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FA Cup 1999/2000
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On a cold night at The Manor Ground, Wycombe welcomed back Dave Carroll back into the starting line-up for the first time in over a month. Wycombe hadn't won a game since Carroll's injury against Cambridge United and it was no coincidence that he provided that needed creativity in midfield. Keith Ryan also returned after missing the previous three games. Jason Cousins sat out the game due to a one match suspension for his red card at Oldham. Kicking down the slope, Wycombe had the vast majority of the possession in the first-half but the front men seemed to lack confidence in front of goal. On 20 minutes Wycombe tried to walk the ball into the net but Carroll's final effort was too weak. A minute later ex-City player Jermaine McSporran saw a fierce shot skim off the left-hand upright. Sean Devine saw headers go wide and saved within a three minute spell just before the half-hour mark before Wycombe were warned again of the threat of non-leaguers - Jason Davey waltzing through from midfield as the Wycombe defence looked on. Canadian Mark Rogers and Jamie Bates saw headers fail to hit the target before Wycombe were nearly made to pay dearly for not taking those chances. Davy found himself one-on-one with Taylor in the final minute of the first-half but fortunately for Wycombe, the City dangerman mis-kicked much to the amusement of the Wycombe fans on the terraces. Half-time 0-0  Brown's
goal - a great low strike after he came in from the left side, settled some of
the Wycombe nerves but the players still could not find the decisive second goal to kill the tie.
After McSporran had been replaced by Paul Emblen, Wycombe went close again -
this time Devine cantering down the left before Carroll was unable to turn the
ball home with an acrobatic flick. At the other end it was generally a quiet
night for Martin Taylor but there was still time for City substitute Tate
Hulbert to
drive a low shot inches wide as time was running out for the Ryman League side.
Devine had another chance to seal the game in stoppage time before referee Paul
Danson finally brought to a close this epic cup-tie. The City players can look
back on the encounters with pride and the thoughts of what might of been, while
for Wycombe and the loyal fans who have had to endure these three games, it's
probably better to look forward to the rest of the season.Final Score Oxford City 0 Wycombe 1 WYCOMBE TEAM: Taylor, Lawrence, Rogers, Beeton, Bates, Simpson, Carroll, Brown, Ryan (sub 90 Bulman), Devine, McSporran (sub 70 Emblen) subs not used Vinnicombe, Harkin and Osborn Att;4,004 |
If that was a farce, what had proceeded it was certainly on a par after Wycombe were made to look very ordinary by a side league's below them. Wycombe were given another lesson in playing with a passion and when Dwaine Strong picked up on another defensive slip-up to round Martin Taylor and put City ahead on 38 minutes it was no less than the non-League side deserved. Wycombe hardly troubled City 'keeper Alan Foster in the first-half, the nearest effort coming on 19 minutes when Paul Emblen failed in an one on one situation. Andy Baird missed a good chance on 28 minutes after Devine had touched the ball to him and a minute later Jason Cousins headed thin air from a right-wing corner from Michael Simpson. It was on the half-hour mark that City forced their first corner and the resulting scramble in the Wycombe box was warning yet again that this wasn't going to be an easy night. City's goal came after a catastrophic back pass by Simpson. Shaun Wimble picked up the ball and fed Strong who cooly rounded Taylor to set up a potential upset. Half-time City 1 Wycombe 0 Wycombe looked shellshocked after the goal but a lifeline came on 58 minutes when Michael Simpson blasted home completely out of the blue after a quick throw from Alan Beeton down the left side. Once again Wycombe failed to turn the screw and City were in no mood to throw in the towel. Terry Sweeney forced Taylor to make a low save to his left on 68 minutes while Wycombe's best chance to snatch the game came two minutes from the end of normal time when Sean Devine angled a shot inches wide when he broke in from the left. Seven minutes from the end of extra-time Jamie Bates came to the rescue with a last ditch tackle and City went even closer before Devine had a goal disallowed for offside on the stroke of 120 minutes. What followed completed the farce for the night and now the game must be replayed. The winners will be at home to Wigan Athletic in Round Two but after this many Wycombe fans are past caring. Final Score Oxford City 1 Wycombe 1 (after extra-time and then abandoned) WYCOMBE TEAM:Taylor, Lawrence, Rogers (sub 90 McSporran), Beeton, Cousins, Bates, Simpson, Baird, Harkin (sub 60 Brown), Emblen (sub 99 Bulman), Devine subs not used Vinnicombe and Osborn Att:2,586 |
Wycombe turned in a shocking display against Ryman League Division One side
Oxford City in the FA Cup First Round. The game ended 1-1 after City defender
Richard Pierson headed home with four minutes left on the clock to cancel
out Michael Simpson's earlier goal. A nervy Wycombe took nearly 30
minute to create an opening against a side 100 places below them in league
positions. By then City could have been 2-0 up as the nippy Jason Davy caused embarrassment
for the sluggish Wycombe defence. Martin Taylor also made amends for his blunders
the previous week when he blocked another Davy effort two minutes before the
break. Earlier Keith Ryan had a free header from a right wing cross from Michael Simpson but 'Rhino' headed over the bar while Simpson saw a long range effort pushed away by the City 'keeper on 37 minutes. A minute later City's Michael Thorp saw his header drop onto the top of the Wycombe crossbar after a free-kick had been delivered into the Wycombe box following a Ryan foul.
Andy Baird missed a golden chance four minutes before the break when he contrived to miss from close range after Devine had worked an opening.
With the rain lashing down Wycombe were grateful to go in level at the break.Half-time Wycombe 0 City 0 The match should have been a special occasion for Jermaine McSporran who joined Wycombe from Oxford City last November. McSporran had fired City Manager Paul Lee after being quoted in the Oxford Mail of saying that City's defence is slow and the game should be over by half-time but McSporran had a disappointing game and was substituted after 60 minutes. Wycombe looked more lively after Emblen had replaced McSporran - the goal hero at Lincoln firing wide from a Simpson corner three minutes after coming on. When Simpson tucked in Alan Beeton's low cross from the left after 66 minutes it looked like Wycombe had got out of jail. Five minutes later Andy Baird saw his downward header brilliantly saved by City 'keeper Alan Foster but Wycombe failed to kill the game off. Mo Harkin had a lively fifteen minutes when he replaced Steve Brown but with just five minutes left a defensive mix-up involving debutant Mark Rogers forced Taylor to make another first-class save from Davy. However, the resulting corner from substitute Matty Whitehead saw Pierson's glancing header find the back of the net despite seven Wyombe defenders being in the six yard box. Even then Wycombe had a chance to win the game when Harkin sent Devine through on the left but his low cross was somehow turned wide of the target by Baird. At the final whistle the Oxford fans were dancing in the rain while the Wycombe faithful were left in shock for the second week running. Final Score Wycombe 1 Oxford City 1 WYCOMBE TEAM:Taylor, Rogers, Beeton, Cousins, Bates, Ryan, Simpson, Baird, Brown (sub 74 Harkin), McSporran (sub 60 Emblen), Devine subs not used Vinnicombe Bulman and Osborn Att:2,963 |
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