SLOUGH Town bosses Jon Underwood and Neil Baker will bring up their 500th competitive match as joint-managers this Saturday, writes Rob Stevens.

The pair linked up at Godalming Town during the 2010/11 season before taking charge of The Rebels in May 2013 with considerable success during their six-and-a-half years at the helm.

During their time in charge, Slough have been promoted to the Southern League Premier Division in the 2013/14 season and then the National League South four years later.

The Rebels have also twice reached the second round proper of the FA Cup as well as lifting the Berks & Bucks Senior Cup last season.

Underwood explained their friendship away from football and desire to work with hard-working players has been the key to the success, and he revealed the duo have no plans to stop any time soon.

He told the Observer: “500 matches in charge is something that we’re very proud of. We work hard and have had some very good times in the last nine years.

“Some people doubted whether or not joint-managers could work but hopefully we, and a few other partnerships up and down the country, have now shown that it can.

“We’ve a lot of ambition still and hopefully we can achieve that with Slough in the next few years because we don’t plan to stop anytime soon.”

“Neil and I work well together and we’re the best of friends off the pitch. We have that trust and there’s no ego between us, no-one trying to rise above the other.

“We find a way to reach a decision. We spend a lot of time discussing things, like the team selection this weekend for example, and we come to an agreement between us.”

Underwood continued: “We’ve very similar ideas on how the game should be played and on players. We’ve been successful with hard-working groups.

“The ability has to be there obviously but we work hard to create a dynamic within squads. There’s a really good environment in the changing room when players feel they can work together and that’s what we try to create.

“We’re not the best coaches in the world and Lee Togwell has really added something to the team through his training sessions. He has played a big part with his role in the last year or so and added something to us as managers.

“And with Trent Phillips (goalkeeping coach) and Alex Moore (physiotherapist) we’ve a small management team but one that we trust implicitly.”

Underwood and Baker will hit the 500-match landmark when Slough make the trip to Chippenham Town in the league this Saturday (3pm).

Chippenham have been a little bit of a bogey team for the management duo, who have won just once before at Hardenhuish Park, with The Rebels already beaten at the hands of The Bluebirds in the FA Cup this season.

Underwood said: “We’ve not got a great track record there and obviously it’s a difficult place to go.

“Chippenham have lost just twice at home in all competitions this season and have one of the best defensive records in the league, so it’s a very difficult place to go and win.

“We need to make ourselves very difficult to beat and try our best to win, but if teams go there and get a point then they regard that as a decent result.

“It will be a very close game and decided by very fine margins, a mistake or who takes their chances.

“We know what we’re up against and it will be a tough game but we look forward to it and like the challenge of trying to break that record.”