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 Wanderers blew hot and cold as they drew 1-1 with Macclesfield Town at Adams Park. The match saw Millwall loanee Tony Craig play his final game of his three month spell with The Wanderers. Craig was made Captian for the day in an unchanged starting line-up to the one that drew at Swansea last Saturday. Wanderers had the better of the early chances but the visitors came back strongly and went ahead on 38 minutes when Jon Parkin struck home from the edge of the penalty area. John Gorman switched to a back four after the break and it saw Wycombe take the upper hand again and finally draw level on 56 minutes when Roger Johnson looped home a header from the right edge of the penalty area after Craig had crossed from the left. However, Wycombe couldn't take it to the next level to grab a much needed winning goal and consequently remain 16th in the table.Wycombe began the match in their usual fashion for a home game - creating several chances in the opening exchanges. As early as the fourth minute Home debutant Steve Claridge's lob from the right of goal ended just inches wide of the left-hand upright while on 15 minutes Guppy's corner from the right was delivered to the far post where Johnson connected with his head but saw his goalbound effort blocked at the foot of the post by Silkman 'keeper Alan Fettis. Moments later Guppy delivered again, this time from the left. Mike Williamson stuck out a leg to get a touch on the cross but Tyson was unable to redirect the ball further towards goal. In between these chances for Wycombe there was scare at the other end when a weak backpass from Stuart Nethercott forced Frank Talia to dive in bravely at the feet of Matthew Tipton. Talia injured his ankle in the process and was left pole-axed on the floor as Macclesfield failed to take advantage of the loose ball. Talia managed to continue after lengthy treatment. Parkin showed why he is top scorer for The Silkmen when he his snap volley from 18 yards clipped the top of the crossbar on 17 minutes. It signalled a spell of pressure from the visitors and an almighty goalmouth scramble in the 27th minute saw Tony Craig hack the ball off the line and then David Morley's follow up header hit the crossbar before Wycombe cleared. Wycombe responded with Claridge showing a magical piece of skill on 34 minutes as he turned on the right corner of the penalty area before sending a chip a fraction high of the crossbar. However, two minutes later it was the visitors who took the lead when Parkin turned Nethercott on the edge of the box and fired past Talia into the left corner of the net. The ex-Barnsley and York City player took great delight in taunting the Wycombe fans in the Valley End and a stronger referee may have booked him for his actions. Half-time Wycombe 0 Macclesfield 1 With a change of formation, Wycombe flew out in the second-half. On 49 minutes Guppy curled over a free-kick from the left that Keith Ryan came in to meet at the near side of the box only to see Fettis tip the effort around the left-hand post. Four minutes later Tyson crossed from the right and quick thinking by Claridge saw the ball laid off to Ryan but again the Macclesfield defence were able to deflect the ball from the goal. The intense pressure continued on 54 minutes when a Guppy corner from the left was floated out to Ryan on the far side of the penalty area but this time the shot was cleared off the line. It was then Johnson's turn to see a shot cleared off the line after the resulting corner was sent in low from the right. However, Johnson's moment came from the next attack when he looped in a header from the right corner of the penalty area following Craig's ball in from the left of midfield before setting off in wild celebration towards the Macclesfield dugout. With snow beginning to fall on Adams Park it was no suprise that the tempo of the game died following the goal. Tyson came closest to grabbing the winner for Wycombe in the 72nd minute when he found himself in space on the left of goal following another great through ball by Guppy. However, Fettis was quick off his line to narrow the angle and block the resulting shot. At the other end it was Parkin who had the visitors best chance to inflict more misery on Wycombe when he broke in from the left of goal. But Talia was down quick to save the shot and frustrate the meagre following from Cheshire. Wycombe still looked the side most likely to win but when Senda blasted a shot high of the target in stoppage time, thoughts of a dramatic later winner were shelved and Wanderers still await their first win of 2005. Final Score - Wycombe 1 Macclesfield Town 1 Speaking after the game to BBC Three Counties Radio, Wycombe Manager John Gorman was disapointed with conceding the first goal, saying "Again it's another occasion when we've had come back. It's the last three games which is one thing that we wanted to stop today." But the Wycombe boss was pleased with the opening spell from his team, adding "We started off the game very brightly. We had a good 15 or 20 minutes of good football and making chances but we needed to put one away. Consequently they got a spell and if I'm being honest they probably deserved to go into the lead but the way they scored was disappointing - the guy turning like he did and putting it in the net. I thought I had to change things again in the second-half and we had an outstanding second-half." He also sung the praises of goalscorer Roger Johnson, "We got our goal, another tremendous header from Roger Johnson who is playing absolutely out of his skin and we could have had maybe another five goals - you have to say well done to them for their effort in stopping us winning the match."
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