All the news stories from March 2019
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OXFORD UTD 2 WYCOMBE 1
(Saturday 30th March 2019)
There was a sense of 'deja vu' for Wanderers' followers at Oxford United after Gareth Ainsworth's side took the lead, only to sucumb to an equaliser and then concede in stoppage time at the end of the 90 minutes to lose 2-1. Only the equally appalling form of teams below Wycombe in the table kept the gap to the relegation zone at two points but with games against promotion hopefuls Portsmouth and Charlton next on the agenda, every game is now taking on huge importance for Wanderers' survival hopes.
Team news saw Wycombe make two changes from the starting XI that had suffered the stoppage time defeat at Shrewsbury two weeks previous - Adebayo Akinfenwa and Nick Freeman returning for Paris Cowan-Hall (dropped to bench) and Luke Bolton (injured). Yves Ma-Kalambay remained in goal with Ryan Allsop on the bench.
Despite going into the game on a 9 match winless run, Wanderers were backed by more than 1,700 fans and they were celebrating a goal on 21 minutes when Joe Jacobson's free-kick from deep on the right was misjudged by United 'keeper Simon Eastwood and Adam El-Abd improvised to flick the ball home with his back to goal. It was no less than Wycombe deserved but their defensive frailties were exposed on the half-hour mark when Marcus Browne's low cross from the right eluded all the Wanderers shirts, allowing Jerome Sinclair to stoke the ball home and level the scores.
Wycombe were given a chance to regain the lead on 37 minutes when Josh Ruffels hauled down Alex Samuel on the left side of the United box to concede a penalty. However, Joe Jacobson struck the resulting spot-kick wide of the right-hand upright to let the hosts off.
The second-half was another even affair with Wycombe going closest on 61 minutes when a brilliant run by Freeman down the right-wing saw the ball delivered into the box only for Akinfenwa to send his back against the crossbar. Victory for Wycombe would have virtually guaranteed safety in the League One for another season, while at the same time potentially sending Oxford United into a tailspin. However, the harshness of football came home to roost again when in the 4th minute of stoppage time Ruffels curled in an effort from the left of midfield that eluded Ma-Kalambay and sailed into the far corner of the net. The goal left all connected with Wanderers absolutely shellshocked.
 Final score: Oxford United 2 Wycombe 1 |
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FIGHT FOR SURVIVAL
(Tuesday 27th March 2019)
Wanderers sat in 16th spot, with 44 points and 8 games remaining following their weekend break from action and ahead of the visit to Oxford United on Saturday (30th March 2019).
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TRUST INVESTMENT UPDATE
(Thursday 21st March 2019)
Trust members were informed on Thursday 21st March 2019 that potential investors Bill Luby and Jim Collis will be flying in to the UK on Tuesday 9th April 2019, in time for the home Charlton game, and will be available for informal discussions in the bar areas both pre and post-match. The duo then plan to make a formal proposal to Legacy Members on Wednesday 10th April 2019, in the Union Baptist Church Conference Centre (known as the Hub), Easton Street, High Wycombe, starting at 7.30pm. Trust Chairman Trevor Stroud, in an email to members, also said: "I am keen to move things forward, particularly as we cannot plan for next season until we know the outcome of the vote." He added: "This decision process is the most important in the Club’s recent history, and as such I ask for the decision to be based on actual votes. Please remember that a non-vote is a no vote, so please don’t let apathy decide the future of our Football Club." |
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SHREWSBURY 2 WYCOMBE 1
(Saturday 16th March 2019)
Wanderers dropped to within two points of the relegation zone after producing the definitive 'snatching defeat from the jaws of victory' as they contrived to turn a 1-0 lead with three minutes of normal time reamining, into a 2-1 defeat at fellow strugglers Shrewsbury Town.
In a game played in a constant swirling wind and rain it looked like Wanderers were heading for victory when Jason McCarthy curled in a free-kick on 67 minutes to give Wycombe a crucial lead. However, second-choice 'keeper Yves Ma-Kalamby, favoured over Ryan Allsop, conceded a header from Omar Beckles on 87 minutes and then while the Wanderers camp were bemoaning two dropped points, all three were gone when Adam El-Abd tripped Shaun Whalley in the box and
Ollie Norburn converted from the spot.
Team news had seen Gareth Ainsworth make six changes from the starting XI that that failed so miserably at home to Accrington the previous Tuesday - the most significant change coming with Ma-Kalamby being given his first League start for Wanderers after Allsop's match to forget against Accrington. Also coming in were, Anthony Stewart, Joe Jacobson, Dominic Gape, Marcus Bean and Luke Bolton, with Matt Bloomfield, Michael Harriman, Sido Jomabti, Nick Freeman and Adebayo Akinfenwa (all dropped to bench).
The result left Wycombe in a precarious position in the League One table - sitting in 14th place and just a two point cushion to the relegation zone. With no game for Wanderers on Saturday (23rd March), there will be anxious looks at results elsewhere before Wycombe travel to a resurgent Oxford United side on Saturday 30th March 2019, aiming to end a now 9 game winless run.
Final Score: Shrewsbury 2 Wycombe 1 |
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FINE FOR SUNDERLAND FRACAS
(Friday 15th March 2019)
It was revealed on Friday 15th March 2019 that both Wanderers and Sunderland had been fined by the FA following the touchline melee which took place at Adams Park on Saturday 9th March 2019. The Black Cats have been charged £6,000, while Wanderers have been hit with a £7,250 fine for their involvements in the 95th-minute indecent that saw Nathan Tyson and Sunderland's George Honeyman both sent off. Both clubs have accepted the charges for 'failing to ensure their players and/or officials conducted themselves in an orderly fashion and/or refrained from provocative behaviour and/or violent conduct during the 95th minute.' |
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TRUST INVESTMENT UPDATE
(Thursday 14th March 2019)
More confusion was added to the investment proposal mix on Thurdsay 14th March 2019 when Andy Harman revealed through social media that he had reluctantly decided to withdraw his bid for a stake in Wycombe Wanderers Football Club. Harman claimed that during a Trust Board meeting on Monday (11th March 2019), that 'valuable information relating to my proposal had not been available.' The Trust responsed shortly afterwards with a statement that included: "The [Trust Board] assessed in great detail two offers of investment, one from Bill Luby and Jim Collis seeking a majority shareholding, and one from Andrew Harman seeking an initial minority shareholding increasing to a majority holding in two years. Trust directors voted overwhelmingly in favour of the offer made by Bill Luby and Jim Collis, and will call a meeting of Legacy Members in due course to present the details of the bid and initiate a voting period for Members to determine whether or not the offer should be accepted."
Read full statement at wycombewandererstrust.com
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WYCOMBE 1 ACCRINGTON 3
(Tuesday 12th March 2019)
Wanderers dropped within four points of the relegation zone after a 3-1 home reverse to Accrington Stanley. It is now eight League games without a win for Wanderers and the latest set-back came after Wycombe had taken a 24th minute lead through Paris Cowan-Hall before conceeding two needless penalties either side of the break and then a further goal to send Stanley home with another Adams Park victory under their belt.
After the visitors had enjoyed more of the possession early on, Cowan-Hall's curled conversion from the left corner of the box appeared to be the slice of luck needed for Gareth Ainsworth's side. But Wycombe failed to kick-on and after the game was delayed on 35 minutes when the Assistant Referee needed to be replaced, Wanderers began to implode in the 10th minute of first-half stoppage time. Ryan Allsop hauling Paul Smyth to the ground as Stanley took a corner from the rightto concede a penalty that was converted by Billy Kee to level the scores.
The second-half was possibly Wycombe's worse show of the season to date. After Cowan-Hall had seen a 54th minute effort cleared off the line from Nick Freeman's cross on 54 minutes, Wycombe conceeded another cheap penalty - this time Curtis Thompson adjudged to have fouled Smyth as the ball was pinged to the left bye-line on 66 minutes. Kee did the honours again from the spot to put the visitors ahead. Five minutes later it was Smyth who got on the scoresheet to seal Stanley's when he jinxed into the box on the left side before sending a low shot under Allsop. Wycombe never looked like getting back into the game.
Team news for Wanderers saw six changes to the starting XI that had a drawn with Sunderland three days previous - Michael Harriman, Adam El-Abd (returning from suspension), Thompson, Cowan-Hall, Freeman and Adebayo Akinfenwa the returning faces in place of Nathan Tyson (suspended first of three games), Marcus Bean (suspended one game), Dominic Gape (injured), Anthony Stewart (injured), Joe Jacboson and Luke Bolton (both dropped to bench). Non-contract signing Ben Frempah was included on the bench for the first time in a competitive match for Wanderers. QPR loanee Charlie Owens was introduced as an 87th substitute for his Wanderers debut.
Final score: Wycombe 1 Accrington 3 |
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DEFENDER ON NON-CONTRACT
(Monday 11th March 2019)
The Club announced on 11th March 2019 the signing of 23 year-old defender Ben Frempah on non-contract terms in order to provide additional cover for the remainder of the 2018/19 campaign. The Italian born player had been training with Wanderers since appearing as a triallist in pre-season friendlies in July 2018. He was allocated No.29 in the Wanderers squad. |
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WYCOMBE 1 SUNDERLAND 1
(Saturday 9th March 2019)
Only a stoppage-time goal prevented Wanderers from claiming the scalp of promotion chasing Sunderland at Adams Park - the game ending 1-1 and culminately in controversey as three red cards were banished - two to Wycombe and one to the visitors.
A crowd of over 8,700 saw Alex Samuel fire Wycombe into a deserved lead on 35 minutes when he tucked the ball inside the left-hand upright following Paris Cowan-Hall's low ball from the right. The game was four minutes into second-half stoppage time when Ryan Allsop could push Grant Leadbitter's long range shot into the path of Duncan Watmore - who swept the ball home from the left edge of the six-yard box to delight the 2,700 away followers in the biggest gate of the season at Adams Park. It was heartbreak for Wanderers who had more than matched their opponents throughout. Tempers frayed in the minutes remaining following the goal - a brawl close to dug-outs ending with Wycombe's Nathan Tyson and Sunderland's George Honeyman both being red-carded for violent conduct despite both already being subsituted. The miserable conclusion to the match for Wanderers was compounded when Marcus Bean also picked up a red-card for a second bookable offence with 100 minutes on the clock.
Team news for the first ever meeting with Sunderland at Adams Park had seen Gareth Ainsworth make three changes from the side that had lost at Peterborough the previous Saturday - Marcus Bean, Luke Bolton and Nathan Tyson coming in for Adebayo Akinfenwa, Curtis Thompson and Nick Freeman. Matt Bloomfield was making his 500th First Team appearance for Wanderers having debuted for the Club in December 2003.
Wanderers remained in 12th spot in League One after the draw. However, the result left just a five point gap to the relegation places, now occupied by Wimbledon, Bradford, Rochdale and Oxford United. Wycombe entertain 17th placed Accrington on Tuesday (12th March 2019), with the Lancashire side just three points behind. The play-off zone is now 11 points away.
Note: The official attendance was originally announced as 8,422 but was later corrected to 8,725 due to a faulty turnstile counter. Most online records will show the original attendance rather than the revised figure.
Final score: Wycombe 1 Sunderland 1 |
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CHARLTON HOME POSTPONED
(Thursday 7th March 2019)
Wanderers' home League fixture with Charlton Athletic, scheduled for Saturday 23rd March 2019, has been postponed due to The Addicks receiving three or more call-ups for international duty that weekend. The game will now be played on Tuesday 9th April 2019 (kick-off 7.45pm). Tickets for the original game are still valid, or refunds available from the Club. |
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PETERBOROUGH 4 WYCOMBE 2
(Saturday 2nd March 2019)
Wycombe conceeded twice inside the first ten minutes on their way to a 4-2 defeat at promotion hopefuls Peterborough United. Matt Godden netted on 7 and 10 minutes as Wanderers' defence was exposed but a Ryan Tafazolli headed own-goal on 16 minutes from a Jason McCarthy cross from the right, gave Wycombe hope. However, Marcus Maddison curled in a free-kick from just outside the right corner of the penalty area to retore the two goal lead for Posh. Once again, Wycombe were given another lifeline on 38 minutes when Nick Freeman's deep cross from the left was dropped by home 'keeper Conor O'Malley and Adebayo Akinfenwa laid the ball back for Matt Bloomfield to sweep home from 8 yards. But on day where Gareth Ainsworth admitted his team were defensively 'poor', it was the home side who sealed victory on 66 minutes when Maddison curled the ball left-footed past Ryan Allsop from the right side of the box after Posh had broken down the opposite wing.
Team news for Wanderers had seen two changes from the side that had lost at home to Gillingham the previous Saturday - Alex Samuel and Nick Freeman being favoured for Scott Kashket, Paris Cowan-Hall. The game marked the 500th professional appearance for Matt Bloomfield, all but one of those appearances coming in a Wanderers shirt.
Despite the defeat, Wanderers remained in 12th spot in the table but now just 6 points clear of the relegation places currently occupied by Bristol Rovers, Rochdale, Bradford City and Wimbledon. Wycombe host Sunderland at Adams Park on Saturday 9th March 2019.
Final score: Peterborough 4 Wycombe 2 |
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