Makowski and Drakes-Thomas combine for dramatic winner as Slough stun Hornchurch

Jaiden Drakes-Thomas. Photo: Zak Rana

--

Hornchurch 2, Slough Town 3

Slough Town produced one of the results of their season so far as they went away to promotion chasing Hornchurch and won 3-2 with Wiktor Makowski teeing up Jaiden Drakes-Thomas for the winner in second half stoppage time.

The Rebels managed to grasp all three points from one of the trickier looking away games in the National League South calendar, and they did so without a host of first team players, lost to the team through injury.

In claiming victory, they also made it back-to-back wins in the league and are also now unbeaten in their last four matches. They’ve also picked up 30 points from their last 15 matches to haul themselves clear of the relegation zone and safely into mid-table - promotion form, but with only 10 games left, a shot at the top seven is probably beyond them given the equally strong form of the teams above them.

Still, player manager Scott Davies wouldn’t just have bitten your hand off for this sort of return when the relegation threatened Rebels travelled to Maidenhead United on Boxing Day - he’d have bitten your whole arm off and probably one of your legs as well.

Slough have become a team to be feared in this division - whether home or away, and whatever the circumstances.

On Saturday. they took the lead after only 12 minutes, Ruben Shakpoke slotting home from the penalty spot after Harvey Walker was brought down in the area. The keeper Arthur Nasta got his hand to it but could only push it onto the underside of the crossbar and in,

Hornchurch had their moments - as you might expect for a side sitting second in the league table, but Slough’s defence was strong when called on in the first half. They blocked shots and Erion Zabeli made crucial headers as the Urchins whipped in dangerous crosses.

The end-to-end nature of the game continued through to half-time and the Rebels were able to capitalise on that when they took a second opportunity deep into stoppage time. Like at Bath City on Tuesday, Makowski sniffed out a long ball and got onto the end of it, rounding the Hornchurch keeper and stabbing the ball home for his 19th of the season.

Slough came out for the second half with a two-goal lead to protect and this they initially did. But Hornchurch also stepped up their game and finally began to take their chances. Herny Hearn made the most of their early second half pressure to make it 2-1. Hornchurch stepped up the pressure and pushed hard for a second. They headed over the bar with Alfie Marriott beaten and Hearn looked certain to score a second in the 67th minute but he skied a ball across the face of goal.

Slough had a chance to settle the game themselves in the 64th minute when Zabeli played in Makowski. But on this occasion his lobbed effort bounced off the crossbar rather than under it and the score remained 2-1.

The Urchins got the goal their pressure merited when Darren McQueen (79') hammered home after a goalmouth scramble in the 79th minute and the hosts looked more than capable of completing the turnaround in the final stages.

As Davies began thinking of consolidation and the preservation of a point, Brian Nelson managed to intercept a pass and got the visitors on the front foot in injury-time. He got the ball to Makowski who twisted inside and then outside of his defender before poking a pass to Drakes-Thomas, taking Nasta out of the game in the process and providing his teammate with the simplest of tap ins.

Slough then saw out the remaining minutes to claim victory over their highest placed opponents this season. It lifts them to 15th and closer to their targeted points haul this season. They’re nine points off the play-offs - a stretch target for sure, but with relegation concerns now eased, why not shoot for the stars. Hampton & Richmond Borough are the visitors to Arbour Park tomorrow evening.