Rebels rue missed chances after dramatic tie with Gloucester ends in penalty defeat

Ansu Janneh after scoring Slough Town’s equaliser. Photo: Zak Rana

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Slough Town 1, Gloucester City 1 (Gloucester progress 4-3 on penalties)

A phlegmatic Scott Davies was happy with Slough’s ‘outstanding’ performance - if not the result - after the Rebels bowed out of the FA Trophy on penalty kicks to Gloucester City at Arbour Park this afternoon.

The Rebels made four changes to their starting line up from the side which hammered Beaconsfield Town 8-0 in the Berks & Bucks Senior Cup in mid-week, with new loan signing Jacob Borgnis coming in for his first start after signing a deal from Reading on Friday.

Kiki Oshilaja, Jaiden Drakes-Thomas and Johnny Goddard were the other changes for the home side who created their fair share of decent chances in an entertaining opening period.

Gloucester City are riding high in the Southern League Premier South, however, and they also had their moments as the play ebbed and flowed at Arbour Park, but Slough will rue several very presentable chances that weren’t taken in both halves.

City’s Joe Hanks tried his luck from distance as he attempted an audacious lob over Adam Desbois in the 11th minute, Desbois was forced into action again a few minutes later as he pushed out a dangerous corner kick before Elis Watts fired wide from the middle of the box.

The Rebels grew into the tie from that moment with Goddard dragging a shot wide of the keeper’s right post in the 18th minute and Drakes-Thomas’ seeing a decent opening well blocked in the 22nd minute. Their best chance of the half fell to Drakes-Thomas again a few minutes later when he exchanged passes with Makowski before curling just wide.

Makowski was the next player to have his head in his hands after his swerving shot flashed just wide of the post in the 27th minute.

Davies must have been wondering if it wasn’t going to be his side’s day when Makowski flicked an effort goalwards from Goddard’s cross only to see it bounce back off the unaware keeper.

But just when it felt Slough were building a head of steam, Gloucester took the lead through Marcus Day’s header in the 39th minute.

Brian Nelson was shown a yellow card for attempting to stop the ball from going in with his hand. Had he saved it, he would have conceded a penalty and been red carded, so perhaps it was a blessing Day’s shot found the back of the net.

Slough had lots of chances but lacked their usual clinical edge until the 59th minute when Ansu Janneh levelled things up. A corner into the box was kept alive by Dan Roth. He found the head of Oshilaja who knocked it down for Janneh to smash home.

Thompson held a low shot from Harvey Walker a few minutes later as the Rebels looked to turn the tie on its head. The hosts then hit the post through the luckless Drakes-Thomas, the midfielder cutting in from the right and curling a beautiful shot onto the top of the right post.

Walker fired into the side-netting with a decent opening and Drakes-Thomas saw an effort from a similar position go wide of the mark as the home side maintained their momentum.

Gloucester’s shot stopper Jared Thompson then made the save of the game to keep out Makowski’s 78th minute header which was tipped onto the crossbar. But that was only a warm-up for another sensational save to thwart Drakes-Thomas in the 82nd minute with the rebound hacked off the line by a defender.

The tie went straight to penalties after the full-time whistle, but unfortunately for the Rebels, two of their most reliable takers missed the target.

Davies smashed the tie’s opening kick against the crossbar.

Goddard scored, Desbois saved Watts’ spot kick, and Roth also netted before Makowski sent his penalty over the crossbar. Walker scored to keep the Rebels in it at 3-3 but Williams scored to settle the tie in Gloucester’s favour.

Afterwards, Davies said: “Probably quite strange to say after losing a cup tie on penalties, but I thought the lads were outstanding today against a good Gloucester side. On another day we win the tie and progress if we take our chances. But the performance was where I want it to be.”

Slough are four points from safety in the National League South, and they return to action at 20th placed Farnborough on Tuesday evening.