Slough Town recover to beat Hayes & Yeading United in first match at Arbour Park

Slough Town 2, Hayes & Yeading United 1

It wasn’t a perfect performance but, in front of a sell-out crowd of expectant supporters in their first match at Arbour Park, this victory will have felt damn near perfect for Slough Town’s joint bosses Neil Baker and Jon Underwood.

After more than a decade playing their football away from Slough, the Rebels returned home, and capped a hard-working performance with a 2-1 win over Hayes & Yeading United at Arbour Park.

It took them a while to get going, but once Slough were up and running they were more than good enough to take all three points thanks to a goal in either half from Lee Barney and substitute James Dobson.

The Rebels trotted out in front of 1,401 supporters to the strains of Thin Lizzy’s ‘The Boys are Back in Town’, but failed to produce their best until midway through the period.

By then they were already 1-0 down after Lloyd Macklin took advantage of slack Slough marking to tap home unchallenged from Jimmy Shephard’s low cross in the 10th minute.

Baker, who put his back out during the team’s win over Cirencester Town on Monday, would have felt the pain more keenly after Macklin’s early strike, but he – and the thousand plus crowd – were about to get the best form of pain relief.

Slough showed plenty of endeavour in the early stages, but their attacking play lacked bite. That all changed in the 21st minute when Charlie Moone linked up with Lee Barney. The former Maidenhead United man stumbled, after beating his marker for pace, but recovered his footing to plant a high shot beyond Wells to level up the score.

Simon Dunn, one of the home side’s outstanding performers on the day, tested Wells with a dipping volley, and was later thwarted again by the Hayes’ keeper with a carbon copy effort.

Moone failed to add to his three goals for Slough this season, but it wasn’t for a lack of effort. He came close to making it 2-1 to Slough during the hosts’ most convincing spell. Collecting a Guy Hollis knock down in the 42nd minute, he spun sharply to turn a shot goalwards, but it was blocked out behind for a goal-kick.

Barney rushed clear of the Hayes’ backline once again, but this time his close control let him down and he allowed the ball to run away from him and the chance was gone.

Hayes gave as good as they got in an open, entertaining first half, and Scott had to be alert to turn over a volley from Simpson.

The visitors made Slough wait at the start of the second half, and then proceeded to take the game down to a walking pace. In the searing heat it suited them better and they carved out the best chances following the break. Macklin had a snap shot saved by Scott and then missed a glorious opening to restore the visitors’ lead. Latching onto a Simpson flick on he rounded Scott, but slid the ball into the side netting from an acute angle on the hour mark.

That seemed to liven the hosts up and, remembering their desperation to cap their homecoming with a win, they went back on the attack. Harris hooked wide from a Moone through ball and the pair combined again a few minutes later as Moone sent a volley flying over the bar.

The Arbour Park crowd demanded a second goal and Slough obliged with 15 minutes to play. A free-flowing move saw the ball to the feet of Harris on the right side of the Hayes’ area and his low cross was swept low into the net by James Dobson – a half-time substitute for the injured Lewis Putman.

Cue delirium behind the goal where a good chunk of the Slough supporters were crammed in, and relief on the touchline where Baker and Underwood rushed the pitch.

They recovered their composure pretty quickly, sending on Brad Hewitt in defence to counter Hayes’ aerial threat, and when the referee blew the final whistle after five minutes of injury-time you could see just what it meant to every Rebel in the ground.

A first win in their new ground, a fifth win of the season to keep them in second place and only Chippenham’s victory kept them off the top of the Southern League Premier Division table.

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Maidenhead United 2, Truro City 0

Dave Tarpey netted his ninth and 10th goals of the season as Maidenhead United secured their fifth straight league success.

United haven’t conceded at York Road all season and took the lead when Ryan Peters’ cross was powerfully headed home by Tarpey mid-way through the opening period.

Tarpey passed up a chance to make it 2-0 from the penalty spot just after half-time but made amends a few minutes later when he slotted home after collecting Christian Smith’s clever through-ball.

It was another day for United’s frontman to remember, but this was also fine day for the defence. Captain Alan Massey was immense for the Magpies and it’s now 443 minutes since goalkeeper Carl Pentney last conceded a goal.

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Other results:

Windsor 0, Walton & Hersham 0

Petersfield Town 0, Marlow 2

Henley Town 1, Flackwell Heath 0

Burnham 0, Binfield 4

Holyport 3, Wokingham & Emmbrook 1