After the wholesale postponement of football matches over the weekend, the Peacocks return to National League South action when they travel to Slough Town tomorrow evening (13th September), ko 7.45pm.
After a slow start to their debut season at Step 2 with one point from three games, Town have begun to find their feet and have now secured an impressive ten points from a possible twelve to sit in 9th position. The lengthy midweek trip will be sure to pose a tough test of their four game unbeaten run against a Rebels side who occupy 13th place but are only one point behind them in the table. Similar to the Peacocks, Slough managed just the single point from their first three matches before successive wins over Dulwich Hamlet and Cheshunt improved their fortunes. A 5-1 defeat at Bath City then followed but they bounced back to beat Hampton & Richmond Borough 2-1 at Arbour Park in their most recent outing.
Slough finished 13th last season and have been resident in the National League South for four years following their Southern League Premier play-off win against King’s Lynn Town at the end of the 2017-18 campaign. It will be the Peacocks’ first experience of a 3G pitch this season, the Rebels having moved to the new ground in August 2016 after more than ten years groundsharing at Windsor and then Beaconsfield following the loss of their former Wexham Park home.
The Peacocks name an unchanged squad from their win at Hungerford, with Joe Guest not quite ready to return. Head of Football Rob Dray commented:” It doesn’t get any easier, with another established team away on a midweek. We are starting to get to know this league though and realise its nuances. We have worked hard to get where we are and having gone four games unbeaten, we are confident and resilient.”
Traveller Info
Ground: Arbour Park, Stoke Road, Slough, Berkshire SL2 5AY
Ground to Ground: 143.8 miles (via M5/M4)
Directions: Leave M4 at Junction 6, take A355 towards Slough. At the Three Tuns crossroad turn right onto A4 towards Town Centre. You will come to a large crossroads with a Tesco ahead on the left. Turn left at this crossroads onto Stoke Road. Follow Stoke Road to crossroads with Shaggy Calf Lane and Elliman Avenue. Go straight on at lights. Ground is on right just after Stokesay
Admission: Adults £15, Concessions £9, Student (& 16/17s) £5, Child (5-15) £3
Last meeting: the sides have previously met in the Southern League South & West Division, most recently on Saturday 11th April 2009 which resulted in a 2-2 away draw. Danny Jordan put Slough ahead on 75 minutes before Nick McCootie quickly equalised two minutes later. Matthew Platt looked to have won it for the hosts when he scored on 85 minutes, but the Peacocks salvaged a point with an 89th minute penalty from Twaine Plummer.