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Wycombe Wanderers 1
Saturday 30th March 2002
Football League Division Two
Richard Harris - click here for Player Spotlight Wanderers went down 2-1 at London Road on Saturday but didn't really start playing until the introduction of substitutes Richard Harris and Gavin Holligan. By that time Wycombe were already two goals down following strikes from Leon McKenzie and Francis Green. In between those two goals Wanderers missed a penalty with Sean Devine shooting wide of the right-hand upright after Darren Currie had been fouled by Marc Joseph.
Wycombe came back into the game on 76 minutes when first Harris's super long throw from the left saw Stuart Robert's header at the far post somehow blocked by Posh 'keeper Mark Tyler. However, from the resulting corner by Currie, Tyler flapped into his own net under pressure from Mark Rogers.
Wycombe were forced to make one change from the side that had drawn with Colchester the previous week; Ben Townsend making his first start of the season for the suspended Chris Vinnicombe. Jermaine McSporran was missing from the squad due to a cold but there was a place on the bench for Jason Cousins following his recovery from an ankle injury.
It was a careless piece of defending by Danny Senda in the 13th minute that led to the opening goal. McKenzie intercepted Senda's clearanc and then beat Paul McCarthy before shooting inside Martin Taylor's left hand post.
Wycombe's response was almost immediate when Michael Simpson blasted high of the target from a central position. However, it took another excellent save from Taylor on 31 minutes to prevent Richard Forysth from doubling the lead of the home side.
But Wycombe should have been back in the game from the next attack when some tricks by Currie led to Joseph fouling the Wycombe player just has he turned inside the penalty area. Referee Hegley pointed to the spot but after the home protests Devine's saw his left footed spot-kick creep wide of the right-hand post and the lifeline was gone.
Wycombe finished the half with a bit of a flurry when Rammell glanced Currie's inviting cross from the right just wide of the far post.
Half-time Peterborough 1 Wycombe 0
Barry Fry's side came out with the attitude of trying to kill the game off as the second-half started. McKenzie had a chance on 49 minutes and a minute later Taylor was forced into another good block as he got down low to his right to twart Green.
Wycombe and their fans thought they had equalised on 57 minutes when Devine's angled drive from the left side of the box was parried into the path of Rammell who smashed the ball into the net only for the celebrations to be cut short by an offside flag.
By this time Lawrie Sanchez was already preparing to bring on his substitutes but as Wycombe tried to pick themselves up after the disallowed goal, they were then knocked back again by another scrappy goal. This time Wycombe failed to clear from a central position and Green was allowed a second bite of the cherry before shooting past Taylor.
Dannie Bulman about to see his effort hit the postThe arrival of Harris and Holligan made an immediate impact. Within two minutes Holligan had played in Harris on the left but Tyler brought off a smart block at the near post. On 69 minutes Harris sent in the first of several massive throw-ins. This one from the right was pushed back to Harris on the wing by Devine and the resulting cross to near post saw Dannie Bulman's shot hit the post and come back to the grateful Tyler.
Bulman went close again from a similar position a minute later before Stuart Roberts was introduced for Steve Brown. The Welshman was another livewire that the home side struggled to contain as Wycombe continued to press the Peterborough goal.
Stuart Roberts was left wondering how on earth this header didn't reach the back the netOn 74 minutes Currie's corner from the right was headed back by Harris only for Holligan to volley over from around eight yards. However, Wycombe's pressure finally paid off in the 76th minute when Harris delivered the biggest throw of the day from the left wing. The ball arrived at the far post where Roberts delivered his header towards the corner of the goal but somehow Tyler was in the right place to block. Roberts couldn't believe his bad luck but from the resulting corner Wycombe were level when Tyler flapped the ball in.
Unfortunately for Wycombe they were unable to muster up an equaliser that their late rally just about deserved. Currie came closest when he volleyed over from Tyler's hasty punched clearance but it was the introduction of the three substitutes that had Wycombe fans talking after the game and Peterborough boss Barry Fry grateful they hadn't been brought on earlier.
Speaking after the game Barry Fry commented "I think we can say that we had a bit of luck today and it was about time. I thought Mark Tyler played well and in my opinion he was fouled for the goal and it was never a penalty kick in the first half. He had a bit of luck at vital times as they certainly put us under pressure and we panicked for a while."
Meanwhile Lawrie Sanchez was pleased with the partnership of Harris and Holligan "They looked very good together when they came on, whereas the pair they replaced looked old and lethargic. It shows the benefit of youth. I don't want to get carried away because it was only Harris's first game but he gave us something we have been missing and, with his long throw, he put more balls into the box than we had been able to do all afternoon. We created enough chances to take something from the game and I am not happy to be leaving pointless."
Final Score Peterborough 2 Wycombe 1
Wycombe: Taylor, McCarthy, Rogers, Townsend, Senda, Brown (sub 69 Roberts), Simpson, Currie, Bulman, Devine (sub 64 Holligan), Rammell (sub 64 Harris) - subs not used: Cousins, Ryan
Yellow Cards: McCarthy (foul 11), Senda (foul 70)
Peterborough: Tyler, Edwards, Joseph, Pearce, Bullard, Forsyth, Gill, Oldfield (sub HT French), Danielsson, Green, McKenzie - subs not used: Connor, MacDonald, Fenn, Forinton
Yellow Cards: Green (dissent 35)
Referee: G Hegley (Herts) Att: 4926 (Wycombe 350 approx)
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