Gloucester City manager Daf Williams expressed a mix of relief and satisfaction after his team triumphed in a nail-biting FA Trophy second-round clash against Slough Town at home on Saturday.
City took the lead in the 39th minute when a deflected cross landed perfectly for Marcus Day, who headed the ball over the goalkeeper to put Gloucester ahead. However, Slough Town fought back in the second half, equalizing in the 55th minute via a well-executed set piece. A corner was recycled and met by Ansu Janneh, who fired a shot that leveled the score.
The game remained 1-1 after regular time, leading to a dramatic penalty shoot-out. Slough’s opening taker, Scott Davies, missed the target, giving Gloucester an early advantage. Joe Hanks confidently converted the first spot-kick for City. Slough’s Johnny Goddard responded, while Gloucester’s Elis Watts missed his attempt, evening the shoot-out at 1-1.
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Dan Roth put Slough ahead with his penalty, but Harry Pinchard kept Gloucester in contention by scoring his. With Wiktor Makowski sending the Rebels’ fourth penalty high and wide, Gloucester moved ahead through Sopuruchukwu Obieri. The shoot-out advanced to sudden death after Harvey Walker’s conversion for Slough.
Ed Williams stepped up for Gloucester with the weight of the match on his shoulders and delivered a clinical finish into the top corner to send his team through to the third round.
Reflecting on the match, Williams said, “There were lots of positives in the first half from a technical and tactical standpoint. In the second half, we couldn’t quite settle, credit to Slough—they really challenged us and kept constant pressure.”
He added, “It’s not always pretty, but sometimes you have to win ugly. We kept our organisation towards the end and ultimately what matters is progressing—and we did that today.”
Marcus Day’s goal marked his second of the FA Trophy campaign, and Williams praised his influence, noting, “In the first half, Day gave us great quality. He fits perfectly in the role behind the forward and keeps showing his goal-scoring ability.”
With knee injury concerns sidelining Kane Simpson after the previous cup tie, Williams adjusted his tactics by deploying Joe Hanks as a striker for the first time this season. The manager also highlighted improvements in squad depth: “We always aim to add quality, not just quantity. A month ago, we looked thin, but with the additions of Simpson, Day, and Roberts, we’ve boosted both our numbers and overall quality.”
Prior to the match, Gloucester announced that Kieran Phillips had joined Larkhall on loan. Williams expressed strong support for the move, stating, “It’s a great loan opportunity for Kieran. I’m a huge fan of him, both professionally and personally. This loan will give him vital game time over nine matches and help him get fit and ready for us later in the season.”
Gloucester City now look forward to their third-round FA Trophy fixture, buoyed by a hard-fought victory and confidence growing in their squad’s depth and resilience.