Super-sub Slavi scores again but joy quickly turns to despair for Rebels

Slough Town FC

Hampton & Richmond Borough 2, Slough Town 1

Slough Town striker Slavi Spasov scored a brilliant diving header in the closing stages of yesterday’s (Monday) clash at the Beaveree, but joy quickly turned to despair for the Rebels as Ben Seymour netted an injury-time winner for hosts Hampton.

Spasov’s goal looked like handing Slough a second creditable point from their back-toback matches against Hampton & Richmond Borough however, that point was wrestled from them almost immediately as they were condemned to New Year’s Day defeat. All three of the game’s goals arrived in the closing stages, with Joshua Anifowose picking out the bottom corner in the 76th minute to give

Hampton the lead.

Slough’s leveller in the 88th minute owed a lot to the quality of Matt Lench, who pushed the ball past his marker on the right and whipped in a delicious cross that Spasov anticipated and headed home firmly.

A point would have been just rewards for the Rebels who shaded the game in terms of chances, however, they were left heartbroken by Seymour’s stoppage-time winner.

However, once the pain of this defeat has dissipated, player manager Scott Davies will reflect on another positive showing against a team competing for promotion.

It leaves the side 18th in the National League South table, with 30 points from 23 games, and they’re now seven points clear of the drop zone with matches in hand on virtually all the sides beneath them. They’ll take on one of the sides in and around them, 19th placed Taunton Town, at Arbour Park on Saturday.

After a cagey opening at the Beaveree, Slough created the game’s first real chance in the 11th minute.

Leon Parillon’s powerful drive from the edge of the area was heading in but Desbois got down well to make a smart save. Dan Bayliss was the next Slough player to go close with a header that flashed wide of the post in the 23rd minute. Desbois made another stop from Lench just after the halfhour and a flurry of Slough attacks just before half-time resulted in another attempt from Lench that the Hampton keeper did well to claw away.

Slough had the lion’s share of possession in the first half but lacked a clinical edge and that issue – combined with a brilliant display in goal from Desbois – continued to dog them in the second half.

Munashe Sundire came close to picking out the top corner in the 54th minute only to be denied by another stunning save from Desbois while Lench blasted over the crossbar from just outside the area with half an hour to go.

Having withstood the visitor’s pressure, the home side then scored against the run of play through Anifowose’s composed finish in the 76th minute before finding a way to win the game late on through Seymour after Spasov scored his second goal in as many games to seemingly rescue a point for the Rebels. Afterwards, Davies (pictured left) posted: “Fair play to Hampton & Richmond Borough for finding a way. I guess that’s what the good sides do when they’re not at their best. Extremely disappointed to come away with one point from the two matches (against Hampton) but performance wise over 180 minutes we’ve been good value and deserved more.”