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Leyton Orient 2
Thursday 29th December 2005
Football League 'League Two'
Matt Bloomfield scores Wycombe third goal versus Leyton Orient Wanderers reclaimed top spot in 'League Two' with a 4-2 victory over Leyton Orient in the live TV game at Adams Park. It was The O's first defeat away from home in the League this season. Wanderers got off to a flyer when Charlie Griffin opened the scoring in the second minute but Orient equalised on 21 minutes when Lee Steele followed in a shot from Shane Tudor that Frank Talia could only palm away. However, Wanderers regained the lead within a minute when Gabriel Zakuani headed past his own 'keeper. Wanderers then secured a 4-1 advantage with strikes from Matt Bloomfield on 50 minutes and on 54 minutes when Stefan Oakes scored his first goal in a Wycombe shirt when he fired home from around 25 yards. Tudor pulled a goal back for the visitors on 68 minutes but Wycombe finished worthy winners in front of the highest League gate of the season at Adams Park. Roger Johnson's yellow card picked up in the 86th minute was his fifth of the season and will see him miss the home game with Notts County on 14th January.
Team news for the meeting with Leyton Orient saw John Gorman make two changes to the side that had drew at Torquay on Boxing Day. One was enforced due to the one match suspension for Danny Senda which saw teenager Russell Martin switched to right back to deputise. Meanwhile, Rob Lee was dropped to the bench leaving Joe Burnell and Stefan Oakes to start in midfield together for the first time in six weeks.
Wanderers got off to their dream start when Kevin Betsy's shot from a central position was blocked but Griffin picked out the loose ball and managed to direct his low shot inside the right-hand upright. Claims for a Wycombe penalty were waved away on 10 minutes when Bloomfield was stopped in his tracks by O's keeper Glynn Garner and on 13 minutes Wycombe continued their earlier dominance when Burnell fired over from distance.
The visitors equalised with their first serious attack at the Wycombe goal but there was no time to get depressed for Wanderers followers when within seconds of the restart Oakes looping ball into the penalty area saw Zakuani loop a header past his own keeper from around 15 yards.
The goal was just the boost to keep the momentum going for John Gorman's side and with the crowd responding too, the lead was nearly increased two minutes before the break when Clint Easton's free-kick was deflected before Garner recovered to produce an excellent tip over.
However, the home crowd did not have to wait long after the interval to see the vital goals that would seal the victory. A slick move down the right on 50 minutes culminated in Mooney laying the ball to the incoming Bloomfield who picked his spot into the back of the Valley End net. Roger Johnson did well to hook an effort off the line a minute later but on 54 minutes, youngster Martin played a short free-kick from the right of midfield to Oakes who then thundered in a long range effort for his debut Wanderers strike.
Sergio Torres in action against the O's with former Wanderer Michael Simpson in pursuitWith the contest effectively over, Gorman sacrificed Oakes and Burnell for Rob Lee and Sergio Torres and although Tudur followed up a point blank save from Talia to pull a goal back on 68 minutes, Wycombe finished the stronger side and the Martin almost danced in from the right on 78 minutes to score what would have capped an impressive display from a player making just his third League start for the Club. Meanwhile, former Wycombe favourite Michael Simpson ended the evening on a frustrating note by earning a yellow card for a lunge at Torres as his side conceded defeat to a better side.
Final Score - Wycombe 4 Leyton Orient 2
Speaking to the media after the game, Wanderers boss John Gorman said, "It showed people that if you come and watch Wycombe you'll see goals and we've been producing that all season and what's good about the result is that we had pressure on us tonight after Grimsby went top yesterday. It's a big win because that's Orient's first defeat away from home. Charlie scored again and Tommy (Mooney) deserved a goal because he was awesome. There were a lot of good performances all over the pitch."
Meanwhile, Orient boss Martin Ling said his players may have had stage fright in front of the TV cameras. He said after the game, "I could feel in the dressing room that they knew the Sky cameras were there and we didn't handle it. It wasn't the only reason we didn't play well, but it was a big part of it. They cut us apart easily and this year we've defended well with two banks of four but they're a good side and their movement killed us off."
Wycombe: Talia, Martin, Easton, Williamson, Johnson, Betsy, Burnell (sub 58 Lee), Bloomfield, Oakes (sub 58 Torres), Mooney, Griffin - subs not used: Dixon, Williams, Philo
Bookings: Johnson (foul 86)
Scorers: Griffin (2), own goal - Zakuani (22), Bloomfield (50), Oakes (54)
Leyton Orient: Garner, Miller (sub 73 Carlisle), Zakuani, Mackie, Lockwood, Tudor, Simpson, Easton, Keith (sub 55 McMahon), Steele (sub 39 Ibehre), Alexander - subs not used Barnard, Abbey
Bookings: Easton (foul 43), Simpson (foul 78)
Scorers: Steele (21), Tudor (68)
Referee: Mr D Gallagher Attendance: 6,240 (799 away end)
Celebrations after Stefan Oakes scored his first goal for Wycombe
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