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Grimsby Town 1
Saturday 3rd January 2004
Football League Division Two
Luke Moore - hat-trick hero versus Grimsby Wanderers got the New Year off to the best possible start with an emphatic 4-1 victory over Grimsby Town at Adams Park. On loan Villa striker Luke Moore grabbed a hat-trick and Jermaine McSporran scored a wonder goal as Wycombe left a week of turmoil behind them.
Tony Adams had come under-fire from certain quarters for a run of poor results coupled with his team selection ahead of last Sunday's meeting with Rushden. Wanderers slumped 2-0 against the former non-League side but Adams boosted Wanderers' squad for the clash with The Mariners with the addition of two more loan players. Coming in were 21 year old striker/winger Nathan Tyson on a month's loan from Reading. He was joined by the experience of Millwall's 30 year old central defender Stuart Nethercott also arriving on a month's loan. They were two of six changes in the starting line-up from the Rushden game. There were recalls in midfield for Michael Simspon, Darren Currie and Dannie Bulman, while Scott Marshall returned in the centre of defence after a spell out with the flu. Marshall was partnered by Nethercott with Steven Taylor playing at right-back and Ian Simpemba on the opposite flank as the preferred cover for the injured Chris Vinnicombe.
Wanderers opened the scoring on 5 minutes when Bulman battled through from midfield before pushing the ball wide to the right for the pacey Tyson. The Reading player then took the ball to the bye-line before sending in a low cross that Moore managed to force across the line with what looked like part of his arm.
Three minutes later Wanderers fans could be forgiven for thinking it was the same old story when a cross from the left from the visitors wasn't dealt with by the Wycombe defence and Iffy Onuora, on loan to the Wanderers earlier in the season, headed past Steve Williams.
Jermaine McSporran knocks in his wonder goalHowever, Wanderers kept plugging away. Currie flighted in a cross from the left on 11 minutes that Moore stretched to get in a header that went high of the crossbar while five minutes later Nethercott did well to connect with a corner from the right but his header went wide of the far post. Moore and Taylor joined Simpson in the book before Wanderers took the lead in the 28th minute with an incredible goal from McSporran. Currie managed to chip the ball through into the penalty area from the left flank and Jocky, rather than let the ball bounce, timed a flicked volley to perfection to send the ball into the far corner of the Valley End net.
Half-time Wycombe 2 Grimsby 1
Jocky and Ruby celebrateWanderers tightened their grip on the game with a third goal on 51 minutes and it was nearly as good as McSporran's for the build up alone. At least half a dozen Wycombe were involved with Tyson eventually delivering the ball from the left bye-line for Moore to convert again from close range.
The impressive Tyson was forced off just after the mark after a hefty challenge by Tony Crane left the loanee nursing a knee injury. Tyson now awaits news of what is suspected as cruciate damage. Wanderers lost their way a little after the enforced change but after some token pressure from a poor Grimsby side, it was Moore who completed his hat-trick in stoppage time with a curling shot from the left side of the penalty area after an exhibition one-two with Currie.
Final Score - Wycombe 4 Grimsby 1
After an awkward week in the media for Tony Adams, this result and performance was a perfect tonic. The Wycombe boss said in the post match press conference "The lads worked hard today and I don't think I'd have liked to have faced the pace of Moore and Tyson, that's for sure! The performance was very good today and what pleased me most about it was the desire, they really wanted it today." However, Adams was keeping a level about the result by adding "One swallow doesn't make a summer." He also had the courage to admit that some of the comments made in the previous week's press conference about his future at Wycombe were poorly worded, saying "I made a mistake, it came out wrong. I tried to correct it but it just got worse. I'm a very emotional man and it hurts deeply when we lose, so there will be times when I say things emotionally that will get me into trouble. I really have learnt a lot this week."
Wycombe: Williams, Taylor, Nethercott, Marshall, Simpemba, McSporran, Simpson, Bulman, Currie, Tyson (sub 61 Roberts), Moore - subs not used: Talia, Brown, Ryan, Faulconbridge
Bookings: Simpson (foul 7), Moore (foul 17), Taylor (foul 26), McSporran (foul 43)
Scorers: Moore (5,51,91), McSporran (28)
Grimsby: Davison, Cas, Crane, Edwards, McDermott, Campbell (sub 54 Young), Hamilton, Pouton, Jevons, Onuora (sub 63 Mansaram), Boulding - subs not used Groves, Anderson, Ford
Bookings: Crane (foul 57)
Scorer: Onoura (8)
Referee: Mark Cooper Attendance: 4,519 (away end 377)
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