SLOUGH Town are out of the FA Trophy this season after a 3-2 defeat against Concord Rangers in a third qualifying round replay on Tuesday night, writes Rob Stevens.

A goal from Kreshnic Krasniqi gave Concord the lead inside nine minutes at Arbour Park but The Rebels equalised through Warren Harris before the break.

The home team got their noses in front in the second half as Harris netted his second goal, but they failed to take the opportunity to extend the advantage when Matthew Lench missed with a penalty kick.

Concord equalised with a penalty kick from substitute Danny Green and then booked their ticket into the first round proper when Krasniqi scored his second of the tie two minutes into time added on.

Slough joint-manager Jon Underwood argues The Rebels did not get what they deserved from the match, and he explained the tie hinged on their penalty miss plus the dubious decision to award Concord a spot-kick.

He told the Observer: "I'm very disappointed to go out of the competition. Over the 90 minutes, we were the better team.

"We weren't as fluent as we can be with our passing in the first half. We fell behind but battled back and got ourselves on level terms at half time.

"We were much better in the second half and took the game to them. We got ourselves in front and at that point there was only one winner. Concord weren't causing us any problems and it was attack after attack from ourselves.

Slough Observer:

PHOTO: Slough midfielder Warren Harris, left, celebrates one of his two goals with captain Sam Togwell, centre, and George Wells, right.

"We won the penalty and if that went in the game was done and dusted, we were so dominant at the point.

"To miss two penalties over the two games is disappointing. Penalties get missed, that's a fact of life, but the timing was critical. It gave them a boost that they were still in the game.

"For me, the game hinged on a penalty decision that everybody was baffled by. Nobody appealed for it or saw what it was, and the referee was unable to explain to our players what he gave it for other than a handball. It's one that we will look back on and still be mystified by.

"If I'm wrong then I'll hold my hands up, but when their players laugh about it, and you could see the reaction from our lads, everyone was mystified. There was no handball, it hit their lad on the head.

"Concord stick the penalty away and it's anyone's game at that point. We were kind of shell-shocked because when we should have been 3-1 up we find ourselves at 2-2.

"It took us a little bit of time to re-group but going into the final stages we were causing them problems again. We just got hit by a sucker-punch in the last minute.

"It's difficult to take because, over the course of the game, we did enough to win it. It's our penalty miss and that penalty decision which has ultimately decided the game. It's very frustrating.

Slough Observer:

PHOTO: Matthew Lench skies his penalty kick high over the crossbar, missing the chance to give The Rebels a 3-1 lead.

"We were totally in control at the point when we won the penalty. It was a clear penalty, there's no question about that, but Matthew hit it over the bar.

"I'm not going to criticise him because far better players have missed penalties over the years, but the timing of it gave them a little bit of a leg-up.

"When the penalty is given, Concord probably think that they're out, but when we miss it gives them a bit of a spring in their step. They were always going to be a threat as we pushed forward to try and win the game.

"It's one of those where you don't always get what you think you deserve. We are the first to hold our hands up when we haven't played well and, although we weren't at our best in the first half, over the course of the game we created far more.

"We have to put it behind us but for whatever reason the FA Trophy does not seem to be our competition, and it hasn't happened for us in the FA Cup this season.

"We've got to remember where we are in the league, and our next two games are at home on a Saturday, so we have to put this disappointment behind us and look to bounce back on Saturday."