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Wycombe Wanderers 3 |
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Rochdale 0 |
Saturday 10th December 2005
Football League 'League Two' |
Wanderers took the unbeaten start to the season to 21 games with a 3-0 victory over Rochdale at Adams Park. Wycombe were already two goals to the good via a brace from Tommy Mooney before the visitors had Warren Goodhind sent off for a second bookable offence on 58 minutes. 'League Two' top scorer Grant Holt followed him down the tunnel on 69 minutes when he was shown a straight red card for a wild lunge on Roger Johnson. The sending offs ended the game as a spectacle and Charlie Griffin capped the victory when he turned the ball home in the 85th minute Russell Martin's cross/shot from the right.
The victory came after John Gorman made one change to the side that had drew with Boston United in the week - Sergio Torres replacing Matt Bloomfield in midfield after the latter had fallen foul of a virus. Torres got his chance on the weekend that his some of his family had made the trip over from Argentina to see him play in the Football League for this first time.
Meanwhile, Rochdale came to Adams Park boasting two of the top three scorers in the division and they could have been ahead on 5 minutes but for a spectacular one handed save by Frank Talia from a Gareth Griffths header.
 However, Wanderers took the upper hand on 9 minutes when Mooney finished with his left foot from just inside the box after Griffin had headed the ball back from the right of the penalty area. The remainder of the half was a fairly even affair with Torres coming close to making it 2-0 on 34 minutes when he fired over after Mooney had done well to pull the ball back from the left bye-line. While two minutes later at the other end Talia came out quick to narrow the angle on Gary Jones before deflecting the ball away for a corner on the left.
Joe Burnell was replaced at the half-time break by Russell Martin after a calf injury got the better of the former Bristol City player. But Frank Talia played on during the second-half despite a shoulder injury.
Wycombe got their crucial second nine minutes into the second half when Griffin chased down on Dale 'keeper Matthew Gilks with the ball rebounding back off Griffin and onto the crossbar before Mooney stooped in to head home. Rochdale's day then fell apart when Goodhind was sent off for pulling back Sergio Torres and Holt joined him for a ridiculous challenge on Johnson.
Wycombe could have scored five or six more goals in the closing stages but in the end had to settle for just one. Griffin will probably still be wondering how he managed to miss the target from inside the six yard box after Kevin Betsy's low cross from the right on 74 minutes. Betsy was also guilty of spurning two chances with the next five minutes. Roger Johnson then saw a header palmed away by Gilks on 79 minutes after Clint Easton had flighted a ball in from the left before Griffin bagged the goal that confirmed Wycombe's dominance and with results elsewhere going in favour of the Wanderers the lead at the top of the table is back to four points.
Final Score - Wycombe 3 Rochdale 0
Wycombe Manager John Gorman said he was very happy with result when speaking to BBC Three Counties Radio after the game. He added, "It was a fantastic effort from the lads. We had a great meeting today before the game. We were really up for it. We are up for games like this and they are a good team. They are not only a good team but they have got great individuals and we had to be really at our best." He said the performance was a great all around team effort but commenting on goalkeeper Frank Talia, he said, "Today Frank done what he supposed to do. It was great save from the corner and he made a great save just before half-time. He was magnificent but I expect that from him. So it will be a great boost for Frank. He inspired the rest of the lads."
Meanwhile Rochdale boss Steve Parkin was rueing the sendings off that ended his side's chances of taking anything from the game. He said "Wycombe have proved all season that they are probably the best, if not one of the best team in this division and you cannot play against the best teams with nine men, it's as simple as that." He added "Both sending offs were deserved, Warren should have known better because he'd already been booked and what 'Holtly' was doing I'll never know. He showed a total lack of discipline for everyone at the football club and he will be disciplined as much as I can possibly discipline him."
Wycombe: Talia, Senda, Easton, Johnson, Williamson, Lee (sub 87 Keogh), Burnell (sub HT Martin), Torres (sub 83 Dixon), Betsy, Mooney, Griffin - subs not used: Williams, Philo
Bookings: none
Scorers: Mooney (9, 54), Griffin (85) |
Rochdale: Gilks, Goodhind, Griffiths, Gallimore, Jaszczun (sub 65 Clarke), Cartwright, Jones, Brisco (sub 66 Sturrock), Goodall, Holt, Lambert (sub 72 Tait) - subs not used Warner, Boardman
Bookings: Goodhind (27 unsporting behaviour), Jones (57 foul), Goodall (63 dangerous play) Red Cards: Goodhind (58 shirt pulling - second bookable offence), Holt (69 violent conduct)
Scorers: none |
| Referee: Mr D Deadman |
Attendance: Att: 4,928 (300 away end) |
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