ROCHDALE 0 WYCOMBE 3
(Saturday 28th September 2019)
Wanderers blitzed Rochdale on their home patch 3-0 with a brace from Fred Onyedinma plus a glanced header from Adebayo Akinfenwa. The result lifted Wycombe to 2nd in the table with 22 points from their opening 11 games. It was their biggest winning margin away from home in the League since the 4-1 win at Cheltenham Town in November 2014 and came despite matchday stats of 70% possession stats in favour of a home side that had lost on penalties to Manchester United at Old Trafford the previous Tuesday.
A first win on the road in 2019/20 for Gareth Ainsworth’s side came after he made four changes to the starting XI that had beaten Portsmouth at Adams Park the previous Saturday - Curtis Thompson coming in for his first appearance of the season following injury, while Giles Phillips, David Wheeler and Alex Pattison also came in to replace Joe Jacobson, Matt Bloomfield, Nick Freeman and Scott Kashket. Bloomfield was rested as a precaution following “recent head knocks”, while Jacobson and Freeman didn’t travel due to “groin injuries”. Close season signing Jacob Gardiner-Smith was included on bench for first time in a Footballl League game, with Newcastle United loanee Rolando Aarons also back as substitute following a slight injury on his brief Wycombe debut three weeks previous against Lincoln City.
Wycombe: Allsop, Gape, Stewart, Wheeler, Pattison (sub 62 Kashet), Phillips (sub 85 Mascoll), Thompson, Grimmer, Akinfenwa (sub 76 Parker), Charles, Onyedinma – subs not used: Yates, Jombati, Gardiner-Smith, Aarons - Att: 3,039 (334 away) Rochdale 0 Wycombe 3 - @GasManCOTN - gasroom.co.uk summary
YATES DEALED EXTENDED
(Friday 28th September 2019)
The Club confirmed on Friday 28th September 2019 that 20-year-old goalkeeper Cameron Yates had signed a new contract with Wanderers running until June 2021. The Scottish born player joined Wanderers in September 2018 after time with the Leicester City youth academy and a short short trial at Adams Park during the early part of the 2018/19 campaign. At the time of the new deal he had yet to play a competitive fixture for Wanderers but had appeared in some of the friendlies before the start of the 2019/20 season. plus a behind-closed-doors friendly against Brentford.
SUNDERLAND ALLOCATED 2,700
(Monday 23rd September 2019)
The Club confirmed on Monday 23rd September 2019 they had agreed to extend the allocation of tickets available for Sunderland fans for Wanderers' League 1 fixture with The Black Cats Adams Park on Saturday 19th October 2019. Like the previous season, an extra 900 or so tickets will be available in the 'Old Main Stand', adding to the usual, number restricted, allocation of 1,800 in the 2,000 capacity 'Away End'. Existing Season Ticket Holders in the 'Old Main Stand' will be contacted and have their seats re-allocated as required. The attendance for the 2018/19 game on Saturday 9th March 2019 was 8,442 with 2,723 recorded as the number of 'away' fans. The Club added in a statement for this season that they are: "keen to maximise the opportunity of selling out Adams Park to enhance revenue streams for the benefit of the playing budget." This comment relates to the Salary Cost Management Protocol (SCMP) guidelines that the ELF have set for League One Clubs. This states that Player related expenditure should not exceed 60% of the Club’s Relevant Turnover PLUS 100% of the club’s 'Football Fortune' Income. Read more on the SCMP guidelines via the EFL website (see Part 3)
WYCOMBE 1 PORTSMOUTH 0
(Saturday 21st September 2019)
An 83rd minute penalty from Adebayo Akinfenwa was enough for Wanderers to see off Portsmouth at Adams Park in match that sparked into life after a red-card for each side just before the hour mark. Wycombe’s Bournemouth loanee Nnamdi Ofoborh was shown a straight red-card on 54 minutes for a miss-timed challenge on Tom Naylor. The melee than ensued saw Ellis Harrison pick-up his second yellow-card of the game and follow Ofoborh down the tunnel. The match winning spot-kick came after a Basketball-esque handball by Naylor as the ball came across from the left.
Team news for the meeting with Pompey had seen Gareth Ainsworth make three changes to the side that had drawn at home to Accrington the previous Tuesday – Joe Jacobson, Darius Charles and Akinfenwa returning in favour of Jamie Mascoll, David Wheeler and Giles Phillips. There were more injury woes for Wycombe in the first-half – Matt Bloomfield substituted on 22 minutes as a precaution for another band to the head, while Jacobson was forced off with a groin injury on the stroke of half-time.
The win keeps intact Wycombe’s unbeaten home League record at the start of the 2019/20 campaign with a healthy looking tally of 19 points from their opening 10 games and third spot in the League One table. In 2018/19, Wycombe took 17 games to break the same point barrier in League One.
Wycombe: Allsop; Grimmer, Stewart, Charles, Jacobson (sub 45+2 Mascoll); Gape, Bloomfield (sub 22 Ofoborh); Kashket, Freeman, Onyedinma (sub 72 Pattison), Akinfenwa – subs not used: Yates, Phillips, Wheeler, Parker - Att: 7,688 (2,125 away) - highest gate of season to date at Adams Park Wycombe 1 Portsmouth 0 - @GasManCOTN - gasroom.co.uk summary
FANS FORUM
(Thursday 19th September 2019)
The Fans Forum held at Adams Park on Thursday 19th September was streamed live on the Club's official YouTube channel and is also consequently available to view as an archive. The Forum, hosted by Club Head of Media, Matt Cecil, saw Trevor Stroud, Rob Couhig and Gareth Ainsworth answer questions mainly centred around the takeover proposals now expected to voted on during later October 2019. The YouTube feed is embedded below.
WYCOMBE 1 ACCRINGTON 1
(Tuesday 17th September 2019)
Nick Freeman’s penalty on 72 minutes earned Wanderers a point in a 1-1 draw with Accrington Stanley at Adams Park – Gareth Ainsworth’s side remaining third in the table after another frenetic meeting with the Lancashire side where close season signing Dion Charles had headed the visitors into a 40th minute lead.
Wycombe went into the game with six home League victories behind them but also with the knowledge that they had failed to beat Stanley at home for more than ten years despite nine attempts in the intervening period.
Earlier signs looked good this time around but the visitors grew into the game, with the pace of strikers Jordan Clark and Charles (a close season signing from Southport) a constant threat on the break.
Team news had seen Wycombe make six changes to the side that had lost at Gillingham the previous weekend - Fred Onyedinma, David Wheeler, Matt Bloomfield, David Mascoll, Scott Kashket and Giles Phillips the names coming in to replace Joe Jacobson, Nnamdi Ofoborh, Alex Samuel (injured), Alex Pattison, Adeabyo Akinfenwa, Darius Charles (rested).
It was Stanley mainstay, Sean McConville, who set-up the opening goal on 40 minutes when he fed Clark on the right-wing and his cross was headed home by Charles.
Wheeler headed over on a couple of occasions from Jack Grimmer crosses but it was the introduction of Akinfewnwa just after the hour mark that proved significant in finding Wycombe’s equaliser – ‘The Beast’ cushioning a header down into the Stanley box on 71 minutes for Kashket to be clattered to the ground by Seamus Conneely and concede a penalty. With regular spot-kick taker Joe Jacobson sat on the bench, it was left for Freeman to hold his nerves and sweep home the penalty low into the left corner of the Valley End net and set-up an end-to-end finish.
McConville saw a shot on the run skim the right-hand post on 75 minutes before Wycombe finished the side looking most likely to snatch a winner during eight minutes of stoppage time.
Wycombe: Allsop, Grimmer, Stewart, Phillips, Mascoll, Freeman, Gape, Bloomfield, Kashket (sub 84 Parker), Wheeler, Onyedinma (sub 62 Akinfenwa) – subs not used: Yates, Jacobson, Jombati, Pattison, Ofoborh - Att: 3,566 (40 away approx.) Wycombe 1 Accrington 1 - @GasManCOTN - gasroom.co.uk summary
GILLINGHAM 2 WYCOMBE 0
(Saturday 14th September 2019)
Wanderers suffered their first League defeat of the 2019/20 season after going down 2-0 at Gillingham. The hosts netted twice in the second-half after a fairly lack-lustre opening 45 minutes from both sides. The deadlock was broken on 59 minutes when Brandon Hanlan (only on the pitch for two minutes) got the better of Anthony Stewart down the left-wing and his centre was fired home by Bournemouth loanee Mikael Ndjoli.
Gareth Ainsworth introduced David Wheeler and Giles Phillips on 70 minutes as his side went to three at the back in an attempt to get back into the game but within three minutes The Gills had doubled their lead – Phillips conceding a soft penalty for a nudge on Olly Lee and Ndjoli made no mistake from the spot to beat Ryan Allsop.
Team news at Priestfield had seen three changes from the Wycombe starting XI that had beaten Lincoln the previous weekend to go top of ‘League One’ - Nnamdi Ofoborh, Alex Pattison and Adebayo Akinfenwa coming in for Matt Bloomfield (injured), David Wheeler and Scott Kashket. New loan signing Rolando Aarons was reported as ruled out due to injury during his brief substitute appearance for Wanderers against Lincoln the previous Saturday.
Defeat saw Wanderers drop to third spot in the table after 8 games played.
Wycombe: Allsop, Jacobson (sub 70 Wheeler) Gape, Stewart, Pattison, Grimmer (sub 70 Phillips), Akinfenwa, Charles, Freeman, Samuel (sub 28 Kashket), Ofoborh – subs not used: Yates, Mascoll, Parker, Thompson - Att: 4,814 (approx. 500 away) Gillingham 2 Wycombe 0 - @GasManCOTN - gasroom.co.uk summary
POMPEY ALLOCATION INCREASED
(Wednesday 11th September 2019)
It was confirmed via official Social Media channels on Wednesday 11th September 2019 that the Club had increased the allocation of tickets available for Portsmouth fans for the League One fixture at Adams Park on Saturday 21st September 2019. An extra 263 tickets will be available in the 'Old Main Stand', adding to the usual, capacity restricted, allocation of 1,800 in the 2,000 capacity 'Away End'. The previous season (2018/19) Portsmoth sold out their full-allocation of 1,800 in what turned out to be a total attendance of 6,978 for the Saturday 6th April 2019 fixture.
JJ v BIG JOHN HAT-TRICK
(Monday 9th September 2019) Joe Jacobson's confirmed hat-trick versus Lincoln City on Saturday 7th Setpember 2019 begged the question, 'Had a Wanderers defender ever netted three goals in a competitive match for Wycombe before JJ's triple strike?' Tasked with such a challenge, COTN can confirm the previous occasion was 48 years earlier when John Delaney scored three goals in Wanderers’ 4-0 victory away to Enfield in the Isthmian League on 21st September 1971. All three of the goals came as a result of penalty kicks, with two converted successfully and the final one (in the 89th minute) scored via a follow-up. ‘Big’ John Delaney made 228 First Team appearances for Wanderers in two spells between 1969 and 1979. In between those two spells he spent time in the Football League with Bournemouth. The only other occasion COTN has been able to trace a Wanderers player, playing in a defensive position, scoring three goals in a competitive match, was on 23rd March 1912 when Bernard ‘Bunny’ Hooper netted a hat-trick in the 10-2 walloping of Slough at Loakes Park in the Great Western Suburban League. Hooper was a Wanderers player from 1900 to 1914 – making 390 known First Team appearances. Click here to read archive match report of John Delaney's hat-trick
WYCOMBE 3 LINCOLN 1
(Saturday 7th September 2019)
Wanderers topped the third tier of English football for the first time in their history and left-back Joe Jacobson netted a hat-trick as Lincoln City were beaten 3-1 at Adams Park. Jacobson bagged his first goal on 5 minutes when he sent a left-footed free-kick low into the right corner of the City net. His second and third goals came direct from right-sided corners, the first getting a helping deflection from City’s Michael Bostwick. In between the two latter strikers came a controversial goal for Lincoln – former Wanderer John Akinde netting from close range after referee Chris Sarginson had played on despite a player from each side laying pole-axed and interfering with play within the six-yard box.
Matt Bloomfield, the injured Wycombe player was treated in excess of eight minutes and was eventually carried off on a stretcher. Thankfully, Bloomfield was later reported as not being seriously injured.
Team news for the game with City had seen one change from the starting XI that had drawn 0-0 at Wimbledon the previous Saturday - Alex Samuel coming in for Adebayo Akinfenwa. Elsewhere, new signings Rolando Aarons and Nnamdi Ofoborh included on the bench.
Bournemouth loanee Ofoborh was sent into the fray on 59 minutes as a substitute for Bloomfield to make his senior debut in professional football. Aarons was introduced as a 96th minute substitute for Samuels but still had time to impress during 15 minutes of stoppage time.
Wycombe: Allsop, Grimmer, Stewart, Charles, Jacobson, Freeman, Gape, Bloomfield, (sub 78 Pattison), Kashket (sub 66 Parker), Akinfenwa, Wheeler – subs not used: Yates, El-Abd, Mascoll, Phillips, Samuel - Att: 5,562 (785 away) Wycombe 3 Lincoln 1 - @GasManCOTN - gasroom.co.uk summary
SAMUEL EXTENDS DEAL
(Thursday 5th September 2019)
The Club announced on Thursday 5th September 2019 that striker Alex Samuel had signed a one-year extension to his contract with Wanderers - the latest deal now running until June 2022. Approaching his 24th birthday at the time of the news, Samuel originally signed a 'short-term deal for Wycombe in August 2018 on a free from Stevenage. The deal was extended to June 2021 in November 2018. He made 36 appearances and scored 5 goals for Wanderers by the end of the 2018/19 campaign and netted another goal during the League Cup meeting with Reading at Adams Park in August 2019. Alex Samuel - updated player profile
TRUST MEMBERS UPDATE
(Wednesday 4th September 2019)
Wycombe Wanderers Trust issued an update to Members on the evening of Wednesday 4th September 2019 regarding the proposals to allow Rob Couhig to acquire 75% of the shares of the Football Club. The update suggested that a legal agreement with Rob Couhig would hope to be signed by the end of September 2019, which would later have to be ratified by 75% of Legacy Members voting in favour of the proposed deal. The date of the vote was not revealed in the update but is understood to be far sooner than the original estimate of 'Spring 2020'. The update also confirmed that a Fans Forum had been arranged at Adams Park on Thursday 19th September where the proposals would be discussed. View full statement and other updates via gasroom.co.uk
'BCD' FRIENDLY V BRENTFORD
(Tuesday 3rd September 2019)
Sido Jombati and Curtis Thompson both made their returns from injury as Wanderers defeated a Brentford 'B' side by 2 goals to 1 at The Bees Training Ground in Jersey Road on the afternoon of Tuesday 3rd September 2019. The meeting with the 'Championship' side had been arranged with the rehabilitation of Jombati and Thompson in mind, plus also to give the chance for runs for new signings Roland Aarons and Nnamdi Ofoborh. A Josh Parker penalty on 14 minutes gave Wanderers the lead after Aarons had been fouled bu the hosts levelled less than 90 seconds later when Jonny Mitchell glanced a header past Cameron Yates. Scott Kashket netted the winner for Wanderers on 73 minutes when he slotted home from Parker's pass. Match stats, reaction and highlights via gasroom.co.uk
FREEMAN EXTENDS DEAL
(Tuesday 3rd September 2019)
The Club announced on Tuesday 3rd September 2019 that striker Nick Freeman had signed a two-year extension to his contract with Wanderers - the latest deal now running until June 2022. 23-years-old at the time of the news, Freeman signed for Wycombe in July 2016 having previously played for Histon in non-League football. Had limited First Team opportunties in his first season at Adams Park but his slow burn career had taken him to 84 appearances and 5 goals by the end of the 2018/19 season. Nick Freeman - updated player profile
OFOBORH IS SIGNING#12
(Monday 2nd September 2019)
A busy day of transfer dealings at Adams Park was concluded at around 6pm on transfer deadline day (Monday 2nd September 2019), with the signing of 19-year-old midfielder Nnamdi Ofoborh on a season-long loan from Premier League side AFC Bournemouth. The player started his football career with the U18 and U21 teams at Tottenham Hotspur and Millwall before signing a pro deal with Bournemouth in 2017 at the age of 17. He impressed enough during his first season for The Cherries U21 side to be offered a deal until 2021. In March 2018 he was also called up by the Nigerian U20’s side – this despite reports linking him to possible selection for the England U19 side. He signed for Wanderers having yet to make his senior debut in English football and was allocated No.28 in the squad for 2019/20.
ADAM EL-ABD DEPARTS
(Monday 2nd September 2019)
The shock news that defender Adam El-Abd had left the Club was confirmed at around 5pm on Monday 2nd September 2019. A statement from the Club said: "Adam El-Abd has left the club by mutual consent to explore opportunities elsewhere." A week away from his 35th birthday at the time of the news, El-Abd joined Wanderers on a free from Shrewsbury Town in July 2017 and captained the side to promotion from League Two in May 2018. A regular in the side throughout his two year spell at Adams Park, he made 82 appearances, scoring 4 times. Adam El-Abd - updated player profile
CMS LOANED TO STEVENAGE
(Monday 2nd September 2019)
The Club announced on Monday 2nd September 2019 that striker Craig Mackail-Smith had been loaned out to League Two side Stevenage until 12th January 2020. The now 35-year-old, whose contract with Wanderers runs until June 2020, spent time on loan at Notts County during the second-half of the 2018/19 campaign - scoring 3 goals in 16 appearances as County dropped out of the Football League. His most recent game for Wanderers at the time of the loan to Stevenage was the New Years day 2019 2-0 home defeat to Coventry City - having previously scored 13 goals in 83 appearances since signing on a free from Luton Town in August 2017. Craig Mackail-Smith - player profile
AARONS IS SIGNING#11
(Monday 2nd September 2019)
The Club announced shortly after 1pm on transfer deadline day (Monday 2nd September 2019), the singing of 23-year-old Newcastle United forward Rolando Aarons on a loan deal until 13th January 2020. The former Bristol City youngster signed a pro deal with The Magpies in April 2014 and after impressing pre-season 2014/15 he he made his Premier League debut in the opening game of the season – coming on as substitute in the 2-0 home defeat to Manchester City. He scored his first senior goal on 30 August 2014 in a 3-3 draw against Crystal Palace – playing alongside former Mike Williamson and setting-up a goal for his teammate. At the time of his loand move to Adams Park he had totalled 27 First Team apps for Newcastle, while also taking in loan spells at Hellas Verona (Italy Serie A), Slovan Liberac (Czech Republic top division)) and most recently with Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship. He was allocated No.26 in the Wanderers squad for 2019/20.
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