| Date | Saturday 28th April 2018 |
| Match | Slough Town v Royston Town |
| Competition | Evostik League Southern: Premier Division |
| Result | Lost 2-1 |
| Scorers | Murray |
| Crows MoM | Adam Murray |
| Attendance |
759 |
Despite losing to Slough for the second time in five days, Royston ultimately finished the season in a highly credible 7th place, their highest ever league finish in their long history.
Looking to avenge the 4-0 defeat suffered on Tuesday night, the Crows made the worst possible start as Slough took the lead in just the 6th minute. A weak clearance was collected by Lee Togwell who played Matt Lench in on the right hand side. Finding himself in acres of space, Lench had plenty of time to assess his options, before delivering a pinpoint cross onto the head of James Dobson, whose header gave Tibbetts no chance in the away team goal.
Within 2 minutes The Rebels had the ball in the net again, but this time the linesman’s flag had correctly been raised for an offside decision, that was initially ignored by the referee.
As was the case on Tuesday, Slough looked to win the game in the first quarter as they pinned Royston back, but the Crows were proving to be a more resilient opponent this time and gradually clawed their way back into the game as the half wore on. The next real chance fell to the Crows and should have served as a warning to the home side, as Adam Murray rose to head a Sam Corcoran corner just wide of the post. He wasn’t to be denied 10 minutes later as a short corner routine resulted in another deep Corcoran delivery that Murray emphatically headed home from close range.
The first half action wasn’t quite over though, as a determined Ben Harris run down the line, ended with a cut back that Lench skied over the bar, when he really should of at least worked Tibbetts in the Royston goal.
Slough were again fast out of the traps in the second half and won a free kick in a dangerous position just 3 minutes in. With only a 3 man wall in position, Dobson expertly curled the ball around the wall and found the bottom corner, despite the despairing dive of Tibbetts. On 58 minutes Slough nearly scored a third as Tibbetts touched a fierce Lench drive onto the bar and away for a corner.
Royston were still more than a match for the home side, but lacked any real cutting edge and despite enjoying their fair share of possession, never really troubled Jack Tuner in the Slough goal. Indeed it was the home side who continued to work the better openings, with Chris Flood volleying wastefully over and then Dobson, having worked himself, with a small slice of luck, into a great position, got his final shot woefully wrong.
Having not threatened the Slough goal, the Crows had one final opportunity to deny the Rebels the home play-off tie they were desperately craving, as they won a 95th minute corner. Danger man Murray got his head to the delivery and agonisingly for the away support, saw his header cannon off the cross bar, with little time to react Adam Marriott was unable to get any force behind his follow up header and too the great relief of the large crowd, Turner was able to save his effort as the referee brought an end to the proceedings.
A disappointing final week of the season, which resulted in 2 defeats to an excellent Slough side, should not detract from the excellent efforts of both the players and management in securing a 7th placed finish.
1-Tibbetts, 2-Corcoran, 3-Gaughran, 4-Bridges (c), 5-Murray, 6-Brathwaite (12-Alomenu 83), 7-Castiglione (16-Dawson 62), 8-Powell, 9-Marriott, 10-Thomas, 11-Gordon (15-Baulk 83)
Unused subs – 14-Taylor, GK-Tewkesbury
| ROYSTON TOWN | SLOUGH TOWN | |
| 3 | EFFORTS ON TARGET | 6 |
| 6 | EFFORTS OFF TARGET | 7 |
| 2 | BLOCKED SHOTS | 0 |
| 19 | FREE KICKS AWARDED | 19 |
| 4 | CORNERS | 5 |
| 4 | YELLOW CARDS | 2 |
| 0 | RED CARDS | 0 |
