|
Chairboys Match Facts
brought to you by |
|
 FIXTURES  NEWS TABLE RESERVES & YOUTH | ||
| Click here for the latest match previews and reports | ||
 Wycombe
gave their publicity machine a massive boost with a 3-1 victory over neighbours
Oxford United in the live televised game at Adams Park. Strikes from Andy Baird
and Jermaine McSporran plus a controversial stoppage time penalty from Steve
Brown mean that Wycombe have now equalled their best ever start to a Football
League campaign set in season 1993/1994
and proudly sat at 2nd spot in Division Two ahead of the Saturday programme.New signing Andy Rammell had to sit on the bench as Lawrie Sanchez fielded the same side that overcame Barnet in the Worthington Cup the previous Tuesday. Rammell got his chance early in the second-half and despite it being his first serious game of the season, looks like a great find. With a buzzing atmosphere inside Adams Park, Wycombe got off to a dream start after just three minutes when Andy Baird turned a Jamie Bates header past Richard Knight in the United goal from Steve Brown's left sided corner. However, despite creating a host of openers, that was how the score remained until half-time. Oxford bred Jermaine McSporran should have scored on 19 minutes when he was left with just Knight to beat from Harkin's clever through ball but the Oxford 'keeper blocked. Mark Rogers headed over a Michael Simpson free-kick in the 25th minute as Wycombe continued to press a very fragile looking five man Oxford defence. Two minutes later Knight had to deal with a Baird flick header from Chris Vinnicombe's sweeping left wing ball. Baird then shot fractionally wide from McSporran's cross as the referee waved away claims for offside. At the other end Martin Taylor had very little to deal with, although he needed to be alert to grab a deflected 8th minute shot from Derek Lilley. United's best chance of the first half came in the dying moments when Neil McGowen's low angled shot from the left saw Lilley slide in at the far post but he failed to connect. Half-time Wycombe 1 Oxford 0 United appeared in the second-half not only in a 4-4-2 formation but with stand-in 'keeper Hubert Busby in goal after Knight turned an ankle in the first half. Ironically, Knight had played against Wycombe last season as a substitute for the injured Paul Lundin. For Canadian Busby it was his First Team debut for United and just a week before was playing against Wycombe in the Avon Insurance Combination. However, it Martin Taylor who was the busier of the two 'keepers in the second-half. The Wycombe Player of the Season twice twarted United with brilliant saves. On 53 minutes he got down well to get a hand to Lilley's shot from the right, then with thirteen minutes left of normal time Taylor parried Joey Beauchamp's shot before the Wycombe defence finally cleared their lines. That save proved crucial when in the 81st minute Jermaine McSporran latched onto a poor back pass from United substitute Peter Fear to give Wycombe a 2-0 lead - it must have been sweet goal for McSporran who had been the subject of stick from the Oxford boo-boys all evening. That should have been curtains for Oxford but they were given hope of a point when Paul Tait's shot was deflected past Taylor by Paul McCarthy with five minutes left on the clock. Referee Tony Bates then indicated an insane six minutes of stoppage before controversy reached new heights. An innocuous tug on Dannie Bulman in the Oxford penalty area was spotted by the Assistant Referee and a penalty awarded. With Steve Brown having missed against Brentford, Chris Vinnicombe was given the chance for glory but United reserve 'keeper Busby dived to his left to save. Still the officials weren't happy and asked for the kick to be taken again - up stepped Steve Brown and this time he wellied it down the middle to seal the victory and take Wycombe to second spot in the table. A night to remember in High Wycombe. Final Score Wycombe 3 Oxford 1
|
All match reports © 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999,2000 Chairboys on the Net - Not to be reproduced without our written permission. |
||||||||||||||||||||
"Was
our reporter at the same game? Have your say!!"
|
All there is to say and know about Wycombe Wanderers on the Internet
HOME||||INDEX||||ROUGH GUIDE||||NEWS||||REPORTS||||FIXTURES&RESULTS||||INTERACT |