Bayliss scores but the Rebels are beaten by league leaders Yeovil Town

Slough Town defender Dan Bayliss. Photo: George Beck

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Yeovil Town 3, Slough Town 1

Slough Town produced a spirited performance as they went down to a 3-1 defeat against runaway league leaders Yeovil Town last night (Tuesday).

The Rebels recent fine form has just been checked of late, with Scott Davies’ side losing to bottom club Dover Athletic and table toppers Yeovil in the space of a few days.

Those defeats have left the Rebels 13th in the table, still only five points off the play-off places and they’ll hope for a return to form at home to Weymouth at Arbour Park this weekend.

After George Nikaj’s late goal condemned them to an ill-deserved defeat at the Crabble on Saturday, the Rebels gave hosts Yeovil a decent game at Huish Park before finally accepting defeat in the closing stages.

Temi Eweka rattled the crossbar for the visitors in the 13th minute, the defender so unfortunate to see his close-range header from Matt Lench’s cross come back off the woodwork.

At the other end Dan Lincoln did incredibly well to smother an opportunity for Pearson, who was foiled as he tried to take the ball around the Slough keeper.

On his 250th appearance for the club, Josh Jackman sent a powerful drive narrowly wide in the 25th minute, and the Rebels felt they had strong claims for a penalty when Tyrese Dyce was brought down in the area just before the half-hour mark, but the referee was unmoved.

Davies’ side deserved to be on level terms as they came off at half-time, but they trailed soon into the second half when Matt Worthington forced the ball past Lincoln from a Yeovil corner.

A second followed for the hosts through Jordan Young in the 54th minute, but the Rebels refused to throw in the towel and grabbed a goal back through Dan Bayliss’ brilliant strike from the edge of the box in the 70th minute.

Nathan Minhas, who’d earlier gone close with shot that flew past the post in the 57th minute, might have levelled in the 73rd minute, but he wasn’t quite able to get the ball out of his feet to shoot from another dangerous delivery.

But Slough’s hopes were dashed when Jeanmal Prosper brought down his man in the area and Frank Nouble fired the spot kick beyond Lincoln in the 82nd minute. The Rebels continued to fight, going close from a goalmouth scramble and a last-minute header from a Lench free kick that flashed wide, but it wasn’t to be.

After the game, Davies posted: “Boys gave it a real good go against an extremely good side. “Penalty was an absolute sucker punch as I felt as though we were in the game at that point. “Some of the decisions tonight were bizarre. Definitely need some luck on our side against the teams at the top.”