Scorers :  Lee Togwell 93, James Dobson 96, Josh Jackman 109

Date: Tuesday 25th September 2018 - 7:45pm - Emirates FA Cup Second Qualifying Round Replay

Venue: Universal Stadium

Match Sponsored by : Universal Plumbing Supplies

Sholing: Ryan Gosney, TJ Cuthbertson, Marvin Mclean, Pete Castle, Dan Miller, Jamie Bulpitt (Jack Smith 82), Jamie Bulpitt, Alex Sawyer (Owen Royl 43), Byron Mason [c], Dan Mason, Lee Wort (Billy Connor 105), Bradley Targett (Jake Hoole 58).  Unused Subs: Kevin Brewster, Owen Roundell, Nick O'Donnell

Yellow Cards: Bradley Targett, Jack Smith

Slough Town: Jack Turner, Josh Jackman, George Wells, Sam Togwell, Mark Nisbet [c], Lee Togwell, James Dobson, Scott Davies, Ben Harris, Matt Stevens, Warren Harris.  Subs : Sean Fraser, Nathan Smart, Louie Soares, Chris Flood, Manny Williams

Yellow Cards: Ben Harris, George Wells

Attendance: 327

Referee: Adrian Harris Assistants: Calum McFarlane & Nigel Baker

Sholing put in a fantastic performance to take Slough Town to extra time, but finally succumbed to the side from 3 leagues above.  Boatmen can take great heart from matching the National League South team for long periods over 2 games and 210 minutes of Football, but the "Rebels" came strong as Sholing tired and will advance in the FA Cup.

Team News : Dave Diaper made one change from Saturday, swapping Jake Hoole for Bradley Targett. 

A chilly evening welcomed a big crowd, boosted by a healthy number from Slough Town as the game got underway at the Universal Stadium.  Was a hectic opening 15 minutes, with the visitors playing a very fast tempo and closing down Sholing forays into their half very quickly.  Slough were increasing the pressure, but the only effort on target at this point was comfortably saved by Gosney.  For the Boatmen, it was a case of almost getting in behind the Rebels defence, but apart from a corner that was scrambled away, had little to show attack wise.

Slough were awarded a penalty on 22 mins for a trip in the area.  Dobson, who scored his penalty on Saturday, low in the right corner, opted to go to the left this side and with some elevation.  However, his well struck penalty drew a brilliant save by Ryan Gosney, who tipped it up onto the crossbar and the rebound was smothered away.

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The game settled down from the frantic opening, with Slough still on top and forcing several corners, but Sholing were defending very well.  There was a blow to the Boatmen as Alex Sawyer picked up an injury, with Owen Royl coming on.  Sholing were working hard for each other, but weren't able to create anything to threaten the Slough keeper as the first half came to an end.  HT 0-0

Sholing forced a corner just after the restart and the inswinging cross was chested goalwards by Pete Castle from 6 yards, but there were two Slough players covering the line to hack the ball clear.   The game then reverted to how much of how the first half was, Slough with the majority of possession, but finding a Sholing defence very hard to break down.  A few shots by the rebels flashed wide and the visitors failed to take advantage of a number of corners & set pieces.

On 68 minutes, Sholing finally were able to stretch the Slough defence, with the ball landing at the feet of Jamie Bulpitt just inside the box, but the Slough keeper scrambled quickly across to deflect the goalbound effort away with his legs.   You felt that the Boatmen needed just one good chance to fall for goalmachine, Dan Mason and on 75 minutes, D-Dan held off his marker to spin and shoot from 16 yards, but the ball went inches wide of the upright.   Slough thought they had scored on 79 mins as a corner ended up in the net, but the referee deemed it was via a handball and booked the Rebels player.  In the last minute of the 90, Slough had a big chance to win it, but a free header was planted wide from the middle of the box.  FT 0-0, so the game went to extra time.

Not sure if the break in play was detrimental to Sholing, but Slough started the first half of extra time still looking fresh and got the all important opening goal just 3 minutes in.  A deep cross from the right found Lee Togwell with a free header at the far post to nod in.  The rebels quickly killed the game stone dead with a quality individual goal on 96 minutes.  James Dobson from over 20 yards out, hit a rocket of an angled shot that left Gosney rooted as it smacked off the inside of the far post.

With the game won, Slough rubbed salt into the wound by grabbing a third on 109 mins when Josh Jackman cut in from the right and hit a shot across Gosney and in via the upright.  Sholing almost got a consolation, but Billy Connor's shot went wide.  The referee brought an end to the Cup tie, with the exhausted Boatmen players clearly leaving all they had on the pitch, but can be very proud of how they performed against a team much higher in the Non League ladder and valuable experience gained for the rest of the season.  FT AET 0-3

Dave Diaper was interviewed by Jamie Spoor after the game and said : “Of course you’re never happy to get knocked out of a cup, but I’m really proud of the boys tonight. Every one of them put a shift in, I couldn’t have asked for more and their manager said to me that we were as good as, if not better than, some of the sides in their league and there can be no higher compliment than that. The scoreline did flatter them, and the big moment in the tie was the chance that Jamie (Bulpitt) had with about 20 to go, the keeper’s made a great save and then they really took control after that. Once the first goal went in we were up against it, congratulations to Slough, but my boys deserve a lot of credit.”

Many thanks for the good turnout of supporters and for the club volunteers for their hard work.  Good luck to Slough Town in the next round of the FA Cup.

Next Game : FREE Admission Community Day - Sholing v AFC Portchester - Saturday 29th Sept 3pm

Photos by Ray Routledge (click an image to enlarge)