Fontenelle calls for 'realism' as Slough Town bid to get out of present rut

Tony Fontenelle has called for a bit of ‘realism’ from supporters as the Rebels look to dig themselves out of their present rut and get back to form in the National League South.

Slough Town are in the midst of a mid-season dip in form that's seen then concede 13 times across three matches in the league and cup.

Controversial decisions went against them in the 5-1 defeat at Boreham Wood, but there were few complaints as they exited the FA Trophy off the back of a 4-0 defeat at Kidderminster Harriers at Aggborough Stadium.

However, they were hoping for more than a 4-1 defeat when they travelled to struggling Hemel Hempstead Town in Hertfordshire on Saturday.

Hemel had recently changed managers and with a couple of new signings in their line-up delivered an impressive second half performance to take the game away from the Rebels. Individual errors also handed the hosts a couple of their goals, but for more than an hour this was an even contest, and Fontenelle felt there would only be one winner when Francis Amartey headed home in the 60th minute to finish off a sweeping move from the visitors.

Unfortunately, their hopes imploded somewhat after that as Joe White tapped home their second in the 70th minute, Brandon Barzey volleyed home their third and Alfie Cerulli added a fourth for Hemel in stoppage time.

The margin of defeat was a bitter pill for Fontenelle to swallow.

“We were hoping to get something from this game, but mistakes cost us,” he said.

“If you give teams the chances and opportunities, nine times out of 10 they’ll punish you. That’s what happened to us on Saturday.

“We went in a goal down after a mistake. We tweaked our formation and gave it a real go.

“For 20/25 minutes we looked like the Slough Town of old. We were camped in their half. The goal we scored was as good as any goal you’ll see up and down the country to be honest. It was a good team goal and Francis Amartey was at the back post to head it in.

“At that time, it felt like we had real momentum and there was only going to be one winner. But a misplaced pass was cut out and they hit us on the break quickly and punished us. We conceded another shortly afterwards and then it felt like we’d let the game slip away from us – from a position of strength. The final goal was the last kick of the game and flattered them a bit. It was a bitter pill to swallow.”

Saturday's result leaves the Rebels 12th in the table - still within striking distance of the play-offs if they can put together a run of form in the coming months. However, the better financed, full-time sides have risen to the top in recent weeks and Fontenelle knows they'll be difficult to shift now.

They host a couple of those sides in third placed Eastbourne Borough on Saturday and leaders Torquay United on Tuesday evening. These fixtures at Arbour Park have had a galvanising impact on the players in recent seasons and Rebels fans will be hoping that's the case again this week.

“We're in a better league standing at this point than we were last year,” he said.

“I wouldn’t say we’re comfortable, but we’re looking up rather than looking down.

“We want to push for a play-off place, but we also must be realistic when we look at the stature of the clubs that are in those positions at this moment.

“They have the financial spending power and they’re also full-time sides. We’re trying to compete with them, we’re not shying away from the task in hand, but we also have to have a bit of realism.”

He added: “There’s no stress, no drama and no need to hit the panic button. We just need to have a realisation of where we’re at and where we want to get to.”