| Matchday Essentials 2001-2002 Click here for the latest match previews and reports |
Wycombe came back from 2-0 and 3-2 down against The Bees to win an Adams Park classic. Lloyd Owusu had headed the visitors in front and a disputed penalty converted by Paul Evans put Wycombe's unbeaten home record in danger. Wycombe reduced the deficit shortly before the break when Darren Currie's shot found its way into into the net off a Brentford player.Wanderers then drew level seven minutes into the second-half with the goal of the season at Adams Park; Chris Vinnicombe rifling the ball into the top corner of the Brentford net. Still the Bees battled back and regained the lead on 59 minutes when Ben Burgess headed home. However, Wycombe stepped up a gear again and on 64 minutes Andy Rammell fired the ball against the near post before following up to convert and level the scores again at 3-3. Five minutes later Andy Rammell put Wanderers ahead for the first time when he tucked the ball in at the near post from Dannie Bulman's low ball in from the left. Wycombe could then have added more through Rammell or Stuart Roberts before Dannie Bulman raced through in stoppage time from Roberts pin point pass to seal a memorable victory. Lawrie Sanchez stuck with the same line-up that had lost at Oldham but there were places on the bench for Jermaine McSporran and Martyn Lee in preference to Gavin Holligan and Keith Ryan. Steve Brown was still suspended and Andy Rammell played his last game before his three match ban starts against Notts County in the FA Cup. Kicking away from the Valley End, Wycombe began the game by putting the visitors under pressure. Stuart Roberts had a couple of runs down the left wing but there was no Wycombe player able to convert. However, it was the visitors took the lead after a disputed corner in the 13th minute. The corner from the right was taken short and when the cross was whipped in by Evans, Owusu stooped to head past Martin Taylor from inside the six yard box. Wycombe responded two minutes later when another Roberts cross from the left was met first time by Currie before Richard Walker's deflection took the ball wide. Then on 21 minutes a soft clearance by Olafur Gottskalksson came to Walker but the Bees 'keeper recovered to push the ball wide for a Wycombe corner. Wanderers found themselves 2-0 down in the 26th minute when referee Paul Dowd pointed to the spot for an alleged foul on Ivar Ingimarsson near the left bye-line byh Chris Vinnicombe. The Wycombe players disputed the decision with a passion before Evans stepped to send the ball past the dive of Martin Taylor. Walker missed a good chance for Wycombe moments later but a nasty clash of heads in the 34th minute left both Mark Rogers and Paul McCarthy needing treatment. Rogers was the worse effected and was almost substituted for Jason Cousins before he returned to continue, all be it in a bit of a daze. Ben Burgess shot just wide of Taylor's left hand upright on 38 minutes before Wycombe got their deserved lifeline. A foul by Paul Gibbs on Currie just outside the Brentford penalty area gave Wycombe a free-kick. Vinnicombe pushed the ball short to Currie who fired in a low shot that pinballed into the Brentford net off the heel of Owusu for an own goal. Half-time Wycombe 1 Brentford 2 Wanderers drew level seven minutes into the second-half when Currie's cross from the the right was only half-cleared to the opposite side where Chris Vinnicombe ripped the ball back into the top right corner of the Brentford net with Gottskalksson left rooted to the spot. It was only Vinni's second goal in 166 appearances for Wycombe but you won't see many better goals at Adams Park. Four minutes later Taylor had to rush out to close down Owusu but as the ball drifted right, Owusu skied his effort with the goal at his mercy. However, the visitors regained the lead on 59 minutes when Owusu's got the better of Rogers on the right and the cross was headed home by Burgess. Wanderers countered again as they piled on more pressure to the Bees defence. Less than a minute after Brentford's third goal Paul McCarthy saw an effort cleared off the line amongst a massive goalmouth scramble. Bulman then went close with a snap effort from Senda's cross on 62 minutes and a minute later Rammell was only inches away from converting Currie's delivery from the the right. But Wycombe got their reward on 64 minutes when Senda crossed first time from the right and despite Rammell's first shot coming back off the foot of the near post, Wanderers' top scorer followed to draw the scores level again. Wycombe had their own claims for a penalty waved away on 67 minutes after Simpson looked to have been impeded but two minutes later Wycombe took the lead for the first time when Rammell side footed home at the near post after Bulman's low cross from the left. Bizarrely, Brentford almost equalised direct from the kick-off. The celebrations had hardly died down after Rammell's goal when Evans tried to chip Taylor but the Wycombe 'keeper back-peddled to tip the ball over the crossbar. Cousins replaced a limping McCarthy on 75 minutes before Rammell went within inches of completing his hat-trick when he glanced past Currie's floated cross from the right on 80 minutes. Three minutes later Roberts chose to shoot when a waiting trio of Wycombe players in the centre may have been a better option. Roberts was then a boot short of converting Senda's low cross from the right on 87 minutes. However, Roberts was heavily involved with Wycombe's final goal that capped a marvellous performance. The Welshman, playing in front of his own fan club who had travelled down for the day from Swansea, crossed from just right of centre for Bulman to run onto and convert in style. Final Score Wycombe 5 Brentford 3
|
Chairboys on the Net - Not to be reproduced without our written permission. |
|||||||||||||||||||
"Was
our reporter at the same game? Have your say!!"
On
This Day
All there is to say and know about Wycombe Wanderers on the Internet
HOME||||INDEX||||ROUGH GUIDE||||NEWS||||REPORTS||||FIXTURES&RESULTS||||INTERACT |