Recap

Report

Following a turbulent week off the pitch, it didn’t get any better for the Peacocks on it as they suffered defeat to a Rebels side one place above them in the table at start of play. The first game of 2024 won’t exactly live long in the memory with Town struggling to create little in the final third while they were punished at the other end by a Slough side which racked up a fifth league win in eight games.

Unsurprisingly the Taunton side showed three changes from the one beaten at Yeovil on Boxing Day. In came Cameron Evans, recent signing Louie Slough and Rabby Tabu Minzamba for his first appearance in the National League while Marcus Day dropped to the bench, Zac Smith was absent due to a broken arm and Joe Guest had now left the club, one of seven departures in the past week. Initial signs were promising, the visitors winning a corner inside the first minute, but Slough soon began to assert their Arbour Park authority, defending a 13 game unbeaten run at their Berkshire home. A Matt Lench free kick was headed clear as far as Munashe Sundire whose strike flashed narrowly wide and David Ogbonna’s cross then just evaded a Slough contact before Dan Bayliss got on the end of Johnny Goddard’s cross but saw his shot at goal blocked.

The home side continued on the front foot, and it took a fine Dan Lavercombe save to keep the scoreline blank, turning wide a Nathan Minhas header after the Rebels’ striker had got on the end of a Lench cross just past the quarter hour. The Peacocks were limited in response with their only real positive offering coming when Ollie Chamberlain won a corner which Lloyd James floated to the near post, Nat Jarvis flicked on, and skipper Nick Grimes nodded over the top. Ross Stearn then saw daylight with the flag staying down but Bayliss got a foot in to concede a corner from which the hosts broke to take the lead. Ogbonna’s cross was cut out for a corner at the other end and Lench’s delivery was on a plate for Minhas to fire the Rebels ahead on 36 minutes.

The remainder of the half was a non-event, only highlighted by two stoppages to play for treatment to Stearn and then Jarvis who appeared to be the victim of a challenge but ended up the recipient of the yellow card. The opening exchanges of the second half were no better with play becoming very scrappy. Day replaced Taunton debutant Slough but there was little of note going on until the hour mark when the Peacocks thought they had found the equaliser. James found Minzamba out on the left and his cross got a flick off Chamberlain to find the corner of the net off the head of Jarvis. A raised flag for offside though curtailed any celebrations.

Dawdling at the back nearly added insult to injury soon after when Goddard capitalised on some hesitancy to play through Ogbonna whose effort whistled a whisker wide. Grimes provided a counter-offering with two headers, one of which sailed well wide and a second from a James’ cross being clutched on the line by Rebels’ keeper Dan Lincoln. His opposite number Lavercombe had to be more athletic moments later, parrying a snapshot from Eze Ebuzoeme as the hosts continued to look the more effective going forward.

Two substitutions in close proximity for the Peacocks attempted to inject some added impetus. Callum Dolman who has not featured due to injury since that superb win at Tonbridge in September (how long ago does that seem now..) took over from Minzamba and then Evander Grubb, with only one previous sub showing in the league this season, replaced Stearn. Slough though effectively extinguished any hopes with a second goal after 78 minutes, the impressive Sundire’s curling shot from just outside the box beating Lavercombe at his near post.

The Town keeper then pushed wide a free kick from Lench after Chambers-Parillon had been brought down before the visitors enjoyed their best attacking spell during the final ten minutes. Dolman fed Day on the left and after beating his man he drove forward to put a cross inches over the bar. Day also registered his team’s most potent attempt of the afternoon when his firm strike was punched away by Lincoln as far as James whose shot sailed high over.

Evans also saw a low effort easily held by Lincoln, but it was all too little too late as Slough wrapped it up with goal number three with two minutes remaining, Ogbonna’s cross being knocked down by Leon Chambers-Parillon and fellow substitute Salvi Spasov could hardly miss as he was all alone to drive into the net from close range. A stoppage time strike from Ebuzoeme was well blocked by the industrious Austen Booth to prevent further damage as the Peacocks’ concerning run continues, with just one win now in 11 League outings. How they would love that to change when leaders and Somerset neighbours Yeovil visit Wordsworth Drive on Tuesday evening.

Line-Ups

Taunton: Dan Lavercombe, Nick Grimes (captain), Dan Ball, Austen Booth, Ollie Chamberlain, Lloyd James, Nat Jarvis, Rabby Tabu Minzamba (Callum Dolman 71), Ross Stearn (Evander Grubb 74), Cameron Evans, Louie Slough (Marcus Day 53). Unused sub: Lloyd Irish

Slough: Dan Lincoln, Josh Jackman (captain), Dan Bayliss, Jeanmal Prosper, Matt Lench, Nathan Minhas (Slavi Spasov 78), Johnny Goddard (Leon Chambers-Parillon 71), Scott Davies (Eze Ebuzoeme 46), Temi Eweka, Munashe Sundire, David Ogbonna. Unused subs: Joe Dandy, Gary Abisogun

Officials

Referee: Michael Robertson-Tant (Colchester)
Referee’s Assistant 1: Imran Khan (Camberley)
Referee’s Assistant 2: David Payne (Woking)

Attendance

947

Reaction

“I thought the performance was really good to be fair, 18 yard box to 18 yard box nothing in the game…………” watch the match reaction of Rob Dray on Peacocks TV HERE

Highlights

Match highlights courtesy of Slough Town FC can be seen HERE

Photos

Match photos from club photographers Debbie Gould can be viewed HERE and Darren Harris HERE

Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance MOM

Rabby Tabu Minzamba receives the Taunton Town Man Of The Match award from Performance Analyst Adam White