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| 1993-1994-RESULTS, SCORERS, ATTENDANCES - MORE REPORTS | 1993-1994 RETRO INDEX |
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Wycombe Wanderers 1 Northampton Town 0 Saturday 22nd January 1994 Football League Division Three 
Bottom club Northampton Town provided Wanderers' opposition in Division Two on Saturday 22nd January 1994. Wanderers included new Ł20,000 signing Lee Turnbull in their side. The 26 year old had been signed from Doncaster Rovers and had scored against Wycombe earlier in the season when he was playing for Chesterfield. Meanwhile, The Cobblers were without a win in 17 games and came to Adams Park with a Ł1.2m debt hanging over them having been in administration since August 1992. However, this was not quite the stroll in the park that many predicted.The Cobblers included Steve Brown and Mickey Bell in their strikeforce and both players had chances to open the scoring before Wanderers struck them with a real sucker punch. Hyde had saved Brown's 35 yarder and then picked out Bell's deflected effort before Guppy whipped in a cross from the right on 37 minutes that ended up in the far corner of the Valley End net. Turnbull, playing up front with Langford, went close twice in the second-half but Guppy's goal proved to be the only goal of the game as an impressive crowd of 6,737 saw Wanderers register their third successive League victory and rise to 2nd place in the table. Speaking after the game Martin O'Neill commented "We played poorly to be fair. I can't hide that. We looked tired for a start. We never could get into second gear at all. We were second to things all day. Overall we played wretchedly." Steve Guppy added "The victory was essential to keep up there with the leaders to gain automatic promotion. At the end of the day we won 1-0 and I am sure everybody will go home happy."
Bucks Free Press - Nick Goodman reporting from Adams Park: It took a freak Steve Guppy goal for unconvincing Blues to claim second spot in Division Three against bottom club Northampton. A 6,737 crowd — Wycombe’s second biggest of the season — had been lured to Adams Park in the hope of seeing Martin O’Neill’s high-fliers win impressively. But the script went horribly wrong as Wanderers complete with busy debutant Lee Turnbull looked sluggish and unable to pass the ball with any conviction for long periods.  It was largely a dire match and Northampton goalkeeper Barry Richardson will be cursing himself over Guppy’s 37th-minute goal.
There seemed to be little danger as winger Guppy curled in a long cross from the right. But Richardson, either under pressure from Keith Ryan or unsighted, allowed it to float straight into the net. It was totally against the run of play as Northampton had knocked the ball around confidently in the first half without really threatening goalkeeper Paul Hyde.“We played poorly to be fair. I can’t hide that,” said Martin O’Neill afterwards. “We looked tired for a start. We never could get into second gear at all. “We were second to things all day. Overall we played wretchedly.” Wycombe looked disjointed, mishit the ball too frequently, and only really carved some decent movements in the second half. After a minute’s silence before the game in memory of Sir Matt Busby, Northampton looked comfortable on the heavy pitch. The Cobblers had two early corners, but Wycombe had the first real chance on 14 minutes. Dave Carroll’s quick free kick released Tim Langford, but his shot lacked venom. Northampton responded with Ian Sampson’s well- struck shot just over. Then Captain Steve Brown unleashed a left-foot 35-yarder which Hyde saved. Northampton, who held Blues 1-1 at home last October, were playing all the football and when Carroll lost the ball Michael Bell got in a deflected shot. Blues began to play with some rhythm after 30 minutes but it was largely innocuous stuff until Guppy’s bizarre goal his second oddity in three games. Wycombe captain Terry Evans, named player of the month for the third successive month, met Carroll’s free kick with a firm downward header a minute before the break. Turnbull, playing up front with Langford, only really found his feet in the second half. His powerful header from Guppy’s cross hit the post early on. But the game became very scrappy. Turnbull was twice denied brilliantly by Richardson. His shot from Carroll’s corner was blocked and five minutes from time his meaty header was turned away. |
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