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Wycombe Away Day review

Last updated : 01 November 2009 By Sadlad
Wycombe Away
Natan Sansara continued at left back with Jamie Vincent still ruled out and it was good to see flu victim Steve Jones return to the squad but as it later proved, the the in-form man really should have started the game. The home side really took the game to the visitors right from the off with three shots on target in the first four minutes.Walsall seemed so slow out of the blocks and lacked any real purpose whereas Wycombe were full of invention and were knocking the ball about well, getting shots in at every occassion and Saddlers defence was all at sea, giving the lively Wycombe far too much space and time.

Wycombe took the lead on 14 minutes. Following a free kick Scott Davies, noticing that Clayton Ince was way out of his goal, roughly in line with his post, drilled a dipping ball from about 35 yards to Ince's right as the big keeper came scrambling back to field the shot all to no avail.The keeper knew he had made a schoolboy error and it set the tone for a quite miserable first half for Walsall.

Away stand view,getting dark!
On 38 minutes Davies, on loan from Reading,put the Chairboys 2-0 up as a result of a short corner and although he finished well it was another case of the defence being nowhere as the low shot found its way into the net.The remaining period to the break saw the travelling Saddlers rip into the players and the chants and the booing told its own sorry story.

Its been a long time since I've seen Walsall totally outplayed in the first half of a game and it was quite clear that something had to be done if Walsall were to get anything out of this game and Steve Jones had to be introduced.

Saddlers fortunes immediately changed after the half time break and on 55 minutes Steve Jones pulled a goal back for Walsall after good work by Matt Richards. Jones, often starting moves from very deep,was doing his best to get things moving and was linking up well with Darren Byfield who had so little service in the first half. Even though Walsall's general play had improved, Wycombe were still looking dangerous in attack. Hutchings sent on Alex Nicholls and on 80 minutes skipper Mark Hughes claimed his first Walsall goal. Following a couple of scrambles in the box he smashed the ball home to send the travelling fans wild that at long last they had got back on level terms.
Just three minutes later the seemingly impossible happened as Walsall took the lead as thanks to a fine ball from Jones Nicholls sweetly finished, placing the ball just inside the post.Although Wycombe were fighting like tigers to get back into the game in the final few minutes Saddlers hung on for a most unlikely win and from the depths of dispair in the first half,the players and fans alike were over the moon when that final whisle went.