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1995-1996-RESULTS, SCORERS, ATTENDANCES - MORE REPORTS | 1995-1996 RETRO INDEX |
![]() Bristol Rovers 1 Saturday 18th November 1995 Football League Division Two Wanderers made it 14 games unbeaten in Division Two following a 1-1 draw with Bristol Rovers at Adams Park. Dave Farrell gave Wycombe the lead in the 24th minute and Miquel Desouza had a chance to double the lead three minutes but saw his spot kick saved by Rovers 'keeper Brian Parkin, who had played for Wycombe Manager Alan Smith at Crystal Palace. Smith's side were made to pay for that miss when Andy Gurney squeezed in an equaliser mid-way through the second-half. Rovers came to Adams Park a week after 2-1 defeat to Hitchin Town in the FA Cup the previous Saturday. Meanwhile, Wanderers had been held to a 1-1 draw at home to Gillingham in their FA Cup First Round tie televised live on Sky on the Monday. The winner of the replay at Gillingham on Tuesday 21st November would host Hitchin in the Second Round. The draw with Rovers saw Wanderers remain in 4th spot in the Division Two table, with 29 points from their opening 17 games. However, reaching those dizzy heights in the Football League were overshadowed by the ongoing contract dispute Wanderers' goalkeeper Paul Hyde and Manager Alan Smith. Reporting for the Bucks Free Press, Claire Nash wrote: 'Transfer-listed Wycombe Wanderers goalkeeper Paul Hyde was voted man of the match for a string of spellbinding saves in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Bristol Rovers, then declared: “I want to stay with Wycombe.” But the unsettled Blues favourite, who requested a transfer two weeks ago, believes he will almost certainly leave after being told his availability has been circulated to other clubs. Some Division Two and Three clubs will undoubtedly be interested in Hyde who gave a typical stalwart’s performance for Wycombe in Saturday’s draw. It keeps Blues fourth in Division Two and extends their unbeaten league record to 14 games while their next test is tonight’s FA Cup first-round replay at Gillingham. Hyde is set to feature as usual. The 32-year-old has been ever present in Blues’ line-up since being signed from Hayes in 1991, although he missed his first Wanderers league game through suspension earlier this season. On Saturday, though, there was no doubting the goalkeeper’s commitment. He made two superb saves to stem Rovers’ fightback after Blues took a first-half lead through David Farrell. Wanderers should have led by more but Miquel Desouza’s 27th-minute penalty was saved by Rovers goalkeeper Brian Parkin. With Blues’ corner count into double figures by half time, it was disappointing they couldn’t make such dominance tell. Rovers made Blues pay for their failure in the second half, hitting back with an equaliser and nearly more had Hyde not flung himself around at timely moments. ![]() Wycombe kept up their bombardment. Bell fired over from 20 yards and Dave Carroll and Jason Cousins both had headers go close. Rovers were sufficiently inspired by Parkin’s heroics to mount a second-half comeback which, as has often been the case with visitors to Adams Park this season, wiped out Blues’ narrow lead. Hyde parried Andy Tilson’s fiercely-driven free kick which took a wicked deflection from Cousins on 47 minutes. Then he made Rovers’ players clap their hands to their foreheads when he somehow got his finger tips to Paul Beadle’s thunderous effort on 66 minutes. But there was nothing Hyde could do to stop Andy Gurney’s shot squirming in on 69 minutes. Rovers’ good spell also included a disallowed goal, Gurney’s push on Hyde stopping Billy Clark’s header from counting. Wycombe rediscovered their sense of urgency during the latter stages but lacked a good final ball.'
![]() The Paul Hyde saga was also a discussion point in the post-match interviews, with the Wycombe 'keeper saying: "I am all for playing for Wycombe. I am committed to the club but I’ve been upset by suggestions that my request to discuss my contract means that I just want more money. I asked for a transfer because when I requested a meeting with the manager to talk about my contract, which runs out at the end of the season, I was told that no talks could take place until Christmas." Alan Smith reacted to Hyde’s request by saying: “I don’t want to lose players, but I don’t want players that are not happy here. I want to get out of this division and I want people committed to playing for Wycombe Wanderers. My concern is winning games and I want players here that will do that." ![]() |
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