Matchday Essentials 2002-2003 Click here for the latest match previews and reports
Click here for Quick Guide Brentford 1 Click here for your Rough Guide to Wycombe Wanderers
Wycombe Wanderers 0
Saturday 21st September 2002
Football League Division Two
Action from Griffin Park
A tussle from the game at Griffin Park where Wycombe went down to their fourth consecutive League defeat.
Wanderers poor run continued as a solitary second-half penalty saw Brentford run out 1-0 winners and condemn Wycombe to a fourth consecutive League defeat. The game had the obligatory 0-0 written all over it until a rash challenge by Paul McCarthy on Rowan Vine enabled Stephen Hunt to convert the spot-kick. Wycombe had a couple of claims for penalties turned away either side of Brentford's while Stuart Roberts missed a glorious chance for an equaliser on a day when both sides had just a handful of shots on target. The defeat sees Wycombe fall to 20th place in the Division Two table with just nine points from the opening ten games.
As expected Lawrie Sanchez, in charge of his 200th competitive match at Wycombe, made changes to his line-up for this game. The defence went to a back five with Danny Senda returning from suspension in place of Mark Rogers, while Roger Johnson joined McCarthy and Andy Thomson in the central roles. The biggest shock was the absence of Darren Currie and Sean Devine from the starting line-up - Andy Rammell returning from his suspension to join Craig Faulconbridge as the attacking pair. Martin Taylor returned in goal after his injury in favour of stand-in Frank Talia.
It was Brentford who opened the livelier side but there was little action for Taylor on an afternoon where both keeper's were rarely troubled. However, it was Wycombe who came closest to scoring in the opening exchanges. A 15th minute corner from the right by Michael Simpson was met by the head of Thomson at the far side of the penalty area but the ex-Bristol Rovers player saw the ball to scrape off the far post and away from danger.
Brentford responded after 20 minutes when Vine cut in from the right but the resulting cross saw Mark McCammon completely mis-kick from eight yards. However, Taylor was also drawn into a rare piece of action when he picked out Vine's shot on 35 minutes.
Only a brilliant save by Paul Smith in first half stoppage time prevented Wycombe taking the lead - Danny Bulman's snap shot from around 20 yards being pushed away for a corner on the left due thanks to a full length dive. Thomson will have been disappointed to have headed wide of the target at the far post from the resulting corner.
Half-time Brentford 0 Wycombe 0
Paul McCarthy up front at Griffin ParkKicking towards a healthy contingent of around 1,000 Wycombe fans on the open Griffin Park terrace, there were loud claims for a penalty on 54 minutes when the Brentford defence seemed to control the ball with a hand, However, the officials waved away the appeals and a minute later Wycombe were behind when McCarthy felled Vine in what appeared a pretty clear cut decision at the other end. Hunt stuck away the spot kick off the underside of the left corner of the crossbar.
Lawrie Sanchez made a triple substitution on 73 minutes in an effort to force an equaliser. Currie, Roberts and Devine were introduced as the defence reverted to a back four and it was Wycombe who finished the stronger side with even McCarthy joining the forwards in search of a goal.
Darren Currie attempts a shot at Griffin Park Within a minute of the substitutions Rammell was furious that he hadn't won a penalty when he tumbled over following a challenge by Roget. A penalty would have a generous decision but moments later Wycombe had their best chance to draw level when Roberts was presented with the ball on the left side of the penalty area but the Welshman compounded his torrid time in front of goal by slicing the effort wide from around 12 yards.
The miss probably summed up Wycombe's current plight in a game that neither side deserved to win and one which struggled to provide any significant entertainment for the crowd.
Final Score Brentford 1 Wycombe 0
Wycombe: Taylor, Senda, Johnson (sub 73 Currie), McCarthy, Thomson, Vinnicombe, Simpson, Bulman, Brown (sub 73 Roberts), Faulconbridge (sub 73 Devine), Rammell subs not used: Ryan, Harris
Yellow Cards: Brown (foul 37), Senda (89 foul)
Brentford: Paul Smith, Dobson, Roget, Chorley, Anderson, O'Connor, Hutchinson, Fullarton, Hunt, McCammon (sub 85 Constantine), Vine subs not used: Evans, Williams, Somner, Julian
Yellow Cards: Roget (foul 38)
Referee: Steve Dunn (Bristol) Attendance: 6,172 (1000 Wycombe approx)
Interactive Stats
Match and players
All the Wycombe results, scorers, team line-ups and statistical breakdown of the current season - FULLY INTERACTIVE to your heart's content.
Latest Table and form Updated table with results archive of ALL Division Two games plus form guide and previous meeting between ALL clubs for the past four seasons.
Squad Info
Quick Links

Chairboys on the Net - click here to reload from the top
Match Report Archive.
Current season plus all matches back to July 1996 >>>
Click here for Quick Guide Quick Guide to The Bees
Past meetings, connections, web links and more
Visit The Gas Room"Was our reporter at the same game? Have your say!!"
Click here other results on this dayOn This Day
More Wycombe results from 21st September
All match reports © 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999,2000, 2001, 2002
Chairboys on the Net - Not to be reproduced without our written permission.


Back To Top

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||||INTERACT