NEIL Baker has admitted Slough Town suffered a bad day at the office when losing their unbeaten league record at Arbour Park after a 1-0 defeat to Hitchin Town on Saturday.

The Rebels have come a long way in a short space of time in their new stadium, impressing with seven wins and 15 goals scored in nine Southern Premier Division matches.

However, Baker knows Slough are not going to have it all their own way and they will have to take the defeat, only their third in the league, on the chin.

“It was probably deserved over the balance of the game as I don’t think we were quite at it though we probably had more chances then them funnily enough,” the Rebels’ joint-manager told the Observer. “We were quite at the levels that we have been and it was one of those days.

“We have to take it on the chin, regroup, and come back in the next league game to try and pick up three points. Unfortunately it wasn’t our day but we will take it on the chin.

“Hitchin worked hard to shut us down and they didn’t give us an awful lot of space. They are a niggly side, they want to do various bits, and they’re good at what they do. They probably put is off a little bit and we just weren’t quite there.

Slough Observer:

PHOTO: Slough Town midfielder Lewis Putman saw an injury time shot well saved by Hitchin Town keeper Michael Johnson at Arbour Park.

“Once Hitchin scored we started to create a bit more but it was still not to the levels we’re used to, and listen, you’re not going to have it all your own way.

“It has been a great home record and we have got to be proud of where we’ve come. It was a bad day at the office in reality because we’ve lost the three points but it’s one of those things.”

The Rebels nearly led against the run of play when dead ball specialist James Dobson saw his free-kick rebound off the post, with loanee Elijah Adebayo not able to control the rebound.

The winning goal came four minutes after the half-time interval as Hitchin won a free-kick on the edge of the area and Ben Walster did what Dobson had failed to do earlier and score, curling the ball across Mark Scott and in off the far post.

It was not until injury time that Slough started to trouble the Hitchin backline.

First, Dobson’s whipped cross was met by keeper Scott, up from the back, but his header was cleared off the line, and even deeper into added time, Charlie Moone saw another header cleared off the line.

Baker commented: “It’s almost like having a penalty at times with Dobbo’s free-kicks and it was a good one.

“I don’t think either side created an awful lot in the game. If you look back on it has Mark had to make many saves? I don’t think he has.

“Their keeper has made a couple of saves at the death and obviously a couple were cleared off the line, but we didn’t have too much fluidity about us and they done well to shut us down, so we have to take it on the chin.”

He added: “I don’t think it was a free-kick to them at all but the referee didn’t give us a thing all day. He was awful and had a poor game.

“We’re not in the business to blame officials but I don’t think he helped us, but that’s what it is and again you just have to deal with it and move on really. We will try and forget Saturday.”

Baker continued: “Mark came up with a header and almost nicked an equaliser, and Charlie has had one cleared off the line. I mean they were hanging on at the end but we left it a little bit too late.

“If we had played with a little bit more purpose earlier we could have created a few more chances but we just didn’t do that and it’s disappointing.

“I thought Hitchin were better than us on the day in terms of what they did but they didn’t really create an awful lot. They didn’t create a lot of chances but on the balance of play I thought they were better in possession, more than we were, which is a shame.”