(Prosper 28′, Goddard 61′, Bayliss 82′, Chamber-Parllion 90+1′) There was more late heartbreak for United, as Slough came back from behind three times to emerge winners at Plainmoor at Saturday. Two Will Jenkins Davies goals either side of Jeanmal Prosper’s leveller put The Gulls in charge, before Johnny Goddard equalised for the visiting team for the second time. Tom Lapslie’s strike saw his side regain the lead for a third time, however Dan Bayliss’s goal for Town eventually saw parity restored once again, before insult was added to injury, courtesy of an injury-time winner for Slough’s Leon Chambers-Parllion. With United responding to the setback against St Albans seven days ago with a much-improved performance in the 3-2 loss at Maidstone three days later, it was an unchanged starting XI that took on Slough, although there were two welcome faces on the bench, with new signing Ronny Nelson being joined by back-from-injury striker Aaron Jarvis. United were nearly a goal up within three minutes. Dean Moxey’s pass into Duane Ofori-Acheampong inside the box saw the big frontman turn his man excellently, before drawing a fine sprawling save from Dan Lincoln in-between the Slough goalposts.Nathan Minhas sought to make the breakthrough at the other end four minutes later, however his shot from the edge of the box was straight at Mark Halstead. Both teams largely cancelled each other out after that initial burst, until Jenkins Davies struck in the 20th minute. Moxey’s ball from the left-hand side was centred towards Acheampong, however, whilst the Slough backline did enough to prevent him profiting from the cross, the ball fell nicely to United’s on-loan Pilgrim, who showed clever footwork before rifling a low drive past Lincoln and into the back of the net.
Looking to respond, Minhas came close to levelling matters up on 24 minutes, when after beating the offside trap – despite widespread Torquay appeals – the Slough frontman fired in a shot between Arkell Jude-Boyd and Austen Booth that nearly caught out Halstead due to a clear deflection. Thankfully though, Halstead clawed the ball around the post to keep his side’s lead intact. It was, however, only a temporary reprieve, as Town restored parity in the 28th minute. A short corner appeared to catch Johnson’s men out, and as the ball was headed back across goal from the back post, Prosper nipped in to flick the ball past Halstead to make it 1-1. That goal saw Slough grow in confidence, and for a period thereafter they enjoyed the bulk of the game’s possession. Both sides traded chances leading up to the interval, with substitute Brad Ash – on for the injured Asa Hall – firing over the crossbar from 20 yards, before the lively Minhas went within inches of turning the game on its head, as he got in behind the Torquay defence, before a narrow angle eventually forced him to drag his diagonal shot wide of Halstead’s far post, rather than just inside it. Christie Ward also fired wide for the visitors shortly before the break, but it remained all-square at the change of ends. Read more
