Kingstonian 0-4 Slough Town
Rebels with a Cause

After an encouraging victory over Northwood last week Kingstonian were brought back down to Earth in spectacular fashion, as defensive frailties allowed an impressive Slough Town to inflict K's biggest home defeat for a year and a half.

New signings James Rose and Phil Ruggles were the only changes to the side, coming in up front for Martyn Williams and the departed Liam Collins. Kingstonian rarely managed to replicate the free-flowing attacking football that had Northwood under so much pressure in the previous game, and from early on Slough looked the more dangerous side.

In the fifth minute Glen Harris fed the ball into the box for Ryan Spencer. Barry Marchena blocked his shot, which was from a tough angle, but was unable to prevent a corner. Fortunately for Kingstonian, Giles Coke headed the set-piece clear.

On eleven minutes Christian Metcalfe fired over from outside the penalty box, and a minute later Spencer did the same after Harris dispossessed Ahmet Rifat deep in the home sides' half.

K's first chance came on thirteen minutes, when Ruggles turned Michael Murphy. Rose almost got on the end of his cross, which was only cleared as far as Martyn Lee. Lee took the ball into the box, but Rebels captain Steve Daly blocked his shot for a corner. Mazin Ahmad took the kick which Jon Coke rose highest to, but the Kingstonian right-back headed narrowly over.

On seventeen minutes the visitors took the lead. Mat Seedel fired the ball from well outside the K's penalty box. His connection with the ball appeared less than perfect, but pacey wide-man Josias Carbon latched onto it behind Dean Souyana and placed his shot past Marchena into the far corner. Although there was a suspicion of offside, the K's defence allowed Carbon far too much time and space to pick his spot.

K's came out fighting, and on 20 minutes an excellent cross-field ball by Lee picked out Ahmad. He beat Murphy on the right flank and cut into the box, although waited a fraction too long to shoot and James Saylsbury made an excellent block. Giles Coke picked up the loose ball and fed Souyana, whose cross missed Rose's head by a matter of inches.

Three minutes later Harris tested Marchena with a low shot from the corner of the box, but the former Brentford goalkeeper was equal to it. The next fifteen minutes saw K's have more possession than the visitors, but as has too often been the case this year, this possession did not yield clear-cut opportunities. Ahmad was playing well and was by far Kingstonian's most creative player, beating opponents and delivering teasing crosses, but Town's centre-halves Daly and Saylsbury were mostly able to block out K's attacks.

Then on 37 minutes Slough doubled their lead. A dreadful pass by Souyana went straight to Harris. A quick one-two with Carbon set him free in the box, and he blasted past Marchena to complete the move in emphatic fashion.

K's almost got straight back in the game a minute later when Ahmad had a free kick. 35 yards out and at an angle from goal, everyone expected him to hit it toward the crowd of players at the far post. Instead, the midfielder hit it low straight at the near post, and had he given it a touch more power goalkeeper Jake Winchup might have been unable to scramble across and block the ball on the goal-line.

In the 43rd minute Slough effectively sealed the game. Jon Coke blocked a long range shot, but was then caught out of position as Harris got free on the left-hand side of the box to smash his volley past Marchena.

At half-time Marien Ifura and Danny Collyer replaced Jon Coke and Souyana in an attempt to shore up the leaking home defence. For the most part it worked, but K's were unable to create much themselves to test Winchup.

In the 47th minute Ahmad crossed for Rose, but Murphy just beat him to the ball and headed clear for a corner. Two minutes later Saylsbury denied Rose from a Rifat cross, but this time the ball fell to Ahmad. He sent it to Ruggles at the near post, but his powerful header went wide.

Two minutes later and a long ball deflected towards Ruggles in the visitors penalty box. He chested it down, but took it too far and was left with an impossible angle to shoot from, firing well wide.

In the 54th minute Slough were back on the attack, and Marchena made a good save at the near post from a Seedel header. Two minutes later he made another good block, this time when Spencer broke free behind the defence and tried to beat him at the near post.

In the 58th minute Ahmad once more gave Winchup cause for concern, sending an excellent cross to the far post. Daly just beat Rose to the ball and headed the ball behind, although K's were denied a corner due to an alleged foul by Rose.

The game went rather quiet after this and began to peter out. Just after the hour mark Slough had a brace of chances, as first Seedel pulled a shot wide, and then Marchena saved from Metcalfe. On 70 minutes Rifat headed an Ahmad free kick wide for K's and five minutes later Alex Haddow fired wide from long-range for the visitors.

In the 78th minute Martyn Williams replaced Martyn Lee as K's looked to enliven play by adding a third striker, but five minutes after the change the home side were again caught short defensively. Harris played Spencer through on goal, and the Rebels striker beat Marchena with a fantastic chip from the edge of the penalty area to put the gloss on an impressive display by the Rebels.

Ahmad came close in the 89th minute, but soon afterwards the final whistle put Kingstonian out of their misery. There is no denying that it was a poor display from K's. The defence, which at home at least has usually been very solid this season was cut apart numerous times by Slough. Glen Harris was particularly dangerous and performed superbly for the Rebels, while the fourth goal by Spencer was genuine class.

Probably the only bright point of the match for K's was the continued improvement of Mazin Ahmad, named Triumph Trophies Kingstonian Man of the Match. After a mixed start to his K's career, he has looked dangerous and skilful on the right in the last two games. What few chances K's had against Slough tended to come from his crosses and set pieces, and with a little luck he may have found himself with a couple of assists. Nonetheless, K's have much work to do if they are to work their way up the league table.