First Half Blitz Does Job For Rebels - Slough Town vs. Merthyr Town

Pitch side bog at Holloways Park

I finished work for the year on Monday and so this gave me a bit more of licence to get a mid week game in this week. Unfortunately the weather took it upon itself to try make this as difficult as possible. My original choice of Broxbourne in The FA Vase was called off but Slough Town were confident of their game against Merthyr Town in The Southern Premier League going ahead and so I headed off to Buckinghamshire with the rain still failing. Merthyr Town won The South And West Division last season after having to come through the leagues after the original club hit trouble in 2009. Slough themselves had to leave their Wrexham Park Stadium after a disagreement with the landlords and they currently ground share at Beaconsfield SYCOB. Both sides were sitting in mid table at the start of play and The Rebels were looking to bounce back after a 6-1 defeat away at Weymouth at the weekend.

Kick off at Holloways Park

The pitch is very heavy and the rain is still falling at the delayed kick off (Merthyr ran into heavy traffic on route to the game) but fair play to the groundsman and the referee for letting the game go ahead. Merthyr have a half chance early on when a ball into the area is flicked on but there is no one there to take advantage. Slough then have a shout for a penalty but the referee is not interested. Slough take the lead when a Methyr defender tries to see the ball out for a goal kick and after he's robbed the winger puts in a great cross which is headed home from close range. They double their lead when the winger is allowed to cut and he smashes his shot past the keeper. Merthyr almost get a goal back with a header off a great cross into the box goes just wide. They have another great chance after the forward puts the ball out of the ground following a decent flick on. Slough punish these wasted chances when they add a third from the penalty spot just before half time. 

Slough attack in the first half

Methyr come out as if they'd had a bit of a shouting at half time and go on the attack at the start of the second half. Their first chance comes from a header from a corner which goes just over the bar. They come close again when the ball is drilled across the edge of the six yard box and the final effort goes just wide again. The Slough keeper then has to make a great save as the ball is flicked on at the near post from a corner. Methyr get the goal their sustained pressure deserves when a free kick from out wide eludes everyone and goes straight into the net. The visitors really sense they can get something from the game and they come desperately close to a second when a header from another corner hits the bar. Merthyr however run out of time and Slough banish thoughts of their hammering at the weekend with a 3-1 win.

Slough defend a Merthyr corner in the first half

Beaconsfield is reached by trains from Marylebone (not Paddington as I first thought for some reason) and the quick trains take just twenty minutes. Holloways Park is then a steady half hour walk away. There is a decent selection of pubs about ten minutes away from the ground. Firstly there is The White Hart which did the job without being spectacular. Then are two gastropubs - The Old White Swan and The Royal Saracens Head which both had a brilliant selections of beers. The clubhouse had the usual selection of drinks and programmes are sold in here before the game. One thing I will say about walking to the ground in the dark and wet is that the paths can get very muddy and the walk can become quite treacherous.

Watching on in sheet rain