Gloucester City manager Daf Williams expressed a mixture of relief and pride after his side edged past Slough Town in a tense FA Trophy second-round clash on Saturday.
The Tigers took the lead in the 39th minute when Marcus Day capitalized on a deflected cross, heading the ball over the goalkeeper. Day’s goal marked his second in the competition, underscoring his growing influence on the team.
Slough Town fought back early in the second half, equalizing through Ansu Janneh after a well-executed corner routine. The match ended 1-1 after regulation time, leading to a nerve-wracking penalty shoot-out.
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The shoot-out swung back and forth with missed chances from both sides. Slough’s Scott Davies and Gloucester’s Elis Watts each missed in the first two rounds. Gloucester’s Joe Hanks, stepping in as a makeshift number nine due to Kane Simpson’s absence, calmly converted his spot-kick to keep the momentum.
With the pressure mounting, Sopuruchukwu Obieri scored a crucial penalty that put Gloucester ahead just before sudden death. The team held firm as Ed Williams sealed the victory with a sublime finish into the top corner, sending Gloucester through to the next round.
Williams praised his team’s organisation and resilience, saying, “There were lots of positives in the first half from a technical and tactical standpoint. The second half was tougher, but Slough kept the pressure; they carried a lot of threat. Sometimes you just have to win ugly, and today, that’s what we did.”
On squad composition, Williams highlighted the importance of depth. “We need to add quality over quantity. A month ago we looked bare, but with Simpson, Day, and Roberts now integrated, the squad has grown stronger.”
Ahead of the match, Gloucester also announced a loan deal sending Kieran Phillips to Larkhall until January. Williams expressed confidence in the move: “It’s a great loan for Kieran. He needs game time, and over nine matches, he’ll gain the fitness and experience to contribute later this season.”