SUN’S EXIT CAN SHINE A LIGHT ON REBELS BID
SCOTT DAVIES insists Slough Town’s plans are ahead of schedule and that they are eyeing a National League South play-off place despite losing key man Munashe Sundire.
Runaway National League North leaders Tamworth swooped to land Zimbabwean midfielder Sundire last week, leaving Rebels boss Davies to admit on X: “Can’t even pretend that this one doesn’t hurt.”
But the Rebels, who are in a pack of teams chasing down the top seven, did not let that blow prevent them from coming from behind twice to win 4-3 at Torquay United last weekend and they sit just outside the play-off places, just 15 months after Davies’ stepped in for his first job as a manager with the club in relegation danger.
The player-boss’ impact at Arbour Park has not gone unnoticed at board level and Davies says his outlook may be shifting towards the higher reaches of the table.
“We are in a great position. We just wanted to get safe as quickly as we could and we’ve basically done that by the beginning of February,” the 35-year-old said.
“The difference between us and the teams around us is that they are expected to make the play-offs from here.
“We are in a bit of a transitional period, with new ownership, and there is a three-to-fiveyear plan in place. It certainly wasn’t in that plan to make the play-offs in year one. We will see how things go from here.”
Davies, the former Reading, Aldershot Town and Crawley Town player has been a success at Slough so far but says he is still learning, only 65 games into his managerial career.
The Rebels boss only signed a new contract to stay at the club until 2026 last month and is looking up – even if he feels his men are moving quickly.
He added: “The owners are delighted. They have said if we get to the playoffs they’d love to have a real go at it but there’s no pressure on that at this club.
“I believe we have a group capable of pushing and if we fall short, we’ll all be disappointed. At the same time, we have to realise where we came from last year.”
Davies, who took the reins at Arbour Park in November 2022, saw the Lambs swoop for Sundire 13 days ago but did manage to tie down midfielder Leon Chambers-Parillon, who scored the dramatic late winner at Torquay, to a new deal, along with forward David Ogbonna and defender Dan Bayliss.
Although he was gutted to lose Sundire, he insists the Tamworth new-boy will always be welcome back in Slough.
“When it’s for footballing reasons, you can’t begrudge someone moving,” Davies said. “It looks like Tamworth will be promoted so you can’t turn down a chance to get a promotion on your CV and playing in the National League next season.
“When he told me it was for that, he went with our best wishes. But if it doesn’t work out for him come the summer, we would look at him coming back.”