No rest for the Blues as in-form Preston hit town

Wycombe Wanderers entertain Preston North End on Tuesday in their 10th league game of the season.

The league table currently shows Wycombe in 20th place with 8 points from 9 games and Preston in 5th spot with 19 points from only 8 games.

Preston’s Away Record……W 2 – D 1 – L 0 – Pts 7 – Ppg 2.33 (Rank-3)

Wycombe’s Home Record..W 1 – D 1 – L 2 – Pts 4 – Ppg 1.00 (Rank-20)


Last Five league Games

Preston………WWWWW – 15 points (Rank-1)

Wycombe…………LLLLW – 3 points (Rank-21)


A gritty 1-0 win over Sheffield United on Saturday finally brought the curtain down on a dismal run of five consecutive league defeats for Wycombe who also celebrated their first league goal in over 520 minutes.

The electric atmosphere at Adams Park was reminiscent of an FA Cup giant-killing where the brave underdog scores against the run of play and tenaciously clings to the lead before the final whistle heralds scenes of euphoria while the vanquished visitors slink off down the tunnel.

Normally giant killers aren’t expected to do the same thing again three days later, but in Wycombe’s case, they not only have to do it again on Tuesday, but probably most weekends between now and the end of the season.

If we’ve learned anything from our nine league games so far, it’s that we lose when the players fail to give 100%.

Quality helps too of course, and if we’re to compete with the more established League One sides, it will mean no rest for certain key players, because Wycombe just don’t have another forward with the energy and skill of Stuart Beavon or another combative midfielder who gets stuck in and breaks up play like Stuart Lewis.

Beavon must surely have established himself as Wycombe’s first-choice striker by now. Always the hardest working and most energetic player on the park, he single-handedly gave the Blades’ defence a torrid time on Saturday and scored his fifth goal from open play in just six starts and three substitute appearances. To be more precise, Beavon has been on the field of play for 553 minutes this season and has scored 5 goals, which is a goal every 110 minutes. Gold dust.

If we’re going to play 4-5-1, which is probably our best bet against the top sides, Beavon is surely the man you want up front.

Talking of top sides, that’s exactly where Preston are headed, and if you thought the Blades were tough opposition, wait ’til you see the Lillywhites.

Top of the form guide with six consecutive victories, they haven’t lost a league game since the opening day of the season, and with two games in hand on most of their promotion rivals, they’re currently second-favourites for the title behind Charlton Athletic.

Former Liverpool striker Neil Mellor is their main dangerman. He’s scored six goals already this season and has taken 40 shots, which is roughly the combined total of Wycombe’s top three sharpshooters, Beavon, Grant and Donnelly.

Preston complete the trilogy of last season’s relegated Championship sides to visit Adams Park, and let’s hope they follow in the footsteps of Scunthorpe and the Blades by returning home without a victory.

This is a game in hand for both clubs after the original fixture was postponed.

A win for Preston would take them up to second in the table.

A victory for Wycombe would take them to 16th and a draw to 18th. Losing by two goals or more would drop the Blues back into the relegation zone.

Here are some stats…..


Preston’s last five games (All Competitions)

Lg1: Yeovil (H)………………Won 4-3

Ccp: Charlton (A)…………..Won 2-0

Lg1: Brentford (A)………….Won 3-1

Ccp: Southampton (A)……..Lost 1-2

Lg1: Tranmere (H)………….Won 2-1



Wycombe’s last five games (All Competitions)

JPT: Bristol Rovers (H)………Won 3-1

Lg1: Brentford (H)…………….Lost 0-1

Lg1: Yeovil (A)…………………Lost 0-1

Lg1: Tranmere (A)……………Lost 0-2

Lg1: Sheffield Utd (H)………..Won 1-0



Preston Goal Stats (11 games in all Competitions)

Goals Scored (Total)………Lg: 17…Cups: 6…Total: 23

Goals Conceded (Total)…..Lg: 10…Cups: 4…Total: 14

Goals Scored (Away)……..Lg: 6…..Cups: 3…Total: 9

Goals Conceded (Away)….Lg: 2…..Cups: 2…Total: 4

Clean Sheets………………..Lg: 3…..Cups: 1…Total: 4



Wycombe Goal Stats (12 games in all Competitions)

Goals Scored (Total)……….Lg: 6…..Cups: 7…Total: 13

Goals Conceded (Total)……Lg: 12…Cups: 8…Total: 20

Goals Scored (Home)………Lg: 2…..Cups: 7…Total: 9

Goals Conceded (Home)…..Lg: 4…..Cups: 8…Total: 12

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



Preston’s Top Goal Scorers – (All Competitions)

Neil Mellor…………….6

Iain Hume…………….3

Barry Nicholson……..2

James Proctor……….2

Danny Mayor…………2

Seven other players have each scored 1 goal.



Wycombe’s Top Goal Scorers – (All Competitions)

Stuart Beavon………..5

Joel Grant……………..2

Scott Donnelly………..2 (inc 1 pen)

Four other players have each scored 1 goal.



Preston Shooting (Top-3) – All Competitions

Neil Mellor…………….18 on-target…20 off-target…2 against woodwork

Iain Hume…………….10 on-target…14 off-target…0 against woodwork

Paul Coutts…………….9 on-target…..9 off-target…0 against woodwork



Wycombe Shooting (Top-3) – All Competitions

Scott Donnelly………..8 on-target…8 off-target…0 against woodwork

Joel Grant……………..7 on-target…9 off-target…0 against woodwork

Stuart Beavon……….10 on-target…1 off-target…0 against woodwork



Shooting (Club) – League Games Only

Preston………..57 on target…58 off target…3 against w’work (Rank-4)

Wycombe……..29 on target…41 off target…2 against w’work (Rank-24)



Previous Meetings

In 11 previous meetings there have been 5 wins for Preston, 2 for Wycombe and 4 draws.

At Adams Park there have been 2 wins for Preston and 3 draws.

1993/94 Lg2: Preston 2 Wycombe 3

1993/94 Lg2: Wycombe 1 Preston 1

1993/94 Poff: Wycombe 4 Preston 2

1996/97 Lg1: Wycombe 0 Preston 1

1996/97 Lg1: Preston 2 Wycombe 1

1997/98 Lg1: Wycombe 0 Preston 0

1997/98 Lg1: Preston 1 Wycombe 1

1998/99 Lg1: Wycombe 0 Preston 1

1998/99 Lg1: Preston 2 Wycombe 1

1999/00 Lg1: Wycombe 1 Preston 1

1999/00 Lg1: Preston 3 Wycombe 2



The Man In The Middle

Tuesday’s referee is Michael Naylor from South Yorkshire who was promoted to the National List of Referees in 2010. He has never taken charge of a Wycombe game before. So far this season he’s issued 3 red and 34 yellow cards in 7 games.



Prediction

Wycombe 0 Preston 2