Fontenelle: "We simply didn't take our chances and Tonbridge did'

Slough Town have been a difficult team to predict of late. They’ve won matches they’ve been expected to lose and have lost matches they’d have expected to win.

Saturday was frustratingly a case in point as they went down to a 3-2 home defeat against Tonbridge Angels - the team sitting just above them in the National League South table before the start of play.

Assistant boss Tony Fontenelle felt the Rebels almost started ‘too well’ as they raced into a goal lead inside the first minute through Wiktor Makowski. Perhaps a touch of complacency settled in after that - off the back of the club’s magnificent 3-0 away win over promotion chasers Hemel Hempstead Town the previous weekend - while the loss of striker Ruben Shakpoke to injury also clearly unsettled the home side.

Tonbridge hit back with goals from Noah McCann in the eighth minute and Tom Leahy in the 34th, but the Rebels roused themselves once more before the break with Kiki Oshilaja continuing his fine goal scoring form this season with another headed goal.

Slough were arguably the better team in the second half, but they couldn’t take the chances which fell their way whereas Tonbridge were clinical when the opportunity presented itself for Bunmi Babajide to grab the winner in the 80th minute.

“On paper when you look at the results that we’ve had, you would have fancied our chances against Tonbridge,” said Fontenelle. “But there are no easy games as we always say. We almost started too well, as funny as it sounds. We managed to get our noses in front in the first minute and then we lost Ruben Shakpoke after seven minutes and that knocked our confidence a little bit. The lads were still trying to play in the same way even though we had a different front man on (Basil Tuma).

“We didn’t really get going and then conceded straight after from a set piece. But we came in at 2-2 and felt again like we were the ones in and ascendancy in the second half. I felt we’d be the ones that went on and won it, but credit to Tonbridge, their away form is really good. The lad has taken his goal well, but we should have cleared our lines better.

“We wanted to get back to action at Bath City, but the weather has won there. We’ll look to have two good training sessions though and see what comes of it.”

Fontenelle added: “I wouldn’t say we were caught chasing the win, but when the scoreline is level, teams will always get opportunities. We simply didn’t take our chances due to good saves or poor finishing and when their moment came, they took it. Fair play to them.

“We don’t want this to have any kind of hangover for our season. We’re still well on target to reach our goals.”

Slough have won four of their last six matches, however, it’s felt like a bit of a rollercoaster of late as they desperately bid to lift themselves away from the relegation zone. They surprisingly won with only 10 men at Maidenhead United. Went on to beat Chesham United and Eastbourne Borough at home before slipping up at bottom of the table Chippenham Town.

Scott Davies’ side bounced back by putting in their ‘performance of the season’ to beat Hemel at Vauxhall Road, but they’ve failed to capitalise on it once again by going down at home to Tonbridge.

Fontenelle said: “Over the course of the six-game run, you’d probably have had us down to lose against Hemel and Maidenhead, and you might have had us to win against Chippenham and Tonbridge so we’re probably there or there abouts where we expected to be.”

Next up is another home game against 10th placed Chelmsford City, but things have tightened up at the bottom of the table, with Slough now only three points above the bottom four. Hampton & Richmond’s home win over title chasing Worthing on Tuesday certainly did the Rebels no favours.

“It’s tight at the bottom,” he added. “It’s exciting and I’m sure the clubs below us would rather be in our position. Nothing has changed at our end, objective wise and we’ve just got to get as positive a result as we can against Chelmsford, but we know it will be difficult as they’re a full-time side.

“We’ll keep trying to give a good account of ourselves. The lads are hell bent on achieving our objectives.

“It’s going to change week by week and there is a lot of football still to be played between now and the end of the season. We’ve still got 20 games to go so it’s not panic stations.”