Saturday 31 August, Arbour Park, 15.00 BST
How are we feeling, Terras fans?
The goals that are being scored against us, we cannot seem to catch a break!
The latest wonder strike to be inflicted on us was Siyabonga Ligendza’s free-kick for Eastbourne Borough on Monday, the only goal of the game.
Up next are Slough Town this weekend, a team unbeaten at home for nearly a calendar year…
But, as our manager said, “we’re down but not out.”
HOW TO FOLLOW
Radio commentary will be provided to fans, as usual, by the ever-brilliant Robert Santonna via our “Radio Terras” website; click HERE to access.
Live updates will also be posted on our social media accounts; footage and reaction will also be uploaded after the final whistle.
THE OPPOSITION
One of the more established clubs in the National League South, The Rebels have been competing in England’s sixth tier since being promoted at the end of the 2017/18 season.
That campaign will be fondly remembered by Slough fans; promotion, alongside a second-round FA Cup appearance against Rochdale, will live long in memory at Arbour Park.
Oh, and they broke their club record for goals scored AND points earned, too!
Since then, their stint in this division has been the definition of a mixed bag, ranging from a fifth-place finish five seasons ago to “finishing” in the bottom-two in the subsequent cancelled 2020/21 campaign.
Last season was somewhere in-between those two positions for The Rebels, respectably ending up in 10th, five points behind the play-offs.
Impressively, they scored 81 goals, the joint-second most in the league, only behind them lot…
Attacking football appears to be a staple of Scott Davies and his side, hardly a surprise from someone who was “technically gifted” during his playing days.
His team have carried on their scoring surge this season, with 13 goals to their tally already, six of them coming in one game against Enfield Town!
Unsurprisingly, it not only leaves them with the most goals scored so far, it also places them top of the table.
Putting their good form into perspective, they have not suffered a home loss for almost a calendar year, their last being a 5-2 defeat to Tonbridge Angels.
This is a run which includes 20 league games.
Put simply, Arbour Park is a tough place to go.
The Berkshire outfit have also won all but one of their past five, compared to all of our losses.
Their free-flowing football, though, seems to fail against us!
If we keep them at bay for the first seven minutes tomorrow, they will have gone 300 minutes without scoring against the mighty Terras…
They haven’t had much long-term luck either, failing to beat us in our last EIGHT contests…
A bogey team, perhaps?
PREVIOUS RESULTS
Overall, our record versus Slough is worth boasting, having beaten them eight times to their four.
One of those victories came in our most recent clash, on a day where our loanees stole the show.
Besides a typical strike from goal-machine Goodship, Alfie Rutherford and Harry Parsons netted either side, the latter finding the top corner from outside the box late in the second half.
The year before, The Rebels were the last team to face us at The Bob Lucas Stadium that season.
Fighting to stay in the league, we were in the middle of our famous Great Escape!
Our super skipper Tom Bearwish gave us the lead in the first half with a penalty, before Bradley Ash sealed the points.
Without that emphatic performance, we may not be facing The Rebels today.
Mark told us yesterday that we needed to use any setbacks as “fuel to maintain the fight from within us.”
If there’s any fixture we’ve already showcased our ability to do just that, it’s this one…
