Graham Roberts rolled back the years to guide Slough to their fourth straight win and another clean sheet at Wexham Park.
The Rebels have scored 11 times in their last four games and have not conceded a league goal in 400 minutes. The impressive run of wins has coincided with Roberts' return to the side, with the former Spurs, Rangers and England defender in the starting line-up for all four victories.
Roberts has added stability to the side with some solid performances at the back. And the influx of quality players has worked wonders — with Steve Daly in particular in outstanding form alongside Roberts at the heart of the Rebels' defence.
But, despite playing against nine men for over an hour, Slough struggled to make their advantage count and had to be content for a single goal margin of victory.
And second-placed St Albans almost made the Rebels pay for a disappointing display against the nine men, with transfer-listed keeper Paul Wilkerson pulling off a crucial late save to secure the points.
A shove on Andrew Deaner inside the box, following Lee Archer's free-kick, set Slough up for victory. Paul Barrowcliff's spot kick was blocked by St Albans keeper Paul Newell, but Slough took the lead from the resulting corner, which was headed home at the far post by Bryan Hammatt despite a desperate attempt by a Saints defender to block the ball on the line.
Reinelt was cautioned for protesting that the ball had not crossed the line, then red carded for the verbal barrage that followed — with Risley cautioned for his part in the protest. And, when Risley upended the lively Hammatt near the right wing corner flag at the clock end, referee Paul Vosper showed the defender his second yellow card — and gave St Albans a mountain to climb.
But Dominic Gentle lobbed just wide of Wilkerson's far post after the break and, with 13 minutes remaining, Wilkerson's point blank save from Paul Turner on the goalline saved the Rebels the embarrassment of throwing a lead away against nine men.
The danger wasn't over for Slough though, and the Rebels breathed a huge collective sigh of relief when the unmarked Gentle shot wide from an excellent position in the dying minutes.
Graham Roberts said afterwards: "It must say something about the team that, having not played that well, we can come out of the game with three points. Yeah, the players did not perform they were a bit sloppy. But a month ago we would have lost that game. Now our goalie is having to make very few saves."
Match report from www.sloughtownfc.net/ |
