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Wycombe Wanderers 2 |
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Peterborough United 2 |
Saturday 29th October 2005
Football League 'League Two' |
 Wanderers had to dig deep to retain their unbeaten League record this season - coming back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Peterborough United at Adams Park. The visitors led with sloppy goals on 33 minutes from Danny Crow and five minutes later from Trevor Benjamin. John Gorman gambled in the second-half by switching to a more attacking formation and it eventually paid off. The comeback started on 74 minutes when Ikechi Anya won a corner on the right and from the resulting delivery Mike Williamson headed the ball back across the face of the goal for fellow centre-back Roger Johnson to direct a header past Mark Tyler in the Posh goal. The equaliser came on 80 minutes after Sergio Torres pulled the ball back from the left for Clint Easton who saw his right footed 25 yarder take a slight deflection and end in the right corner of the Valley End net. Wanderers drop to second place in the table after Leyton Orient regained top spot with a 1-0 home victory over Oxford United.
Team news for Wycombe saw John Gorman field an unchanged line-up to the one that had grabbed all three points at Lincoln the previous week. Kevin Betsy remained absent with his hamstring injury while youngster Ikechi Anya earned his place on the bench after recently impressing for the reserves.
The meeting with an in-form Peterborough side was never going to be easy and the early stages saw both teams cancel each other out as neither 'keeper was seriously tested. Benjamin headed straight at Frank Talia on 22 minutes while a minute later at the other Wycombe had appeals for a penalty waved away after Nathan Tyson's cross from the right appeared to hit the arm of a Posh defender.
Wanderers then found themselves 2-0 down after conceding twice inside five minutes. The first came after a long ball forward saw Crow beat the offside trap and then completely wrong foot Easton before curling his shot past Talia. Five minutes later Wycombe were two behind after Adam Newton sent in a low cross from the right that was tucked in at the near post by Benjamin ahead of Johnson and past a sprawling Talia.
Thoughts of first League defeat of the season were now firmly in the minds of the Wycombe followers and were still there as the game headed towards the final 15 minutes. Wanderers had switched to a front three at the break with Rob Lee and Stefan Oakes sacrificed for Charlie Griffin in attack and Torres in midfield. Torres had a lively half with a neat run from the right on 61 minutes ending with his cross being too close to the 'keeper. Two minutes later the Argentinian was booked for diving in the penalty area.
 The tempo of the game stepped up another notch on 65 minutes when Wycombe were awarded a free-kick on the left edge of the penalty area after Tyson's powerful cross struck the arm of a Posh player. Easton's resulting free-kick was blocked, while Mooney headed wide as Wycombe maintained the pressure.
Anya's never say die spirit won a corner for Wycombe on the right on 74 minutes and from Danny Senda's delivery it was Williamson who managed to head the ball back at the far post for Johnson to direct home to give Wycombe hope. Posh made switches to their line-up shorlty afterwards as they attempted to shut up shop but with the home crowd urging John Gorman's side on, the equaliser was not far away. Before that on 77 minutes Tyson's ball from the left saw Mooney shoot high of the target from the opposite flank but it was Tyson's work again on the left that led to the equaliser. This time Tyson managed to find Torres in the left channel and he then squared the ball to Easton who blazed a right footer via a defection into the back of the net. It felt like a winner and there were celebrations to match. Wycombe searched for a winner with Senda going close from a free-kick and Easton shooting high. Former Wanderer Dave Farrell shot wide at the other end when crossing may have been a better option as another Adams Park goal fest was drawn to a close with the sides level and Wanderers unbeaten League run intact.
Final Score - Wycombe 2 Peterborough United 2
Speaking to BBC Three Counties Radio after the game, John Gorman said "It was a great result in the end. It could have been a bad day for us but it wasn't." The Wycombe boss continued, "We could have won in the end and the fans were magnificent. It was great to hear them at the end getting behind the team. They've seen today that even if it wasn't going to be our today that we've shown tremendous character." Gorman said his side got their just rewards after switching things around at the break, adding "We never gave up and showed the right tactical awareness to change the team even though I thought Rob Lee was having a good game for us. 'Oakesy' wasn't at his very best and we just put fresh legs on and little Sergio came out maginficent in the second-half. We just took on a new mantle and just went at them and put three up front."
Meanwhile, Posh Manager Mark Wright commented to their official website, "Wycombe played well, but they didn't really hurt us and that is what is disappointing. We should have dealt with the corner for their first goal and to concede a deflected goal was very gutting." Wright added "Wycombe have some good players, they have experience and when Sergio Torres came on he changed the game. Unfortunately for us, both our midfield players had been booked, otherwise we would have been a bit more physical with him and not allowed him to play because he is good on the ball."
Wycombe: Talia, Senda, Easton, Johnson, Williamson, Burnell, Oakes (sub HT Torres), Bloomfield (sub 67 Anya), Lee (sub HT Griffin), Mooney, Tyson - subs not used: Martin, Williams
Bookings: Oakes (foul 43), Senda (dissent 59), Torres (diving 63)
Scorers: Johnson (74), Easton (80) |
Peterborough United:Tyler, Holden, Carden, Burton (sub 87 Semple), Arber, Farrell, Benjamin (sub 75 Willock), Newton, St. Ledger, Crow (sub 75 Logan), Hand - subs not used: Huke, Day
Bookings: Hand (foul 14), Burton (foul 41), Carden (foul 64), Logan (ungentlemanly conduct 90)
Scorers: Crow (33), Benjamin (38) |
| Referee: Mr M Fletcher
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Attendance: 5,214 (away end 433) |
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