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1993-1994 RETRO INDEX | HISTORY MENU |
Retro - A look back on the 1993/94 season May 1994 - Promotion via the Play-off's at Wembley |
![]() The nervous tension surrounding the game was immense but Wanderers went into the game as slight favourites with the bookies and many of the squad remainded confident of victory. Steve Guppy said "We can go to Wembley feeling confident. We know how Preston play. They tend to bombard you, so the first 20 minutes will be important and hopefully once we settle, our skill will come through." Midfielder Steve Thompson added "I'm quitely confident. I do not think it will be like any other League game. This will be the biggest occasion we have been involved with. The stakes are higher." Some of Wanderers' players were not totally in favour with the play-off system. Simon Garner, who played in play-off finals for Blackburn Rovers and West Brom and was on the winning side both times commented "It all comes down to 90 minutes which is why I don't like the play-offs." Jason Cousins said "It's a shame, after 42 league games, that it comes down to this." Meanwhile, goalkeeper Paul Hyde added "I watched the play-offs last year. Then I did not think they were a bad idea. Now, I think they are a bad idea. We are good enough to go up." Hyde was a major doubt for the Wanderers in the week leading up to the game after the fans favourite went down with a viral infection. He had not trained and hardly eaten until the day before the game and Manager Martin O'Neill waited until the day of the match before announcing that he was placing faith in 'Hydey' and the rest of the team who had beaten Carlisle United so convincingly in the semi-final. Wanderers sold around 17,000 tickets for the final - well down on previous visits to Wembley against Kidderminster (1991) and Runcorn (1993). Inflated ticket prices were blamed for the reduced interest - between £13 and £24 being charged for regular adult seats and £32 for the Olympic Gallery. Meanwhile Preston had sold close to 25,000 tickets as Wembley fever gripped a side that had not been to the home of football since the FA Cup Final in 1964. It made for a more balanced atmosphere than Wanderers' FA Trophy visits but there was massive tension in the air due to promotion prize at stake. Wanderers dominated the opening 20 minutes but couldn't find the net. Chances for Thompson and Guppy went begging before Wycombe found themselves a goal behind on 32 minutes when a throw from the right was centered by Tony Ellis and knocked past Hyde with a superb overhead kick by Ian Bryson. It was cruel taste of reality for Wanderers but the scores were level before the North End fans had a chance to settle. Glyn Creaser played the ball up field where Garner laid it off to Thompson down the left channel. The former Slough man found space and nipped the ball past Steve Woods and into the Preston goal. However, Preston would not lay down and forced a series of corners and throw-ins as the half concluded. There efforts were rewarded when they regained the lead on 38 minutes after Paul Raynor put an unstoppable shot past Hyde from another Ellis centre. The half closed with Preston in front by a 2-1 margin and Wanderers shellshocked and in fear of missing out on promotion. Wanderers fans had two minutes of the second-half to wait before those fears were eased. David Titterton played a powerful ball out of defence which Garner controlled superbly before firing left-footed past Woods from the left side of the penalty area. Ten minutes later it was Garner who played a part in Wycombe's third goal which was one from the school of passing genius. Steve Guppy picked up possession down the left wing and quickly fed the ball across to Thompson. The midfielder then swiftly continued the move by finding Garner in a central postion. The former Blackburn striker unselfishly and without hardly looking up, played the ball further across and into the path of Carroll who converted with ease past Woods. ![]() Wycombe Wanderers line-up: Hyde, Cousins, Titterton, Crossley, Creaser, Ryan, Carroll, Thompson, Reid, Garner, Guppy - subs unused: Brown, Hemmings, Moussaddik Preston North End line-up: Woods, Fensome, Kidd, Cartwright, Squires, Moyes, Ainsworth, Whalley, Raynor, Ellis, Bryson - subs unused: Conroy, Lucas, Berryman - Att:40,109 - Ref: Keith Cooper ![]() |
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