NEIL BAKER has tasked Slough Town to turn their focus back on promotion this season after the 3-2 defeat to Dartford in the FA Cup on Saturday.

The Rebels exited the cup when conceding two late goals at Arbour Park, but it was a third qualifying round tie against National League opposition that they did not deserve to lose.

Baker has drawn confidence from the performance and wants Slough to push for an eighth league win on the bounce when Cambridge City visit the new stadium today (Saturday, 3pm).

“We didn’t deserve to lose in my opinion. I thought we were more than a match for Dartford and it goes down to the fact that we’ve got some good players on this side,” Rebels joint-manager told the Observer.

“The main thing now is that we concentrate on Cambridge and picking up three more points because if we win that game it’s eight league wins in a row, which is tremendous form.

“If we can do that then it pushes us on further in the league and that’s our main priority this season.

“We all know we have got very good players in this squad, not just the team, and we’ve proved that already this season in some of the games we have played.

Slough Observer:

PHOTO: Charlie Moone (centre) nudges the ball towards goal, but the final touch came from Elliot Bradbrook as Slough took the lead on Saturday.

“We can match anyone, especially in our league, and we will be a side that will be tough to beat here [Arbour Park].

“If you can have good home form you only need average away form to get yourself in the play-offs, but so far our away form has been very good also. If we can continue that then we’ve got an excellent chance this year.”

Baker added: “It was a tough game against Cambridge at their place. The pitch at St Ives isn’t good so it becomes a bit more of a battle, whereas hopefully we should be able to get the ball down a bit more and play on Saturday.

“We will approach it in the right way and I’m sure they will be coming here to win, as anyone will do in the league.

“But, if we are at it then we’ve got a good chance of winning the game, but we know we have to be at it.”

Slough did not waste any time in bouncing back to form with a 9-2 drubbing of Ashford Town (Middx) in the Southern League Challenge Cup first round on Tuesday evening.

Slough Observer:

PHOTO: Mark Scott got a hand to Elliot Bradbrook’s penalty but could not prevent Dartford from levelling late on.

Lewis Putman bagged a hat-trick in a man-of-the-match performance at Arbour Park, Charlie Moone hit a brace, and there were further goals from Simon Dunn, Lee Togwell, Guy Hollis and youth product Raju Pritpal.

“We had a strong team and asked the lads to make sure they go and do a professional job,” Baker explained. “It is a good win after going a goal down early, but when you are a goal down it’s a little bit frustrating.

“But, the lads soon rectified that and it was a case of damage limitation for Ashford really.

“We showed our qualities but in the second-half a little bit less so. It’s very difficult when you’re 6-1 up at half-time to really keep the tempo going, but it was great to bring on two of the youth team lads and I thought they both did really well.

“Ashford are a good side and it’s stupid really. The pitch doesn’t level things up when you’re playing against sides that may not have quite as much quality as you’ve got.

“If we were at Beaconsfield the game would have been much tighter, but it enables us to get the ball down and play, get into pockets of space and get people in off one ball.

“Any side is going to struggle against us when we’re playing like that really and it shows the quality of players that we’ve got.

“Fair play to Ashford, they did not give up and they did not go around kicking us. They did things the right way and we’re delighted we’ve not picked up any injuries.

"Ashford have had a really good season so far and had to change one or two things u as well as us, and our quality just showed.”