United 3
(Jenkins Davies 20′, 49′, Lapslie 69′)
Slough 4
(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.
Four minutes after the restart though, United were back in front.
Just as with the opener, Moxey was the architect – this time via a long throw – and with Slough again all drawn towards the rising Acheampong, Jenkins Davies was able to profit from the flick-on, and with midfielder finding himself unmarked eight yards from goal, the Wales U18 man duly steered home his header to make it 2-1.
United were once again unable to press home that advantage, and just past the hour mark, they were pegged back again.
With a delivery from the left causing a spot of pinball inside the home penalty area, Torquay’s defence were unable to deal with it convincingly, and with the ball falling kindly to Goddard on the edge of the box, the Slough man calmly placed a low curler into the bottom corner of the net to make it two-all.
Goodard, having launching a weaving run upfield, played Minhas in to force a fine save from Halstead, but just when some were questioning their mettle, The Gulls took the lead once again.
Having played an integral role in the two previous goals, Moxey again was the catalyst, as another of his trademark long throws caused chaos inside the box.
Slough were this time just about able to clear their lines, however with Lapslie well-placed on the edge of the box to feed off any scraps, his opportunistic downward volley made its way through a crowd of players and into the back of the net.
Advantage to the men in yellow, but once again they couldn’t hold on to it.
This time a delivery from the left wing saw the ball delivered onto the head of Bayliss by the penalty spot, with his cushioned header beating Halstead to make it 3-3 with eight minutes remaining.
Sadly, even worse was to follow.
Goddard, again a threat just outside the box, bought his ticket and tried his luck from distance, with an element of good fortune seeing the effort landing at the feet of substitute Chambers-Parllion, who rifled home from close-range to give his side the lead in injury time.
After a game in which the home side had contributed so much, it was tough to take.
Next up, Taunton on Tuesday.
UNITED: 1. Mark Halstead, 2. Arkell Jude-Boyd, 3. Dan Martin, 4. Tom Lapslie, 5. Austen Booth, 6. Ross Marshall, 8. Asa Hall (c) (11. Brad Ash, 28′) , 14. Brett McGavin (30. Ethon Archer, 77′), 18. Will Jenkins Davies, 19. Duane Ofori-Acheampong (9. Aaron Jarvis, 70′), 21. Dean Moxey.
SUBS NOT USED: 16. Ronny Nelson, 22. Rhys Lovett.
SLOUGH TOWN: 1. Dan Lincoln, 2. Josh Jackman (c), 4. Joe Dandy (24. Slavi Spasov 71′), 5. Dan Bayliss, 6. Jeanmal Prosper, 8. Matt Lench, 9. Nathan Minhas, 10. Johnny Goddard, 11. Christie Ward (23. David Ogbonna 71′), 15. Eze Ebuzoeme (12. Leon Chambers-Parllion, 71′), 16. Temi Eweka.
SUBS NOT USED: 7. Kian Austin, 13. Alfie Tucker.
Yellow Card: Ebuzoeme 19′
Attendance: 1,798 (105 away)