Wycombe Wanderers claimed three deserved points with a heart-warming display that saw bottom of the table Aldershot Town beaten 2-1 at a soggy Adams Park.
Striker Matt McClure was the match-winner with a neatly taken first goal before slipping through a sublime pass for ex-Shots winger Joel Grant to clip past ex-Blues goalkeeper Jamie Young.
Despite heavy rain in the Chair Metropolis the 4,290 hardy souls who came to the game were treated to an entertaining encounter which will have brought renewed hope to the Chairboys for next season.
After such a tough campaign it was a real pleasure to watch a performance from all eleven men in the Oxford and Cambridge blue halves (and purple goalkeeping shirt!) that was full of endeavour but most delightfully, combined with immense skill.
Blues boss Gareth Ainsworth was boosted by the return of strikers Dean Morgan and Matt McClure, who both recovered from hamstring injuries, and they made all the difference as the hosts looked threatening throughout the 90 minutes.
Morgan’s first touch, on a slick but sticky pitch, was exquisite and McClure gave his marker, Sonny Bradley, a torrid time, despite giving him both a height and weight advantage.
Midfielder Josh Scowen saw his shot blocked by McClure inside the first ten minutes and Young did well to turn McClure’s header away for a corner moments later before the visitors missed a gilt-edged chance to break the deadlock. Midfielder Craig Stanley whipped over a free-kick from the left and the ball broke kindly for Jeff Goulding only for the striker to blaze over from just six yards.
The Shots should have been ahead but they enjoyed a let-off of their own after 19 minutes when McClure clipped over a cross from the right for Morgan who sent his header back across goal only for the ball to bounce off the post and into the grateful arms of Young.
Nine minutes later defender Charles Dunne made a vital interception on the edge of his own six-yard box to prevent striker Paul McCallum from tapping home. Chances were coming at both ends but neither side could find the breakthrough.
McClure went agonisingly close again on 34 minutes when he challenged for the ball from Morgan’s left-wing cross at the far post and then reacted quickly to flick the loose ball past Young only for defender Terrell Forbes to head off his own goal-line.
The home side were now in control and created another chance when Sam Wood raced down the left before fizzing in a low cross that Grant was inches away from getting a vital touch to at the far post. Grant was then unable to direct a header on target from Scowen’s right-wing cross.
Goalkeeper Matt Ingram made sure he got both hands to Goulding’s snap-shot to push it past the far post four minutes before the break to ensure the two sides would go in level at the break.
The Shots need for the points was far the greater and they wasted a half-chance inside three minutes at the start of the second half when Goulding sliced his shot into the air and Ingram gathered on his line.
Two minutes later and McClure showed him how to finish! Wood and Morgan combined down the left for McClure, who left Bradley sprawling on the wet turf before tucking the ball past Young and into the net from eight yards.
It was a deserved lead for the Chairboys and it upped the ante as things were now serious for the visitors. Defender Michael Harriman was in the right place to clear Goulding’s pull-back, and moments later McCallum was denied an equaliser, first when Gary Doherty threw himself in front of the ball to block his shot and then from Ingram’s superb parry.
Ingram then kept out Danny Rose’s 25-yard free-kick before holding onto Asa Hall’s effort from the re-bound. McClure was a constant menace and he had a shot blocked by Bradley, before getting the better of the centre-back two minutes and cutting into the area before his goal-bound effort was blocked by defender Ben Herd.
Vincenti was replaced by striker Michael Rankine, who could be described as something of a unit, as Shots boss Andy Scott switched to a 4-3-3 formation. The Blues were forced to make a change when Dave Winfield picked up a knock and he was replaced by Leon Johnson.
Within three minutes Aldershot were level. Rankine and Goulding combined on the right before the latter pulled the ball back for Stanley whose low shot from 22 yards beat Ingram to find the bottom right-hand corner of the net.
It looked like the goal had shifted the momentum to the visitors but the Chairboys weren’t finished and seven minutes later they restored their lead when McClure’s slide-rule pass cut open the Shots defence and Grant coolly lifted the ball past Young and into the net.
It was a pass to die-for from McClure. Supreme footballing porn! Ainsworth somewhat surprisingly made an immediate change with Bruno Andrade replacing the indefatigable Sam Wood. Minutes later Dunne was booked for some less-than-subtle time wasting!
The visitors looked bereft of ideas and a double substitution made little difference. Morgan saw his shot blocked by Herd as the clock ticked-by and there were gasps among the home faithful when six minutes of injury-time were signaled by the fourth official.
There was a nervous moment when Ingram failed to hold onto substitute Jordan Roberts’ free-kick into the box but Hall could only find the side-netting from a tight angle.
McClure wasted a great chance to wrap things up two minutes into added-time when he got the better of Bradley for the umpteenth time but Young saved when he tried to square the ball to Morgan. Andrade’s shot then appeared to strike the arm of a defender but referee Mr Robert Madley waved play-on.
It didn’t matter as he blew the final whistle with almost eight minutes of injury-time played to confirm a deserved three points for the Wanderers. The visitors will complain about McClure’s goal but they can’t deny the hosts were worthy winners.
Wycombe Wanderers have faced many tough seasons and the 125th in their glorious history will go down as one of them. There has been immense change over the past ten months and the challenges faced both on and off the pitch cannot be underestimated.
Yet performances like this afternoon’s serve as a reminder of why we all do this and they are a testament to the hard work from the players and especially Gareth Ainsworth, who will soon celebrate his 600th appearance. It is one of many causes for celebration. Here’s to the next 125!
Ratings: Ingram 7, Harriman 7, Winfield 7 (Johnson 7), Doherty 8, Dunne 6, Grant 7, Scowen 7, Spring 8, Wood 8 (Andrade N/A), Morgan 7 (Kuffour N/A), McClure 9*
