SLOUGH captain Max Miles has admitted the Greenies used up too much energy during the first half in the 55-12 defeat at Windsor on Saturday, writes Rob Stevens.

Slough are desperate for points in their battle with relegation in Southern Counties North this season and led 7-0 early on in the derby match at Home Park.

However, the superior fitness of Windsor and the lack of a clinical touch from the Greenies proved crucial in the end with the visitors beaten for the seventh league game in succession.

Miles told the Observer: “We actually started really well which makes a change. We were ahead and playing some of our best rugby but we started to go lax after 20 minutes.

“We played at a level we’ve not been at this season in terms of our own game and emptied the tank in the first half trying to put on a performance.

“We played well for 20-30 minutes but their superior fitness took over and they ran away with it in the second-half.

“Windsor had a very simple gameplan and executed it well, plus we didn’t have the players in the right areas to cut them down.

“We hung in there and scored a try at the end, and probably deserved more, but we lacked the composure in the final third to really press home the advantage.

“I don’t think the result would have been a lot closer but we would’ve scored a couple more tries.

“We were very close to their line three or four times but weren’t clinical enough and that has been the difference all season. It’s becoming a similar theme really.”

The defeat means Slough remain second from bottom in the league table and eight points from safety.

The Greenies welcome Stow-on-the-Wold to Tamblyn Fields this Saturday (2.30pm) and Miles sees the match as a good opportunity to get some points on the board.

He said: "It was a little bit of a controversial game when we last played them back in November, so we will be looking forward to this one.

"It has been months since we put in a proper 80-minute performance. For weeks now we have been saying these are must-win games but we've never really stepped up.

"This isn't our last chance but one of the best to pick up some points and close up on the teams above us in the table."