Rebels match postponed after supporter takes ill
Slough Town FC: Slough’s super first half display against Romans counts for little
Slough Town 4, Bath City 2 (Match abandoned)
Slough Town's match with Bath City on Saturday afternoon was abandoned in the 72nd minute after a Rebels fan behind Josey Casa Grande's goal took ill and needed medical treatment.
Thankfully, due to the quick response of medical staff from both teams, the fan recovered well after receiving treatment in the stand and inside the stadium. That's the most important outcome from the match, and the game was rightly suspended so they could receive the treatment they needed.
However, with the Rebels leading 4-2 with less than 20 minutes remaining, and both clubs knowing the status of the recovering fan, surely the players should have simply come back out to complete the game.
Well, that's not how things transpired, with the Bath City manager Jerry Gill refusing to allow his team back out to resume the game because of 'welfare' issues.
He was concerned one of his players might pick up an injury having cooled down in the changing room as they waited to find out what was going to happen next.
That's one explanation for what occurred on Saturday.
Another way to look at it is that the Rebels have likely been denied what could be a massive three points in their battle to finish in the playoffs.
That's certainly how Rebels boss Scott Davies saw it, saying he felt the Romans' boss had pulled a 'swift one' on his side, and he didn't hold back in suggesting as much in his post-match interview. 'Cheated' is how he felt, and sick at the prospect of having to replay the game from the start, with both sides back on an even keel and pushing for a top seven spot.
The decision to abandon the game – again, taken with the knowledge that the unwell fan was recovering well - also robbed the 1,400 or so paying fans inside Arbour Park of an outcome in a game that had become intriguingly poised thanks to Bath City's spirited second half fightback.
Slough were excellent in the first period and fully deserving
of their 4-0 lead. In fact, as Davies said afterwards, it could easily have been five, six, seven, or even eight-nil. Such was their dominance that you sensed he felt the Romans had got off lightly as they trudged off at the break looking a beaten side.
They got off to an electric start with Slavi Spasov firing them in front after only a minute. In fact, the Rebels have now scored in the first minute of their last three matches, which must surely be some kind of record for the National League South.
It was Matty Lench's quick-thinking that created it, lofting a ball over the top for Spasov, who controlled it well before lifting a shot over Casa Grande and into the back of the net. The start continued to be fast and frenetic with David Ogbonna denied at the back post by Casa Grande and Dan Bayliss heading just wide.
Parselle headed a great chance over for City as the visitors looked to respond and although the home side edged the next 20 minutes, they didn't grab their second until the 28th minute when Johnny Goddard showed
great composure to roll a low shot into the bottom left-hand corner beyond the City keeper. Then, in the final minutes of the half, the floodgates opened, with Ogbonna pressing the City defence into a mistake and racing through on goal to slot past Casa Grande. The hosts weren't done there though, with Spasov tucking home his second of the game from close range in the 43rd minute after Casa Grande had pushed out Ogbonna's goal bound shot.
Slough weren't flattered by the scoreline, but they might have expected a response from the Romans in the second half and that's what transpired.
Gill brought on Alabi and Frear for Batten and Smith and the game became much more of a contest.
It still looked a long way back for the Romans with Spasov denied a hat-trick by Casa Grande in the 50th minute and Temi Eweka heading narrowly wide from a corner a few minutes later.
However, they gave themselves when Ewan Clark was played through and lifted the ball over Dan Lincoln to make it 4-1 in the 57th minute. The Rebels had been caught on the counter
after Ogbonna had been denied a second himself by a fine save by Casa Grande.
Then, in the 65th minute, the visitors grabbed another goal back when a corner from the right was flicked on for Cody Cooke to score from close range and it felt like the outcome might just be back in the melting pot.
It would have been interesting to see how the contest transpired, but a medical incident in the crowd then led to the match being halted and suspended before finally being abandoned 15 to 20 minutes later.
The abandonment leaves the Rebels five points off the top seven following Tuesday's fixtures. The Rebels had been due to visit Taunton Town but the wet weather in the south west meant the pitch was once again unplayable.
They're due to get back on the road this Saturday when they visit fellow promotion hopefuls, Braintree Town.
They may have new loan signing, Trae Cook-Appiah, pushing for a start after the forward joined the club from Wealdstone until the end of the season.
The deal has a recall clause after 28-days for the Stones.