SLOUGH Town have reached the third qualifying round of the FA Trophy this season after a 4-1 win away at Maldon & Tiptree on Saturday.

The Rebels are now unbeaten in their last 12 matches in all competitions, winning the last four with 19 goals scored and just three conceded.

A goal from Matthew Lench, his seventh in his last three games and 11th this season, gave Slough a lead at the half-time interval in the second qualifying round tie.

Ryan Gondoh levelled the scores for Isthmian League North Division club Maldon & Tiptree three minutes after the break at the Wallace Binder Ground.

Man-of-the-match James Dobson then scored twice to give Slough a clear lead, before Lee Togwell added a fourth goal three minutes into time added on.

The Rebels joint-manager Jon Underwood told the Observer: “It was pretty similar to the previous round if I’m honest. We had a light squad because of injuries but we won, but it was a difficult and tough game.

“Maldon have good players going forward but we knew about them because we had done our homework. We knew we could hurt them as well and that’s how it turned out.

“It was not the perfect performance but we were more ruthless in the final third.

Slough Observer:

PHOTO: Maldon & Tiptree keeper Domonic Kurasik has his head in his hands after a costly mistake which lead to the first goal.

“It was very difficult on the back of the FA Cup to hit those heights again but we got the job done.

“We were not at our best but we managed to score four goals away from home again which is fantastic.

The reward is a third qualifying round tie away at Isthmian Premier Division club Hendon on Saturday, December 2 (3pm).

Underwood commented: “We want to progress and go well in the Trophy but we don’t seem to get many home draws at the moment.

“Hendon are going well at the moment with a very good home record on their 3G pitch.

“It will be another difficult game but we have a good record against Isthmian Premier Division clubs so hopefully that will continue.”

Listing the Trophy in terms of a priority this season, he added: “If we’re out of the FA Cup it would be really high on our list of priorities.

“But, because we’ve done so well in the FA Cup this season it doesn’t sit high in terms of priorities, but we still want to go as far as we can. It’s a competition that we can go far in.”

Slough Observer:

PHOTO: James Dobson fires in one of his two goals in the 4-1 win on Saturday.

One competition that Slough have not prioritised this season is the Southern League Challenge Cup and The Rebels suffered a 3-1 defeat away at Hayes & Yeading in round two on Tuesday.

Goals from Manny Duku and Keano Robinson either side of the half-time interval gave the home side a clear lead, before midfielder Lee Togwell pulled one back with two minutes still to play.

Hayes & Yeading secured the win when Luke Joyce-Dwarika found the back of the net two minutes into time added on.

Underwood said: “There are so many competitions and games and we’re carrying a few injuries at the moment.

“We’ve got to be careful because if our fit players play game after game then you will get more injuries.

“We were able to rest a few players which is important and give a game to others that needed the minutes.

“The competition doesn’t come first as a priority compared to the league and the FA Cup and Trophy.

“We were as competitive as we could be but for Hayes it was probably a bigger game and they deserved to go through on the night.”

Slough return to action in the Southern Premier Division when Weymouth are the visitors to Arbour Park this Saturday (3pm).

Check out the Observer sports Facebook page. Search: Robert Observer Sports and like, follow and share today.