Wycombe Wanderers 1 Shrewsbury Town 0
Wycombe – 1 Ryan ALLSOP, 3 Joe JACOBSON, 4 Dominic GRAPE, 5 Anthony STEWART, 10 Matt BLOOMFIELD © (OFF 79), 11 Scott KASHKETT (OFF 88), 18 Curtin THOMPSON, 19 Jack GRIMMER, 20 Adebayo AKINFENWA, 21 Darius CHARLES, 26 Rolando AARONS (OFF 79)
Subs – 7 David WHEELER (ON 79) 8 Alex PATTINSON (ON 79) 22 Nick FREEMAN (ON 88)
Subs Not Used – 13 Cameron YATES, 16 Giles PHILLIPS, 27 Josh PARKER, 28 Nnamdi OFOBORH
Shrewsbury – 25 Max O’LEARY, 2 Aaron PIERRE, 3 Scott GOLBOURNE, 4 Dave EDWARDS (OFF 74), 5 Ro-Shaun WILLIAMS, 6 Omar BECKLES, 7 Shaun WHALLEY, 8 Oliver NORBURN ©, 17 Donald LOVE (OFF 86), 28 Josh LAURENT (OFF 67), 35 Jason CUMMINGS
Subs – 22 Sean GOSS (67), 10 Fejiri OKENABIRHIE (ON 67) 21 Louis THOMPSON (ON 86)
Subs Not Used – 1 Joe MURPHY, 15 Brad WALKER, 18 Luke McCORMICK, 24 Ethan EBANKS-LANDELL
Referee – Brett HUXTABLE
Assistant Referees – Paul YATES and Anthony DA COSTA
Fourth Official – Leigh CROWHURST
Attendance – 4826 (420 Town)
Sam Ricketts marked an unchanged starting 11 as Town travelled to Wycombe earlier this afternoon. Town saw defender Ethan Ebanks-Landell return to the bench after being side-lined for a few weeks after picking up an injury.
Max O’Leary currently has seven clean sheets out of fourteen games for Town and he will want to make it fifteen as Town look for three points at Adams Park.
Two of Wycombe’s starting 11 have featured for Town previously, Joe Jacobson and Jack Grimmer both star in Gareth Ainsworth’s team and will look to continue their unbeaten run at home.
A dominant first half for Town after having many chances but struggled to break the deadlock. Town were the team on top for the first 45 after creating good place, having great chances and overall being the dominant team.
Town’s first chance of the game came within the first ten minutes of play. Donald Love fired a rocket towards Ryan Allsop’s bottom right corner forcing him to get down, however Love’s shot was the wrong side of the post.
Minutes later, Jason Cummings joined in on the action after being through on goal and having the ball forced onto his right foot. Cummings fired a shot towards goal by Wycombe’s backline did well to block and clear the ball away from danger.
Shrewsbury were dominant, hungry for the first goal. A great switch of play between Town’s wingbacks as Love on the right fired a ball across field to left wing-back Scott Golbourne. Golbourne bounced a ball into Cummings and Cummings, with his back towards goal, managed to turn away from Wycombe’s defence and force a shot.
Again, Golbourne and Love linking up well between themselves and across field. This time, Golbourne floated a cross in towards the back post of Allsop’s goal where Dave Edwards and Cummings were waiting to receive the ball. Cummings knocked the ball onto Josh Laurent who was eagerly waiting for the ball, Laurent attempted a curing left-footed shot, however Laurent couldn’t find the target.
It was time for Shaun Whalley to join in on the action too after Cummings and Love linked up well down the right-hand side. Love found Whalley who was lurking on the edge of Wycombe’s 18-yard-box but Whalley struggled to get the ball out of his feet in time before the ball was cleared away.
Strike partners Whalley and Cummings produce great football between them both after Whalley held the ball up waiting for Cummings to come and join him. Cummings shot and made Allsop stumble and run the ball out of play behind his own goal for a Town corner.
Wycombe’s first effort on goal came just shy of the half hour mark. A long ball from Allsop finds Adebayo Akinfenwa as he bought it down for Scott Kashket. Kashket’s shot was softly driven towards shot-stopped Max O’Leary making it an easy save.
Love made a great challenge in the middle of the field to win Town possession back. Love played in Josh Laurent who went on a great run through the midfield and defence. Laurent found Cummings down the left hand-side and Cummings fired in a low dangerous cross back to Laurent, however, Laurent’s touch was heavy, and the ball ran out of play. Another great chance by Town but were unlucky not to get on the scoresheet.
Half-Time
Wycombe 0 – 0 Shrewsbury
Town came out in the second half as they ended their first half, dominant and eager for the first goal. A great phase of play by Town, especially down the right. Cummings chased down a long ball and held the play up whilst he waited for Whalley to join in. Cummings played the ball to Whalley and Whalley floated in a cross towards the back post where Golbourne was waiting. Golbourne’s header was just over the bar.
It took Wycombe 50 minutes to get into the game. Their first chance of the second half came after Kashket beat Beckles and Ollie Norburn to the ball. Kashket crossed the ball into Akinfenwa as he waited for the ball inside of the box. Akinfenwa struggled to get the ball out of his feet. The ball landed to Dominic Gape on the edge of the box but his shot was fired well wide of O’Leary’s goal.
Wycombe began to come eager and hungry to score and break the deadlock. A ball cleared off the line by Ro-Shaun Williams after Curtin Thompson fired in a low cross. A corner ball fell to Gape on the edge of the box. Gape connected with it on the volley, but he sliced it wide.
Minutes later, Wycombe were on the attack again. This time the hosts managed to break the deadlock. Rolando Aarons hit the back of the net from inside the 18-yard-box to give Wycombe the lead. Town hit back instantly after Cummings fired a well taken shot but couldn’t hit the target.
With twenty minutes to go, Town created a great chance after a great spell of possession. Cummings, Whalley and Norburn played between them and the ball fell to Norburn on the edge, Norburn fired a shot at Allsop but the shot was off target.
For the last twenty minutes Town made two changes. Sean Goss and Ferjij Okenabirhie came on to replace Josh Laurent and Dave Edwards.
A late challenge on Okenabirhie from Anthony Stewart and Town were awarded a free-kick a yard away from the penalty area. Whalley stood over the ball in an attempt to curl it into the top right of Allsop’s goal but the shot was off target.
A quick-thinking free-kick from captain Norburn, found Cummings with plenty of space around him mid-way into Wycombe’s half. 30-yards-out and Cummings fired a shot at Allsop.
Wycombe made a double change with eleven minutes remaining. Goal scorer Rolando Aarons was replaced by David Wheeler and Wycombe’s captain Matt Bloomfield was also replaced by Alex Pattinson.
A huge chance came for Town with just only five minutes of play left. Goss in the midfield played a class ball out to Love on the right hand-side, Love hit a first time cross into the box that landed perfectly on Norburn’s head, but he couldn’t convert it. Norburn was in acres of space but just couldn’t find the target.
Sam Ricketts made his third and final change with only minutes remaining. Donald Love was replaced by Louis Thompson.
Ro-Shaun Williams saw his second yellow card in the space of 10 minutes as the game began to end. Williams’ second yellow was awarded after raising his hands onto Akinfenwa’s chest. A frustrating afternoon for Town at Adam’s Park but Town will look to put things right Tuesday Evening as they host Peterborough United at Montgomery Waters Meadow.