Davies braces Slough Town for 'hostile' Boxing Day derby with Maidenhead United

Scott Davies has said he expects a ‘hostile and intense atmosphere’ when the Rebels travel to York Road for the SL Classico with Maidenhead United on Boxing Day.

But before that they have the little matter of Dorking Wanderers at Arbour Park on Saturday, with Slough looking to dig themselves out of the National League South relegation zone.

Despite an improvement in form of late, and Tuesday’s encouraging goalless draw with Dagenham & Redbridge away from home, the Rebels remain in the bottom four, one point from safety.

However, with the distraction of the FA Cup now firmly behind them, the Rebels are free to concentrate on the bread and butter of their league form and Davies is hopeful they can spring a surprise or two against sixth placed Dorking and eighth placed Maidenhead.

Slough have been in decent form at home this season – despite their lowly league position – and recently beat both AFC Totton and Farnborough at Arbour Park. So, they’ll be confident they can get a positive result against a Dorking side who comfortably got the better of them in the early weeks of the season. At that stage, Davies said the 2-0 loss at Meadowbank was a step too far for his new and much-changed team.

With most of his players having now returned from injury, he won’t be quite so forgiving of a similar performance this Saturday.

Also on the horizon is the clash with the in-form Magpies at York Road on December 26 where crucial points and local bragging rights are up for grabs. It’s the first league clash between the two teams in more than two decades and Maidenhead may have revenge on their mind after the Rebels dumped them out of the FA Trophy last season.

“A lot of the quality in the non-league sort of goes out of the window when you play a derby,” said Davies.

“I think the atmosphere will be very intense and quite hostile and I’m sure there will be the best part of a few thousand people there.

“Our lads will know what it means to play in a local derby, I’ll make sure I spell that out to them. It’s a game we’re looking forward to.

“Maidenhead have picked up of late after having a little blip and that just shows how strong the league is. Maidenhead went five games without a win, and I think it might have been five defeats.

“For a club of their stature and size, it shows how difficult the league can be and how at times it’s difficult to get points on the board.

“I’m really looking forward to that game. It’s the first fixture that we all look at when the fixtures come out.

“I’m sure Maidenhead are the same and they’ll be looking to get a bit of payback for last season when we knocked them out of the FA Trophy so it’s definitely one we can look forward to, not only for ourselves but for the fans as well.”

Maidenhead have won their last four – ahead of this Saturday’s trip to Hemel Hempstead Town – a run of form that’s lifted them back up to eighth in the table, two points outside the play-offs. Before that though they went eight games without a win in all competitions.

Slough are also through to the semi-finals of the Berks & Bucks Senior Cup after overcoming Abingdon United with a 3-0 win at Arbour Park last week. The tie came just days after the setback of their FA Cup exit to Macclesfield and has had a restorative impact on the side.

The draw for the semi-finals will be made in the new year, with Reading Academy and Wycombe Wanderers having also reached the final four. Hungerford Town await the winners of Chesham United and Milton Keynes Dons in the other quarter-final clash.

Davies said: “The draw is getting made in the new year.

“The result (against Abingdon) was pleasing the performance not so much.

“I wanted more and I told the lads that. But it was going to be more difficult off the back of the Macclesfield game.

“From playing in front of 2,600 people to playing in front of 200 people on the Tuesday. We used a completely different squad and hopefully we can push on now and get to the final.”