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Bury 2
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Wycombe Wanderers 1 |
Saturday 17th December 2005
Football League 'League Two' |
Wanderers record breaking unbeaten run came to an end at Gigg Lane on despite John Gorman's side leading 1-0 with only three minutes of normal time remaining. Kevin Betsy had chipped Wycombe into the lead in the 21st minute following a through ball by Rob Lee and the margin could have been more if efforts from Tommy Mooney and Matt Bloomfield had been converted. The home side came back strong in the second half but it looked like a solid defensive display from Wycombe had protected the run and secured the points. A brilliant save by Frank Talia on 86 minutes followed by a block by Bloomfield forced the ball away for a corner on the right which was delivered by Brian Barry-Murphy and headed downwards and past Talia by Paul Scott. It was in the fourth and final minute of stoppage time that Bury scored their dramatic winner when Simon Whaley tucked in from close range after substitute Stuart Barlow had centered from the right of the penalty area.
Team news for Wycombe at Gigg Lane saw John Gorman make one change to the side that had beaten Rochdale 3-0 at Adams Park the previous Saturday - Matt Bloomfield returning to the side after illness as a direct replacement for Joe Burnell who failed to recover from the calf injury picked up against Rochdale. Elsewhere, Frank Talia, Tommy Mooney and Charlie Griffin came through Saturday morning fitness tests held at Bolton Wanderers to take their places in the starting XI.
Meanwhile for 18th placed Bury, they went into the meeting with Wycombe on a high having won 1-0 at Leyton Orient the previous Saturday and Shakers boss Chris Casper had reported throough the media that he hoped his players were up for the game with the League leaders. However, he wouldn't have been happy with their first half performance where Wycombe controlled proceedings and took a deserved lead on 21 minutes when a ball through from his own half by Lee found Betsy in the right channel and the former Oldham and Barnsley player danced past the oncoming Bury 'keeper before dinking the ball home from the right of the six yard box. Bloomfield was unlucky with an effort later in the half and the home side looked to be losing their discipline when David Flitcroft was booked who a wild challenge on Sergio Torres and then Danny Reet was received similar punishment in stoppage time for an even wilder challenge on Bloomfield.
The second period was a completely different affair with Wycombe hardly creating an effort on goal and the home side gradually coming back into the game. However, victory for Bury still looked highly unlikely when with the score still at 1-0 to Wycombe it was the Wanderers who enjoyed a mini-revival with just over ten minutes left on the clock. Mooney had the best chance to wrap up the game on 79 minutes when he connected with Betsy's ball in the penatly area but his shot was tipped over by Neil Edwards in the Bury goal only for the referee to award a goal-kick.
Talia's save from David Buchanan with five minutes left on the clock looked to have confirmed that this was going to be Wycombe's day again but Scott's headed goal from the resulting corner and the stoppage time winner from Whalley left Wanderers shell-shocked and reeling from their first League defeat since 7th May 2005.
Despite the loss, Wanderers remain top of the table but Grimsby, Carlisle and Leyton Orient are all four points behind with The Mariners having a game in hand after their visit to Darlington was postponed due to the weather.
Final Score - Bury 2 Wycombe 1
Wycombe Manager John Gorman said his needed a second goal after taking the first half lead through Kevin Betsy. He said to
BBC Three Counties Radio after the game "We were too comfortable, if I'm being honest. We were too much in control but credit to them. It shows what it meant to them, it was like winning a cup final. It just shows you how much desire there was to beat us. They got their reward and if I'm being honest, in the end, they probably deserved it because they never gave up." He added
"We looked a good side in the first half but the second half we didn't play to our full potential. I'm not making excuses but we did have players today that were very doubtful right up until kick-off." The decision to play Frank Talia only came after the pre-match warm-up while Wanderers were forced to include youth teamer James Faulkner in their travelling squad following pre-match injury concersn over Charlie Griffin and Tommy Mooney.
Meanwhile, Bury boss Chris Casper was understandably delighted with the victory. Speaking to the media after the game he said "It got a little frantic towards the end, but I thought we thoroughly deserved to win to be fair." Casper added "Tactics go out of the window if you just stand off people a little bit. First and foremost you have got to compete and I thought we just didn't quite compete well enough and showed them just a little bit too much respect. They are a very good team and we just need that bit more belief like we showed in the second-half." And speaking of Wycombe he said, "Full credit to them (Wycombe). They knew more than anybody that their run, sooner or later, had to come to an end, and I'm just glad that its come to an end today. John's a very friend and I hope he goes another 20, 21 games undefeated."
Wycombe: Talia, Senda, Easton, Johnson, Williamson, Lee, Bloomfield, Torres (sub 62 Martin), Betsy, Mooney, Griffin (sub 55 Dixon) - subs: Williams, Philo, Anya
Bookings: Betsy (foul 61), Johnson (foul 71), Dixon (foul 76)
Scorers: Betsy (20) |
Bury: Edwards, Parrish, Challinor, Woodthorpe (sub HT Fitzgerald), Scott, Whaley, Flitcroft, Barry-Murphy, Buchanan, Speight (sub 19 Youngs), Reet (sub 80 Barlow) - subs not used: Dootson, Adams
Bookings: Flitcroft (foul 37), Reet (45+ foul)
Scorers: Scott (87), Whalley (90+3) |
| Referee: Mr M Jones |
Attendance: Att: 2,384 (287 away end) |
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