 |
Wycombe Wanderers 1
|
 |
|
Cheltenham Town 2 |
Saturday 13th May 2006
Football League 'League Two'
Play-Off Semi-Final 1st Leg |
Wanderers lost 2-1 to Cheltenham Town in the first-leg of the 'League Two' play-off semi-final at Adams Park with Tommy Mooney's stoppage time strike giving Wycombe hope of still reaching the final in Cardiff. Goals from John Finnigan on 43 minutes and Steve Guinan on 75 minutes had given the visitors a 2-0 lead and with 90 minutes on the clock it looked like the Gloucestershire side would take that advantage back to Whaddon Road next Thursday. However, four minutes into stoppage time Russell Martin's free-kick found its way to Mooney who smashed the ball home from inside the penalty area.
The tie saw stand-in boss Steve Brown make two changes to the side that had won 2-0 at Peterborough United on the final day of the regular season but also stick with youngster Steve Williams between the sticks in favour of Frank Talia. Up front Tommy Mooney returned with Jermaine Easter relegated to the bench having recovered from his ankle injury. In midfield the experience of Rob Lee was preferred ahead of Joe Burnell, the latter passing a late fitness test to take his place on the bench.
Kick-off for the match had already been adjusted to 6.05pm to suit the live TV coverage by Sky but there was a further 15 minute delay after the FA Cup final played earlier in the day went into extra-time and a penalty shoot out. When the game finally got underway it was Wycombe who looked the brighter side but in what has become a familiar pattern in recent weeks at Adams Park, the visiting keeper was rarely tested before the visitors stole a goal shortly before the break. Early chances for Wycombe fell to Martin who saw an effort blocked by Shane Duff and then Antwi who couldn't get enough on a header from Mooney's cross. The most controversial point in the game came in the 30th minute when a clumsy aeriel challenge by Steve Guinan on Lee left the former England player needing seven stitches in a nasty cut just below his eye inflicted by a the trailing elbow of the Cheltenham player. Referee Andy Hall deemed a yellow card sufficient punishment.
The Robins opening goal two minutes before the break came when Duff headed on to Finnigan down the right channel and Williams was beaten with an angled shot into the far corner of the Valley End net.
Wanderers came out chasing the game in the second period with Mooney seeing a header pushed away by Shane Higgs in the Cheltenham goal on 47 minutes. But the visitors continued to be a threat when they attacked and some slack defending on 55 minutes saw Guinan allowed space at the far post but he headed wide with the goal at his mercy. Easter replaced Ian Stonebridge shortly afterwards and the former Stockport striker went close with a curling effort from the left channel on 68 minutes as Wycombe continued to seek the equaliser.
Cheltenham's second goal of the tie came when Kayode Odejayi's pass found Guinan running into the Wycombe penalty area from the right channel with the resulting shot taking a vital deflection off Roger Johnson to take the ball past Steve Williams. It was a body blow for Wycombe but with Cheltenham almost ready to celebrate having one foot at Cardiff up popped Tommy Mooney to set-up an intriguing second-leg at Whaddon Road.
Final Score - Wycombe 1 Cheltenham Town 2
Talking to the media after the first leg defeat to Cheltenham Town, Wanderers stand-in boss Steve Brown said he was already looking forward to the second-leg, commenting, "We play better away from home. The lads are more relaxed and play with more confidence. I don't think home advantage really matters. It's just two games. Tommy Mooney's late goal today was fantastic. It put us back in the tie and makes for a wonderful second leg." He added, "You could call our goal a lifeline but I felt we fully deserved it. The next goal in the tie is the crucial goal and we've got to make sure it's us who gets it."
Meanwhile, Cheltenham boss John Ward commented, "I've told the boys not to be too disappointed. If I'd said at half-time we'd be a goal up at the end, we'd have taken it." Ward, who turned down the chance to manage Wycombe back in 1999, added, "We're in a decent position but football kicks you where you don't like it if you start crowing about things. We will have to work exceptionally hard on Thursday to beat this Wycombe team and without doubt we have a chance but so do they."
Wycombe: Williams, Senda, Easton, Johnson, Antwi, Lee (sub 37 Burnell), Martin, Bloomfield (sub 63 Oakes), Stonebridge (sub 54 Easter), Mooney - subs not used: Talia, Williamson
Bookings: none
Scorers: Mooney (94) |
Cheltenham Town: Higgs, Gill, Duff, Caines, Wilson (sub 82 Bell), Finnigan, Vincent, Armstrong, McCann, Guinan (sub 80 Gillespie), Odejayi (sub 80 Spencer) - subs not used: Brown, Bird
Bookings: Guinan (dangerous play 30)
Scorers: Finnigan (43), Guinan (75) |
| Referee: Mr A Hall |
Attendance: 5,936
(away end 1339) |
|
| Interactive Stats |
 Match and players
All the Wycombe results, scorers, team line-ups and statistical breakdown of the current season - FULLY INTERACTIVE to your heart's content.
Latest Table and form
Updated table with results archive of ALL Division Two games plus form guide and previous meeting between ALL clubs for the past four seasons.
|
All match reports © 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999,2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 Chairboys on the Net (www.chairboys.co.uk) - 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