Perspective

[Chris]

Yes, we probably should have beaten Harrogate today, but they seemed a lot more up for it and deserved their win. The FA Cup throws up upsets all the time – that’s what makes it the competition it is.

 

Listening to the manager on the radio after the game he felt a few players froze today. That probably did happen, but if you looked at the side we were missing our best three players Veli Hakki, Steve Daly and Michael Gilkes and the squad was stretched to the limit. You only had to look on the bench to see that.

 

Add to that Ricky Browne was injured and Wilko was only half-fit and we have not played CJ this season.

 

I’m not using that as an excuse – Railway wanted it more and deserved their win

 

Howard, Palmer, Brown, Spencer, Alvin Bubb, Byron Bubb, Browne, CJ and Tony Boot are all about 22 or younger. They have done great to get us this far. Nobody expected us to beat Canvey or to even get this far. The future looks bright – so lets not criticise and get on the players back.

 

Congratulations to Harrogate – your support was fantastic and the atmosphere was excellent.

[Guest]

for me, Chris, this is very hard to swallow. I have never seen Slough play in the FA Cup 2nd round before, so imagine how delighted I was when Bubb curled in that free-kick to give us a 1-0 lead at HT, only to see it all fall apart in the second half, and to concede a winner in the manner we did, with the scorer given a clear header at goal.

 

What an excallent opportunity this was to beat a fellow non-league club in front of TV cameras, pocket another £20k, and play in the second round against a big league club. Just like every year, it seems as if every other non-league club is doing it, while we are not. It's so disappointing. Just for once I'd like to see us progress past the 1st round and 'do a Stevenage' or a Canvey Island. 'There's always next season' isn't enough.

 

And even though we have been weakened by injuries and 'departures', we still had a strong enough team (strong enough to keep Deaner on the bench anyway) to beat Railway on the day. If it had been a 2-1 defeat by Brentford or Cardiff I'd have accepted it, but as I said, this is hard to bear. <img src="/forums/images/icons/frown.gif" alt="" />

[Guest]

But I should add that even though I'm very upset at the result, congratulations and good luck to Railway who haven't been this far in the Cup before. You showed more bottle and I'm not saying you didn't deserve the win, I'm just very very angry. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/angryfire.gif" alt="" />

 

By the way why did the ref give us everything in the first half and Railway everything in the second? Why were we not given that penalty? Decisions like that compound the misery... <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/angryfire.gif" alt="" />

[Guest]

could not agree more,as you say if the opposition had been a bit half decent then no grumbles.but the opportunity was there to really progress,it's no good people saying they were up for it more than us-if you can't get motivated for the f.a.cup then you'll never win anthing as a player.

[Guest]

I'm as gutted as everyone else on here , but we shouldn't be too dis-heartened , like Chris said we have a young side that has done well to get this far . Yes it's a game that should have been in our favour , but there has been other bigger shocks today . Just think , 3 minutes into injury time at Totton when we were 2-1 down . We didn't deserve that , then we played excellent against Canvey . Sh*t happens !

[Ian]

Like most matches, if you don't take your chances then you run the risk of getting beaten. This is particularly true when you fail to defend properly as we did this afternoon.

 

I thought the biggest single reason for our defeat was the poor form today of Sammy and Tony. Both had chances to kill the game but failed to convert them. Unlucky that both our top strikers suffered it on the same day.

 

We should have had a penalty when Sammy was barged over but I wonder whether we'd have been given it had it been another player other than Sammy. He doesn't do his cause any good with constant moaning and looking for free kicks. Conversely I thought Byron was lucky to escape a yellow card when he went down looking for one which, from my angle, looked like a clear dive.

 

Gutted but good luck to Railway. They took their chances and their support was superb.

[Guest]

Sammy is such a whinger!

If he hadn't whinged <img src="/forums/images/icons/frown.gif" alt="" /> so much at the ref he MAY just have got the penalty he MAY have deserved.

 

We missed S Daly to steady the defence, M Gilkes to add sparkle at midfield, and of course Valli (but that's his fault).

 

Railway were the better side on the day.

Now we can concentrate on getting promotion.

[Guest]

Neither of our strikers are at their best at the moment--not necessarily playing badly, but certainly not at their peak. We play at our best when we get behind the opposition, something we didn't manage much today--aireal crosses to such a tall defence was not the best way to win this one, its not where we are strong.Our defence has looked very shaky on occaisions against pace recently, and did again today.Can't help but think we are a few players short of a promotion team that can perform consistently, and for me promotion has to be the seasons priority.Some important league games coming up soon, lets hope that we win them, as a few teams seem to be pulling away. As Matt said, you've had a really good cup run when you lose to a big team, not a ream you'd been fancied to beat--it takes the gloss off otherwise great results.

[BARRINGTON]

Truly gutted,i thought too many players didnt play upto their expectations today.We had a good chance of progressing and earning a bit more money and maybe getting the chance for a live t.v.slot,i agree with 30 years service if you cant get motivated enough for the f.a. cup then what will you get motivated for. <img src="/forums/images/icons/frown.gif" alt="" />

[Guest]

Let's remember one thing. Before today's game many fans wrote messages of support to the team and most mentioned the fact that whatever happened the team had done us proud. O.K. we lost in a game we, as the higher ranked team, should have won. Also, like Matt above I have never seen Slough in the Second Round and so this was a great chance for that to be put right. Alas, that was not the case, but now we need to look forward to the rest of the league campaign and be positive. We didn't play really badly today we just couldn't find openings against a well organised back line. There were also 3 points in a period probably no longer than 5 minutes which changed this game. No 1. Tony Boot has an effort blocked on the line by a defender who knew nothing about the shot and but for that moment Slough would have led 2-0. No 2. The referee gave a free-kick to H. Railway for Anthony Howard jumping for a ball (an offence I have never seen written in a rule book and one today's ref frequently called players up on). From this H. Railway scored albeit helped by slack Slough marking. No 3. Alvin Bubb skips past at least five players and is then clearly tripped by their last man in the area and no penalty is given. IMO if there doubts over the credibility of the appeal just ask yourself, why would he dive when he had an open goal and the chance of scoring an absolutely cracking F.A. Cup goal (in front of the T.V.)? Anyway, I've started rambling again so I'm going to go now. My basic point is just, let's not get on anybody's back about this, let's support the Rebels through the rest of the season and get back to a more respectable league status for this club. TODAY SHOULD NOT BE ALL GLOOM AND DOOM!!!!!!!!!!

[Guest]

I've calmed down a little but am still upset at this. IF ONLY Booty had put that ball in the net and not been blocked. IF ONLY Railway's winner was marked properly. IF only Bubb had scored/won a penalty. These things are still going to run around in my head until every single non-league club is out of the Cup because I'll be thinking 'if only that was us' every time I see one on TV.

 

I know we can concentrate fully on the league as we have no (important) cup competitions to worry about now. But I wonder, if we will ever fully catch up in the league. We have played 6 games less than Northwood, the top team, and 12 points behind them. Looking at this, winning four of them would make up this gap but we really need to win all 6 to be serious challengers. I just hope the players can pick themselves up from today, I know they are good enough to win the league.

 

Here's hoping for a better FA Cup run next year.... <img src="/forums/images/icons/frown.gif" alt="" />

 

(and if Railway draw someone like Ipswich, Wolves or Reading I shall scream !) <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/angryfire.gif" alt="" />

[Guest]

They can't draw any of those teams in the next round as Premiership and 1st Division teams don't come in till round 3. I totally agree with what you say there. Today was a real shame but we now have to bounce back for the league. I don't think Northwood are the team to watch I think it's Wealdstone. They have only played 1 or 2 games more than us and are about as many points as Northwood away. Basically we need to get off to what should be seen as almost a fresh start in the league at home to Great Wakering on Saturday.

[Martin]

That was a gigantic balls up. Those of us who go week in week out, know that there are several sides to this team. One week we can be brilliant - Canvey, the next crap - Hemel Hemstead. We did not come out in the second half and they battered us for 20 minutes.

All that balls about us being a young team does not wash with me. You have either got it or you have not. Frankly some of our classier plays should have considered themselves in the shop window today. But no-one stood out. We may never have a better chance of getting to the second round again. Remember folks, we have no ground next year (yet).

And what a disaster financially with all those new/returning Slough fans witnessing an average game. I am truly gutted and I knew the players will be too.

[Guest]

bad luck Slough Town fc. youve went out with a bit more honour than us at Leyton Orient can muster, as we managed to grab a famous draw from the jaws of victory again, with margate.

[Chris]

I agree with the comments that when we are good we are very good - and when we are very bad we are bad. I remember a quote in one of the paper's saying that we could beat any Ryman side on our day - probably true, but sadly on our day we could probably lose to most of them as well.

 

After Byron scored the free-kick we started to get the ball down and play the ball on the floor for 10-15 minutes and they struggled. In the second half though we played no football whatsoever and just launched it up to Boot and Winston who are not great in the air.

 

Play it on the deck lads.

 

Thought the turning points were Boots shot cleared off the line. Alvin Bubb's run where I thought he was fouled in the box (did not think Sammy's was) and their quick sub they threw on as we could not handle his pace at the back.

[Guest]

Can understand why you're miffed but don't assume that 'everyone always does better than us in the cup - it's not fair'.

 

If you want FA Cup underachievement on a grand scale then look no further then just down the A4.

 

Since the competition became bonus incentivised we've earnt zero!

 

Over the last 10 years we've managed a handful of wins. We went 5 years without winning a single match and have now gone another 3 now.

 

23 years since we made the 4th qualifying and 31 since we made the first round. Even then we drew Enfield and lost. 1965 since we played league side I think.

 

Now THAT'S underachievement.

 

Come on you Stripes!

 

Oh and we lost 4-0 at home. And you're pissed off? 2 wins in 15 now. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/argue.gif" alt="" />

[Ian]

Can I respectfully suggest you're fishing in the wrong pond if you're looking for sympathy <img src="/forums/images/icons/wink.gif" alt="" />