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Blues face crucial clash with Chesterfield

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Wycombe Wanderers entertain Chesterfield on Saturday in their 20th league game of the season.

The league table currently shows Wycombe in 23rd place and Chesterfield in 24th, both sides having collected only 13 points from their opening 19 games.


Wycombe Home Record……W 1 – D 2 – L 6 – Pts 5…Ppg 0.56 (Rank-24)

Chesterfield Away Record…W 1 – D 1 – L 7 – Pts 4…Ppg 0.44 (Rank-24)


With the Blues boasting the worst home-record in the division and the Spireites the worst away-record, this match is no clash of the titans.

It was a different story in March when Wycombe travelled to Chesterfield and were soundly thrashed in a 1st v 2nd showdown at the summit of League Two. Both sides were subsequently promoted, the Spireites as Champions and the Blues in third place.

Nine months later, things have changed, and second-bottom host rock-bottom in a crucial game that will give the winners a psychological boost and leave the losers with a mountain to climb.

Quite clearly neither side has progressed as they would have wished. Chesterfield lost a number of key players during the summer and Wycombe failed to sufficiently strengthen their squad.

We’re almost half way through the season now and both sides have averaged only 0.68 points per game. A failure to improve on this return will mean a final tally of 31 points and certain relegation.

It will require 100% improvement over the remaining 27 games (1.36 pts-per-game) just to achieve a final tally of 50 points and a chance of survival.

Both sides have won only three of their nineteen league games so far. Until suffering a barren November, Wycombe teased their fans with one victory a month, beating Orient on 16th August, Sheffield United on 24th September and Hartlepool on 15th October.

In contrast, the Chesterfield fans celebrated their three league victories in a single week with wins over Bournemouth, Bury and Carlisle on 10th 13th and 17th September.

In team news, Gareth Ainsworth and Leon Johnson are back in contention but Martin Rowlands drops out with a Hamstring injury.

Blues boss Gary Waddock is likely to start with Stuart Beavon and Marcello Trotta up front, with Jordon Ibe providing the threat from the bench.

Leon Johnson is expected to return to a Blues defence that were lucky to concede only four goals in their last outing, and with Danny Foster being hauled off shortly after the fourth hit the back of the net, Marvin McCoy may be in line for a rare start.

Loanee winger Anthony McNamee is almost certain to feature after reportedly impressing Waddock this week in training.

And finally a crumb of comfort as we take on a fellow struggler…

It’s a myth that Wycombe only do well against the top sides. Their record of 4 points from 10 games against top-half opposition is in fact the second worst in the division.

Against lower-half opposition, the Blues have collected 9 points from 9 games.


Here are some stats?


Chesterfield’s last five games (All Competitions)

JPT: Tranmere (H)………..Won 4-3

FAC: Torquay (H)………….Lost 1-3

Lg1: Oldham (A)…………..Lost 2-5

Lg1: Sheff Utd (H)…………Lost 0-1

JPT: Preston (A)…………..Won 1-1 (4-2 on pens)



Wycombe’s last five games (All Competitions)

Lg1: Sheff Wed (H)…………Lost 1-2

Lg1: Notts County (A)…….Drew 1-1

FAC: Fleetwood (A)…………Lost 0-2

Lg1: Bournemouth (H)……..Lost 0-1

Lg1: Franchise (A)…………..Lost 3-4



Chesterfield Goal Stats (24 games in all Competitions)

Goals Scored (Total)…………Lg: 23…Cups: 11…Total: 34

Goals Conceded (Total)……..Lg: 37…Cups: 11…Total: 48

Goals Scored (Away)………..Lg: 12…Cups: 6…..Total: 18

Goals Conceded (Away)…….Lg: 23…Cups: 5…..Total: 28

Clean Sheets…………………..Lg: 3…..Cups: 0…..Total: 3



Wycombe Goal Stats (24 games in all Competitions)

Goals Scored (Total)…………..Lg: 20…Cups: 8…..Total: 28

Goals Conceded (Total)……….Lg: 32…Cups: 13…Total: 45

Goals Scored (Home)………….Lg: 8…..Cups: 8…..Total: 16

Goals Conceded (Home)………Lg: 14…Cups: 11…Total: 25

Clean Sheets…………………….Lg: 1…..Cups: 0…..Total: 1



Chesterfield Top Goal Scorers – (All Competitions)

Leon Clarke……………9

Craig Westcarr………..7

Jordan Bowery………..6

Danny Whitaker………4 (inc 3 pens)

Two other players have each scored 2 goals.

Four other players have each scored 1 goal.



Wycombe’s Top Goal Scorers – (All Competitions)

Stuart Beavon……….10

Scott Donnelly………..5 (inc 2 pens)

Joel Grant……………..3

One other player has scored 2 goals.

Seven other players have each scored 1 goal.



Chesterfield Shooting (Top-3) – All Competitions

Craig Werstcarr…..16 on-target…21 off-target…1 against woodwork

Danny Whitaker…..15 on-target…15 off-target…0 against woodwork

Leon Clarke………..15 on-target…11 off-target…2 against woodwork



Wycombe Shooting (Top-3) – All Competitions

Stuart Beavon……..23 on-target…..4 off-target…0 against woodwork

Joel Grant…………..14 on-target…11 off-target…0 against woodwork

Scott Donnelly……..13 on-target…11 off-target…0 against woodwork



Shooting (Club) – League Games Only

Chesterfield…87 on target…120 off target…6 against w’work (Rank-10)

Wycombe…….72 on target….85 off target…3 against w’work (Rank-23)



Most Assists

Chesterfield – Craig Westcarr…6

Wycombe – Andy Sandell………3



League Form Guide

All Season


Chesterfield…Pld: 19…W: 3…D: 4…L: 12…Pts: 13…Pts per game: 0.68

Wycombe……Pld: 19…W: 3…D: 4…L: 12…Pts: 13…Pts per game: 0.68



Last Five league Games

Chesterfield…….DLDLL – 2 points (Rank-22)

Wycombe………..LLDLL – 1 point (Rank-24)



Last Five League Games (Away)

Chesterfield……..LLDLL – 1 point (Rank-24)



Last Five League Games (Home)

Wycombe……….LDLLL – 1 point (Rank-22)



Against Top Half Opposition

Chesterfield…Pld: 11…Pts: 7…Pts per game: 0.64…(Rank-20)

Wycombe……Pld: 10…Pts: 4…Pts per game: 0.40…(Rank-23)



Against Bottom Half Opposition

Chesterfield….Pld: 8…Pts: 6…Pts per game: 0.75…(Rank-24)

Wycombe…….Pld: 9…Pts: 9…Pts per game: 1.00…(Rank-22)



Previous Meetings

In 25 previous meetings there have been 11 wins for Wycombe, 9 for Chesterfield and 5 draws.

At Adams Park the tally is 7 wins for the Blues, 2 for the Spireites and 4 draws.

1993/94 LG2: Wycombe 0 Chesterfield 1

1995/96 LG1: Wycombe 1 Chesterfield 0

1996/97 LG1: Wycombe 1 Chesterfield 0

1997/98 LG1: Wycombe 1 Chesterfield 1

1998/99 FAC: Wycombe 1 Chesterfield 0

1998/99 LG1: Wycombe 1 Chesterfield 0

1999/00 LG1: Wycombe 3 Chesterfield 0

2001/02 LG1: Wycombe 0 Chesterfield 0

2002/03 LG1: Wycombe 2 Chesterfield 0

2003/04 LG1: Wycombe 3 Chesterfield 3

2007/08 LG2: Wycombe 1 Chesterfield 0

2008/09 LG2: Wycombe 1 Chesterfield 1

2010/11 LG2: Wycombe 1 Chesterfield 2



The Man In The Middle

Saturday’s referee is Lee Collins from Surrey who is in his first season on the National List of Referees and has never taken charge of a Wycombe game before. So far he’s issued 6 red and 33 yellow cards in 11 games.



Prediction

Wycombe 1 Chesterfield 1

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