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Wycombe Wanderers 1
Saturday 5th October 2002
Football League Division Two
Brownie sticks away the winner
'Brownie' sticks away the winner at Layer Road on Saturday afternoon.
If ever there was day when the result was more important than the performance, then this was it. A Steve Brown penalty after just four minutes following a trip on Michael Simpson was enough to take all three points from the old enemy and condemn the Essex side to their fifth successive League defeat. It wasn't pretty at times and the home side will feel they were unlucky not to have forced at least a draw but this time the luck was on Wycombe's side.
As expected Lawrie Sanchez made changes to the side following the midweek defeat to Sheffield United. In came 'old boys' Keith Ryan and Steve Brown into a four man midfield while Andy Rammell returned up front to partner Craig Faulconbridge. Making way for the changes were Roger Johnson in defence and surprisingly both Darren Currie and Stuart Roberts in midfield. Roberts and Currie, along with Sean Devine made it over £500,000 worth of unused talent on the bench but Wycombe still won!
The U's catalogue of missed chances began even before Wycombe had scored. In the third minute Kevin Rapley was allowed freedom down the left wing and it took a goal-line clearance to prevent a goal. Then when the ball broke loose on the opposite edge of the penalty area it was Rapley on hand again but this time Martin Taylor managed to push the ball away.
Wycombe were ahead following their next attack after Mickey Stockwell had tripped Simpson. 'Brownie' stuck away the spot-kick in front of the Wycombe contingent and the goal proved to be the vital dividing line between the two sides.
Rambo scores but it's ruled out for offsideKemel Izzet shot just wide from a narrow angle on the left after 10 minutes as the U's continued in their attempts to score for the first time in around ten hours of open play. Meanwhile, from a rare Wycombe attack, Andy Rammell had the ball in the back of the net in the 21st minute but it was ruled out for what looked like a marginal offside.
The home side were also denied by the offside flag on 33 minutes when Kevin Rapley stooped to head past Taylor and then six minutes later Stockley headed over from an excellent position following a cross from the right by Scott McGleish. Moments later Stockley missed an even better chance as he was left unmarked down the right flank.
However, Wycombe could have gone into the break leading by two goals when Simpson's corner from the right was eventually met by the head of Rammell after Ryan had just failed to make contact with the ball to the near post.
Half-time Colchester 0 Wycombe 1
Rhino goes close Taylor did well to pick out Joseph Keith's free-kick a minute into the second-half before Wycombe started to take more of a grip of the game. It was U's defender Danny Steele who almost gifted Wycombe a second goal on 53 minutes when he tried to shield the ball back to his 'keeper but in the end he did well to recover and clear the ball off the line.
Wycombe stepped up the pace starting on 56 minutes when Danny Senda's cross from the right saw Rammell's header well saved by Simon Brown in the U's goal. Four minutes later Simpson's cross/shot from the right had the 'keeper back peddling before slapping the ball to safety.
The closest the home side came to equalising came in the 64th minute when 19 year old substitute Dean Morgan sent in a low cross from the left bye-line that was met by Rapley from less than three yards but somehow the ball managed to stay out thanks to a point blank block from Taylor and a Andy Thomson clearance as the ball broke loose.
Wycombe could have rubbed salt into the wounds on 76 minutes when another Senda cross from the right saw Ryan connect with a header at the far post and it took two attempts by Simon Brown to keep the ball out.
A final late rally by the home side summed their day up as twice Morgan beat his man down the left before first letting the ball run out of play and then on the second occasion watching Stockley and Rapley contrive to miss the target. Quite simply, on this occasion, Colchester were never going to score and for the first time in more than eight years Wycombe fans could celebrate a League victory at Layer Road.
Final Score Colchester 0 Wycombe 1
Wycombe: Taylor, Senda, Vinnicombe, Thomson, McCarthy, Ryan, Bulman, Brown (sub 92 Johnson), Simpson, Rammell, Faulconbridge (sub 81 Harris) subs not used Devine, Roberts, Currie
Yellow Cards: McCarthy (foul 46), Vinnicombe (foul 53)
Colchester: Brown, Stockley, Steele, White, Keith, Stockwell, Pinault (sub 61 Morgan), Bowry, Izzet, Rapley, McGleish subs not used: Coote, Odunsi, Halford, McKinney
Yellow Cards: Stockley (foul 41), Bowry (foul 65)
Referee: David Pugh (Wirral) Attendance: 3,252 (approx 600 Wycombe)
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