| Matchday Essentials 2002-2003 Click here for the latest match previews and reports |
Until then goal mouth action had been limited but the tie could have gone either way. Forsyth's last ditch header returned the upper hand to the home side but Wycombe came out flying in extra-time and when Bulman sent Cook away down the left, the youngster cut into the penalty area before sending a shot under the dive of Higgs. Cook immediatlely stripped of his shirt and ran towards the travelling fans before being mobbed by his team mates. A sour point from Wycombe's point of view was the seven bookings dished out by referee Grant Hegley. Wanderers are now set to receive an automatic £2,500 fine from the FA for breach of disciplinary regulations. Lawrie Sanchez made four changes to the side that had drawn at Huddersfield at the weekend. Martin Taylor returned in goal instead of Martin Taylor, Darren Currie and Lewis Cook were favoured in midfield over Keith Ryan and Steve Brown, while Richard Harris was given his first start in a Wycombe shirt since the final game of last season. It was the home side that started the more lively, forcing a corner on the right in the opening few minutes with Paul Brayson looking particularly useful on the ball. However, Wanderers should have been ahead on 6 minutes when Currie was presented with a chance on a plate on the right edge of the six yard box. The ball had been worked low across from the left but with a goal looking a certain outcome, 'Ruby' hit a weak shot straight at the 'keeper. The first of nine yellow cards of the evening came on 20 minutes when Andy Thomson challenged Richard Forsyth from behind. Currie also entered the book later in the half when he blatantly handled a through ball and then argued his case. Meanwhile any significant action was few and far between. A shot on the run by Martin Devaney from the right channel flashed just wide of Taylor's post on 32 minutes while four minutes later Michael Simpson layed a free-kick off to Currie but the final effort finished off target. Another nasty tackle on 37 minutes saw John Brough booked for taking out Harris by the far left corner flag before the half finished with a flurry of action. On 40 minutes Grant McCann saw 25 yard free kick tipped wide by Taylor and Michael Duff shot just wide after the resulting corner was cleared. A minute before the break a beautiful pass by Cook from the left picked out Currie lurking on the opposite edge of the Cheltenham penalty area; Currie flashed in a shot but Higgs managed to push the ball away at the far post. Half-time 0-0 The second-half was real scrappy affair with Cheltenham enjoying slightly more of the play but Wycombe creating the better chances. Wanderers also added to their booking tally starting on 57 minutes when Damien Spencer got the better of Paul McCarthy just inside the Wycombe half. Spencer, who was on trial at Wycombe at the end of last season, was pulled back by 'Macca' but a only a yellow card was issue because it wasn't adjudged a clear goal scoring opportunity. A few minutes later 'Macca' was injured during a challenge on the edge of his own penalty area and was replaced by Mark Rogers after signalling to the bench that he wasn't fit to continue. Either side could have won the tie in the closing twenty minutes of normal time. Neil Howarth saw a 30 yard bullet pushed away by Taylor then on 72 minutes Cook latched onto a long clearance down the right channel but saw his low shot to the near post blocked. Wycombe had now stepped up their pace and on 76 minutes Currie played a delightful through ball to Craig Faulconbridge just right of centre but again the final shot was blocked. Andy Thomson then saw his header at the far post saved following a right wing corner by Simpson. Wycombe finally got the breakthrough on 79 minutes when Chris Vinnicombe's delivery down the left was flicked on by Faulconbridge to Harris. The resulting ball in fell to Bulman at some distance from goal. Bulman then then took a few paces forward and then whipped in a shot that appeared to swerve or deflect viciously and wrong foot Higgs in the Town goal. The goal should have been enough to see Wycombe through but as the game entered stoppage time Brayson's cross from the right was met by the diving head of Forsyth and despite the efforts of Taylor the ball crept over the line. 90 minutes 1-1  It would have been easy for Wycombe to collapse at this point but they stuck to their task and Cook got his reward for 90 plus minutes of non-stop running by picking up Bulman's ball out ot the left, cutting inside and then shooting the ball under the dive of Higgs. It was his first ever senior goal and he celebrated in style in front of the travelling contingent from Wycombe along with his team-mates.Wycombe now go into the area Quarter-Finals to be played in the week commencing 9th December. Full-time Cheltenham 1 Wycombe 2
|
Chairboys on the Net - Not to be reproduced without our written permission. |
|||||||||||||||||||||
"Was
our reporter at the same game? Have your say!!"
On
This Day
All there is to say and know about Wycombe Wanderers on the Internet
HOME||||INDEX||||ROUGH GUIDE||||NEWS||||REPORTS||||FIXTURES&RESULTS||||INTERACT |