Chesterfield 2-0 Wycombe

Wycombe slipped to their second defeat of the season at Saltergate today despite a promising and lively first half performance with the same line-up as last week against Bury..

However, before the game had even started, there was some worrying news from Saltergate. Last weeks’ star performer Tom Williams was removed from the starting line-up after suffering from chest pains in the dressing room in the minutes leading up to the game. However, he was seen sitting on the bench when the team emerged from the second half so lets hope everything is fine as far as that situation is concerned.

The game started sluggishly with Jamie Lowry doing his best to impose himself on the game. His shot from the edge of the area was saved comfortably by Scott Shearer and he appealed for a penalty minutes later after a tustle with David McCracken but the referee, Mr Haywood gave it the other way.

Leon Johnson then had Wycombe’s first chance, a powerful Russell Martin free kick was deflected straight into his path but his shot was saved by the feet of Barry Roche.

Most of the play was going through the right side partnership of Martin and Martin Bullock but their attempted long passes up to Scott McGleish proved unfruitful throughout the half. Wycombe then began to impose themselves on the game, Roche had to bravely dive at the feet of both Jermaine Easter and McGleish on 2 seperate occasions as Wycombe began to create and pressure Chesterfield.

Then, just as it seems that Wycombe were going in level with a pretty handy first time showing, the Blues failed to clear Lowry’s cross effectively and Derek Niven fired home from around 18 yards out past the despairing Shearer. The half-time whistle blew and the 241 travelling fans must have been disappointed in the way the team’s concentration dropped just before the half-time whistle.

Only seconds after the second half had resumed, it again seemed the team had switched off but luckily Jack Lester couldn’t control the through ball that came to him on the edge of the area.

Wycombe then had a great chance, Shearer’s long punt up field found it’s way to McGleish but his shot just from the edge of the area trickled agonizingly wide with Roche again bravely charging out at the strikers’ feet.

There as then an extended quiet period in the game. Substitute Stefan Oakes then sent a pass through for Jermaine Easter as he screwed a good chance wide.

Then catastrophic defending costs Wycombe again, a harmless cross by Derek Niven is completely missed in calamitous fashion by Shearer leaving Jack Lester with the simplest of tasks of nodding it into an open goal.

The newly tested Wycombe front 3 never really got a chance to impress after Sutton arrived as Shearer’s aimless long field kicks meant they never really saw much of the ball at all unfortunately. It was never going to be an easy trip but in the second half, Wycombe have never looked like getting back into it in the second half.

Easter fired a shot into the side netting late on and despite the generous 4 minutes of injury time, no consolation could be found.

There’s positives to be found but Wycombe need to be more efficient when it comes to finishing good chances that come their way or promotion seems unrealistic and distant.