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Wanderers won through to the Second Round of the LDV Vans Trophy with a 1-0 victory at Conference side Aldershot Town. Wycombe had to wait until the 67th minute to grab the winner when substitute Jonny Dixon flicked home at the near post following a Danny Senda corner from the left. It had been a fairly even contest up to that point but the goal gave Wycombe confidence and in the end the winning margin could have been greater. As expected Tony Adams made changes to side, giving run outs to 'keeper Steve Williams and left back Andy Reilly. Charlie Comyn-Platt and Bas Savage were also additions to the starting line-up, as Frank Talia, Keith Ryan, Stuart Nethercott and Nathan Tyson were rested. Shots Manager Terry Brown, whose side had lost 5-0 at home to Carlisle United the previous Saturday, also made changes to his side with almost half of their starting line-up having made just a handful of Conference appearances between them.Kicking up the slope in the first half, Wanderers struggled to break down the Shots defence and it was the home side who could have taken the lead in the 13th minute when Brett Johnson headed wide at the near post following a short corner from the left. The home pressure continued on 20 minutes as Williams just managed to push the ball away from the feet of Tim Sills. The home side look the more likely to score and only the timely intervention of Gus Uhlenbeek's foot prevented a Darren Barnard free-kick slipping into the left hand corner of the Wycombe goal. Wanderers best spell in the first-half game in the closing minutes when first Savage crossed from the right for an Easton effort to be deflected wide. Uhlenbeek then shot from 20 yards straight into the keeper's hands from a good position on the right before the same player crossed only for Adam Birchall to head into the side netting at the near post. Half-time 0-0 There was a scare for Wycombe in the opening minute of the second-half when Williams came and missed after the Shots broke in from the left flank but Wanderers survived and then upped a gear for the remainder of the match. On 52 minutes Savage cut the ball back from the left for Ian Stonebridge but the former Plymouth striker saw his shot blocked before Easton fired the rebound into the trees behind the goal. A minute later good work from Savage saw him cut inside again from the left and send in a low shot that Richard Barnard got down well to his right to push away for a corner. Stonebridge was presented with another chance just after the hour mark following a run from the left but Barnard saved again in the Shots goal. Dixon replaced Birchall shortly afterwards and within a minute had created the opening that saw the former Wanderers Youth Teamer find the net for the first time in competitive football since March 2003. Dixon's first contribution was to win a corner on the right that Easton delivered only for it to be forced away for a corner on the opposite wing. Roger Johnson was asked to leave the pitch for attention to an injury while the corner was being taken and while the home fans were taunting the Wycombe player it was Johnson who had the last laugh when he saw Dixon flick home a header at the near post. Senda should have doubled the lead three minutes later when a superbly timed pass from Stonebridge found the Wycombe midfielder just left of centre and in a one on one with the 'keeper. However, Barnard was quick off his line and Senda didn't get enough on the ball to lift it past him. Another run from Senda on 76 minutes ended with Savage shooting wide after his initial effort was blocked. Savage then combined with Dixon before Stonebridge shot wide of the right-hand upright. By this time Wanderers were running the clock down but nearly paid the price for the catalogue of missed chances as 90 minutes approached. With 88 minutes showing an overhead kick from Sills went inches wide after the Shots player connected with a free-kick from the left given away by Senda. Then in the final minute of normal time Aaron McClean shot straight at Williams with the whole goal at his mercy. It proved to be home side's last chance. With victory assured there was one for the stato's in the third and final minute of stoppage time when Ikechi Anya came on to make his First Team debut for the Wanderers. At 16 years and 8 months old he became the youngest player to appear for Wycombe since joining the Football League, albeit lasting less than five seconds. Final Score - Aldershot Town 0 Wycombe 1 Speaking after the game Tony Adams said he was delighted to go into the round, adding to BBC Three Counties Radio "It's very important to win and it's nice. I thought we played well on occasions. We competed with them at first, which we need to do and then wore them down and the second half I thought we dominated. We rode our luck a little bit but I think on the whole I thought we deserved the one-nil victory. We could have tidied up and gone two or three but I'm pleased with everybody this evening."
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