It was just the one change for Jay’s starting line up following the impressive win at Weymouth last Saturday with Tommie Fagg replacing the injured Doug Loft. 

With temperatures hovering around the 34 degrees centigrade mark as the teams took to the field it was very much going to be a question of stamina for all the players.

The hosts had the better of the play in the opening exchanges with a chance created down the left wing in the 4th minute but the final header was just wide. 

First genuine chance for the Angels came in the 18th minute when a Card cross to Akinwande resulted in the striker not able to get the flick on target.

Two minutes later Angels had to reorganise when Parkinson had to be carried off with what appeared to be an ankle injury with Tommie Fagg dropping to the back line and Mason Saunders-Henry making his Angels debut in midfield. 

On 26 minutes TQ Addy was able to get a shot away having made the space but the effort was weak and drifted past North’s left hand post. 

Around the half hour mark there was some good possession football from the Angels in Slough’s final third but they were unable to make it count and it ended with a Rebels breakaway which was only terminated with an offside decision.

On 35 minutes Joe Turner had a shot blocked and six minutes Akinwande was illegally brought down while on the charge, but it was Slough who ended the half slightly the stronger with a couple of chances that unfortunately for them they were unable to convert. 

On the restart there was an immediate Angels free kick but it was Slough who were almost the beneficiaries with a sudden breakaway but the opportunity was repulsed by the visitors.  

The 47th minute saw a dangerous looking Turner cross blocked and then a minute later Saunders-Henry had a chance which was closely followed by another chance this time for Akinwande with goalkeeper North just about able to gather.

This was a good spell for the Angels but suddenly after some really good build up work, Slough took the lead in the 57th minute with an Elliott Benyon header. 

That lead was relatively short lived as just five minutes later Joe Turner on a run parallel to the goal but just inside the area was tripped with the referee pointing immediately to the spot. After something of a delay Turner himself took the spot kick and sent North ‘er West with the ball nestling in the back of the net. 

With everything to play for both sides went for the win and this despite the extraordinary heat.  There were half chances for both The Rebels and the Angels but defences were winning out and with the final whistle a draw given the circumstances was probably a fair result. There was generous applause at the end for all the players who despite the odds had provided supporters with a decent game of football added to which a measure of relief from everyone that playing personnel had seemingly got through the 90 minutes without any ill effects. 

Certainly it was a view expressed by Angels Boss, Jay Saunders, afterwards who questioned whether the game should have gone ahead bearing in mind the worrying events at Chippenham Town that afternoon.  He also thought that overall the draw was fair enough. “Slough were slightly better than us first half, but we improved second half and might have nicked it at the end. That said if you’d offered me 4 points from our first two fixtures both away, I’d have taken it.”

Photo: Ian Clear : Joe Turner equalises for the Angels from the penalty spot.