was a dead leg and was replaced by James Pinnock in the 31st minute.

 

 

Gravesend then had two chances to re-take the lead. First skipper Steve McKimm fired a low shot just past the post, before Slough defender James Saulsbury made an error, which handed Pinnock with a golden opportunity – but he blasted his effort wide from the corner of the box.

 

 

The same player almost put Gravesend ahead early in the second half, but again failed to find the target with a clear view of Shaun Allaway’s goal.

 

 

Then the tide turned and it looked and felt that maybe this truly was Slough Town’s year for cup success.

 

 

One minute after Pinnock had shot wide of goal, Josias Carbon was fouled by Justin Skinner five yards out from the home side’s penalty area. Harris tapped it left to Michael Murphy and he drilled a low shot past Wilkerson to give the visiting underdogs a 2-1 lead.

 

 

The referee then kept his head when players from both sides failed to keep theirs in the middle of the park, the match official describing the incident as ‘simply handbags’ after the game.

 

 

But Slough could only hold on to their lead until the 56th minute when man of the match Jay Saunders was left alone and unmarked in the six-yard box to equalise.

 

 

Buoyed by this, Gravesend increased the tempo and Ian Hodges, playing as a makeshift centre back, was caught out by Omoyinmi’s run, who then nipped ahead and struck the ball with the outside of his boot to give the home side a 3-2 advantage.

 

 

It could so easily have been 4-2 soon after, had it not been for Michael Murphy, who headed a shot off the line following another Protheroe corner.

 

 

At times Slough, who play two leagues below Gravesend in the Ryman Premier League, made their opponents look ordinary. But their defensive play let them down and focus will now switch to pulling themselves away from the bottom half of the league table and, of course, success in the semi-final of the Bryco Cup.

 

 

GRAVESEND & NORTHFLEET (4-4-2): Wilkerson, Protheroe, Skinner, McCarthy, Porter (Gledhill, 8), Lovell, Saunders, McKimm, Drury (Sidibe 88), Omoyinmi, Essandoh (Pinnock 36) .

 

 

SLOUGH TOWN (3-5-2): Allaway, Carbon, Mi Murphy, Daly, Saulsbury, Spencer, Wilkinson (Harris 19), Seedel, Hodges, Ma Murphy (Cann 71), Metcalfe.

 

 

Seems quite impartial and unbiased - for a change. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

[Guest]

They are having a laugh. Don't rise to it.

£ 6,000 in the bank .... thank you.

[Guest]

Come on Nige a team from 2 divisions lower ...

you were not that much better...don't kid yourselves..you shaded it...but only just...

 

<img src="/forum/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

[FleetFanatic]

I think 'made their opponents look ordinary' is a slight exaggeration of events. We outplayed them for most of the match and their first goal wouldn't have happened if Wilko had remembered to stay on his line.

[Nathan]

I think that statement 'made their opponents look ordinary' is perfectly true. Considering we were the away team, and two divisions below you lot I thought we did very well.

[Stu M]

I thought we did look ordinary at times today, but I also think a statement I think on your forum that at times you ran the game was a bit of an exaggeration. Other than when 2-1 down, we didn't really look in trouble. We didn't look like winning, either, that said!!

[Nathan]

I did think he controlled the 2nd half in very small patches, because we did alot of defending in the 1st half, but pushed forward more in the 2nd.

[Matt]

It's fair to say Gravesend were almost always in control IMO. We had a couple of spells where we put together some nice moves but the Fleet always looked more threatening.

 

That report by the way is one of the local papers and not the official club website report.

[Slartibartfast]

I thought Slough gave it a good go, if you get drawn against a team two divisions above you, you might fancy your chances at home but it is always tough away.

 

Slough were not the worst team we have seen at Stonebridge road this season....in fact they weren't the worst team we have seen in the last 8 days.

 

Having said that I always thought we would win despite going behind. I think despite playing well Slough just didn't have enough goal attempts, although to be fair when they did have possession they put together some good moves.