LATEST NEWS
MATCH REPORTS
ARCHIVE INDEX
HOME
April 2017 News Archive
All the news stories from April 2017
News BLOOMFIELD NEW DEAL
(Sunday 30th April 2017)
The Club announced on Sunday evening (30th April) that the long serving Matt Bloomfield had signed a one year extension to his contract - now running until June 2018. The 33 year has been with Wanderers since December 2003 - clocking up over 432 First Team appearances and scoring 34 goals. With 378 Football League appearances to his name for Wanderers, Bloomfield is now the highest appearance maker for Wycombe in the Football League, having overtaken Steve Brown (371) earlier this season.
MORECAMBE 1 WYCOMBE 1
(Saturday 29th April 2017)
Wanderers' pursuit for a place in the League Two play-offs will continue until the final day of the 2016/17 season after Adebayo Akinfenwa's last minute goal salvaged a 1-1 draw at Morecambe. Wycombe will go into the final Saturday of the season in 11th place but just a point behind 7th placed Blackpool. Results on the final day will need to see Wanderers take three points against Cambridge United at Adams Park AND also hope they better they results of at least three of the four other sides currently above them in the table - they are Colchester (home to Yeovil), Stevenage (home to Accrington), Blackpool (home to Leyton Orient) and Carlisle (away to Exeter). Wanderers opponents will also be chasing the same scenario.
Results elsewhere on the penultimate day of the season left Wanderers rueing a missed chance to leap into the play-off zones but also grateful, in the end, for a share of the points. Team news for Wycombe at Morecambe had seen Paul Hayes and Garry Thompson return to the front line in place of a for a reported injured Scott Kashket and benched Matt Bloomfield. Significantly there were returns as substitute for both Anthony Stewart and Paris Cowan-Hall.
After a goalless first-half, Wanderers stepped up a gear in the second period - particularly after introducing Stewart and Cowan-Hall - the latter went close when a close range effort struck the cross-bar on 75 minutes. However, local pantomime villain, Kevin Ellison, struck a cruel blow for Wycombe on 81 minutes when he lashed home a lose ball from the edge of the box and then gave the travelling Wycombe fans the 'ear'. It looked like the 38 year old would have the last laugh but Wanderers had other ideas and it was Akinfenwa to the rescue when he bundled the ball home from close range on 89 minutes to set-up a hetic closing spell where Jamal Blackman was sent up front in an attempt to grab a last minute winner. It's now on to another potentially dramatic final-day. Attendance v Morecambe: 1,742 (399 away).
Final Score: Morecambe 1 Wycombe 1
News ALDERSHOT FRIENDLY
(Friday 28th April 2017)
Wanderers announced a third pre-season on Friday (28th April), with a trip to current Conference National side Aldershot Town. The meeting is due to take place on Saturday 22nd July with a 3pm KO. Wanderers took on The Shots in a pre-season at the start of the 2016/17 campaign - Wycombe going down 2-1 to a side managed by Gary Waddock. The former Wycombe boss has since led The Shots onto the verge of the Conference Play-Offs - victory in their final game likely to secure a two-legged semi-final meeting with 2nd placed Tranmere Rovers.
News MAIDENHEAD FRIENDLY
(Wednesday 26th April 2017)
Wanderers announced a second pre-season on Wednesday (26th April). A Wycombe team will travel Maidenhead United on Friday 28th July with a 7.45pm KO. At the time of the announcement, The Magpies were chasing promotion to the 'Conference' National League - needing victory at already relegated Margate in order the clinch promotion. Wanderers met United in a pre-season friendly at York Road in July 2016 - Gareth Ainsworth's side running out 4-1 winners.
WYCOMBE 2 DONCASTER 1
(Saturday 22nd April 2017)
Wanderers clawed their way back onto the edge of the play-off chase with a gritty 2-1 victory over league leaders Doncaster Rovers at Adams Park. A first-half brace from Luke O'Nien, either side of a Alfie May deflected equaliser, lifted Gareth Ainsworth's side to 9th place and just a point outside of the play-off zone with two games remaining. The climax to the season will see Wanderers travel to 18th placed Morecambe on Saturday (29th April) before finishing the regular season at home to currently 11th placed Cambridge United.
Victory against already promoted Rovers came after Ainsworth made just one change to the starting XI that had won at Barnet on Easter Monday - Matt Bloomfield being favoured to Paul Hayes who dropped to the bench. Wycombe's opener came on 9 minutes when a long throw from the left from Joe Jacobson saw Adebayo Akinfenwa rise to loop the ball against the crossbar and O'Nien was first to reaction as he dived in to head home from inside the six-yard box. Rovers' equaliser nine minutes later was some what fortunate - May's cross from the right bye-line taking a deflection off the boot of Sido Jombati and looping over the head of Jamal Blackman and into the far corner of the Valley End goal. Doncaster, one of the best passing sides seen at Adams Park during 2016/17 always looked dangerous going forward and Tommy Rowe struck a low shot against the foot of the right-hand upright on 26 minutes to highlight their potential danger. However, Wycombe held firm and regained the lead just after the half-hour mark when Jacobson delivered a free-kick from just inside the Wanderers half into the box. Akinfenwa managed to nod the ball back and O'Nien volleyed home from just around the penalty-spot mark. The second-half was a similar high paced affair with Wycombe never content to just sit back on their lead. Then with Rovers seemingly out of ideas of how to break down the Wycombe defence, it was subsitute Dominic Gape who went closest to adding to the scoreline when he smashed a 25 yard effort against the crossbar with three minutes of normal time remaining. The delight at the final whistle from the Wycombe bench and the players confirmed that the season was still very much alive. Attendance v Doncaster: 4,587 (820 away).
Final Score: Wycombe 2 Doncaster 1
News FIRST FRIENDLY ANNOUNCED
(Tuesday 18th April 2017)
Wanderers announced their first pre-season on Tuesday (18th April) - League One Wimbledon will be the visitors to Adams Park on Tuesday 25th July with a 7.45pm KO. The game will see Adebayo Akinfenwa reunited with his former Club. The two sides have been regular opponents since The Dons were promoted to the Football League in 2012 but this game will be the first 'First Team' friendly between the teams since 1978.
BARNET 0 WYCOMBE 2
(Monday 17th April 2017)
A 40 yarder from Sam Saunders and a last minute penalty from Joe Jacobson saw Wanderers to a 2-0 victory at Barnet on Easter Monday and keep open the outside chance of sneeking in the play-offs. The result left Wycombe in 13th place in the table but just two points behind 7th placed Blackpool in the final play-off position. Gareth Ainsworth's side are likely to need to win their remaining three games to have a chance of sneaking into the end of season fight to join already promoted Doncaster, Plymouth and Portsmouth. Victory at Barnet came after Ainsworth made two changes the side that had lost at home to Mansfield on Good Friday - Sam Saunders and Paul Hayes coming in for Matt Bloomfield and Garry Thompson - the latter two both dropping to the bench. Saunders' opener on 21 minutes was a pure opportunist's goal - the midfielder picking up a loose ball just over 40 yards from goal and then flighting the ball over home 'keeper Jamie Stephens who was standing around the penalty spot mark. Jamal Blackman made a superb double block a minute later to deny to twice deny Fumnaya Shomotun. In the second-half Curtis Weston side-footed a shot from outside the box against the Wycombe crossbar on 71 minutes, while Ruben Bover struck an effort against the right-hand post on 83 minutes as Wanderers goal held a charmed life. However, Wycombe had the last say at a ground they have won on every visit, when Thompson, who had been introduced on 75 minutes for his 700th professional appearance, was shoved over in the box by Weston to win a penalty that Jacobson duley dispatched. Attendance v Barnet: 2,507 (838 away).
Final Score: Barnet 0 Wycombe 2
News AKINFENWA NEW DEAL
(Friday 14th April 2017)
The Club announced on Friday evening (14th April) that Adebayo Akinfenwa had signed a one year extension to his contract - now running until June 2018. Having signed from Wimbledon in the summer of 2016, 'The Beast' has bagged 17 goals in all competitions in his debut season for Wanderers.
WYCOMBE 0 MANSFIELD 1
(Friday 14th April 2017)
Wanderers play-off hopes took a blow following a 1-0 home reverse to Mansfield Town on Good Friday. The only goal of the game came after 13 minutes when Krystian Pearce followed up a rebound from his own shot to tuck the ball past Jamal Blackman. The goal came after a lethargic start from Wycombe but Gareth Ainsworth's side went on to dominate the second-half but found visiting 'keeper Jake Kean in inspired form - his highlights being superb stops to deny Joe Jacobson and Adebayo Akinfenwa. The set-back to Wanderers' promotion ambitions came after Gareth Ainsworth made five changes to the side that had drawn at home to Cheltenham Town the previous Saturday - Sido Jombati, Marcus Bean, Luke O'Nien, Scott Kashket and Akinfenwa returning to the starting XI. Will De Havilland, Dominic Gape, Nick Freeman, Sam Wood and Dayle Southwell the players dropping out. De Havilland, Wood and Southwell were omitted completely from the matchday squad. The defeat saw Wycombe drop to 13th spot in the table with 59 points - four points off the final play-off spot occupied by Carlisle United - and with four games remaining, starting with the Easter Monday trip to 16th placed Barnet. Attendance v Mansfield: 4,218 (305 away).
Final Score: Wycombe 0 Mansfield 1
WYCOMBE 3 CHELTENHAM 3
(Saturday 8th April 2017)
Wanderers were left three points behind the play-off zone after having to settle for a 3-3 home draw with Cheltenham Town. The visitors had raced into a 2-0 lead in the opening 13 minutes but Wanderers battled back to level by the break - an own goal from Carl Winchester, under pressure from Garry Thompson on 21 minutes, gave Wycombe their life-line. Robins' Jordan Cranston was sent-off on 41 minutes for a second-bookable offence and two minutes later Thompson thumped home from the right corner of the six-yard box to make the score 2-2. With the scores level, Wycombe were then left disappointed they hadn't taken all three points. An 81st minute penalty converted by Joe Jacobson looked to have won the game but it was quickly followed by Wycombe conceeding a penalty of their own. Waters saw his spot-kick saved by Blackman but the Chelsea loanee couldn't keep hold of the ball and the Cheltenham player followed in to level the match up at 3-3. The draw against 21st placed Cheltenham came after Gareth Ainsworth made four changes to the side that had won at Leyton Orient the previous Saturday - Dayle Southwell, Nick Freeman, Sam Wood and Dominic Gape coming in for Myles Weston and Sam Saunders (reported injured); while Adebayo Akinfenwa and Luke O’Nien were surprisingly dropped to the bench amid rumours they had arrived later having been stuck in traffic on the M25. The draw saw Wycombe drop a place to 11th in the table but defeats for Blackpool, Carlisle, Exeter and Stevenage, meant the gap to the play-off zone closed to three points with five games remaining. Wanderers now host 13th placed Mansfield on Good Friday and then travel to Barnet (16th) on Easter Monday. Promoted Doncaster Rovers travel to Adams Park on Saturday 22nd April, while the final two games of the season are away to Morecambe (29th April) and home to Cambridge United (6th May). Attendance v Cheltenham: 3,596 (281 away).
Final Score: Wycombe 3 Cheltenham 3
LEYTON ORIENT 0 WYCOMBE 2
(Saturday 1st April 2017)
Wanderers closed the gap to the play-off places to four points following a 2-0 'smash and grab' raid at crisis club Leyton Orient. The home side looked the better side in the opening stages but a 28th minute red card shown to Tom Parkes for a high challenge on Garry Thompson proved a key point in proceedings. Matt Bloomfield opened the scoring on 37 minutes when he capatilised on a loose ball following a 'route one' move from Wanderers that saw Adebayo Akinfenwa lay-off the ball following a long clearance from Jamal Blackman. Less than two minutes later, was a comedy of errors in the Orient defence. Another long Wycombe clearance saw Myles Weston set free down the left wing but as the loose ball broke into the Orient box, defender Jens Janse and 'keeper Sam Sargeant ran into each other chest to chest and Weston was able to loop the ball into the empty net. That was effectively game over against a side that lacked any confidence in an atmosphere that was understandably anti the current regime. A not unlikely scenario is that thiscould have been the last ever game for Wanderers at Brisbane Road. Victory at Orient came after Gareth Ainsworth made three changes to the side that had lost at home to Notts County the previous Saturday - Aaron Pierre returning from injury to replace Max Muller, Garry Thompson preferred to Alex Jakubiak up front and Matt Bloomfield favoured for Dominic Gape in midfield. There was no place for Muller or Jakubiak in the matchday squad. Former Leyton Orient striker Scott Kashket returned on the bench after his spell out with injury but remained unused on a day when Wanderers took full advantage of the disarray at the East London side. The three points lifted Wanderers to 10th spot in the table with 58 points and six games remaining, starting with a home meeting with Cheltenham Town on Saturday 8th April. Attendance v Leyton Orient: 4,526 (766 away).
Final Score: Leyton Orient 0 Wycombe 2

Previous month ||| Latest news from chairboys.co.uk
chairboys.co.uk
News Archive
2016/2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
chairboys.co.uk
News Archive
2015/2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
chairboys.co.uk
News Archive
back to Dec 1995
Archive Index

Chairboys on the Net All there is to say and know about Wycombe Wanderers on the Internet
HOME||||INDEX||||ROUGH GUIDE||||NEWS||||REPORTS||||FIXTURES&RESULTS||||FORUM