Wycombe Wanderers entertain Cambridge United on Saturday in their 36th league game of the season.
The Chairboys had no game at the weekend but were beaten 1-0 by Coventry City at Adams Park the previous Tuesday evening.
It was a second home defeat in four days for Gareth Ainsworth’s side who had suffered a 4-2 setback at the hands of Morecambe on the Saturday.
The consecutive defeats brought to an end an impressive run of seven wins and a draw for Wanderers who were previously unbeaten in 2018.
It was a fine run that propelled the Chairboys from play-off hopefuls to second-favourites for automatic promotion with the bookmakers.
The two defeats, coupled with results elsewhere, have cost Wanderers their place in the top three for now, but Ainsworth’s side have a game in hand on 3rd placed Notts County who they trail on goal difference only.
Wanderers are currently in 4th place with 62 points, 12 points more than they had at the same stage last season.
Ainsworth made three changes to his starting line-up against the Sky Blues.
Dan Scarr, Marcus Bean and Nathan Tyson were all handed recalls to the side.
They were preferred to Matt Bloomfield and Craig Mackail-Smith who both dropped to the bench, while loanee Nathan McGinley was missing from the squad altogether.
Sido Jombati made a welcome return to the bench after two months out with a knee injury.
Randell Williams has returned from treatment at parent club Watford and is available if selected.
Scott Kashket is “back to fitness now” according to the Blues boss, while Michael Harriman is back in training but not quite fully fit.
There is no specific news on the likely return of Sam Saunders (knee) or Anthony Stewart (calf).
Cambridge United claimed a share of the spoils after snatching a late equaliser to draw 1-1 at home to ten-man Luton Town on Saturday.
The U’s went into the game on the back of a narrow 1-0 defeat at promotion-chasers Accrington Stanley.
Since Joe Dunne was named as caretaker manager, United have won three, drawn one and lost one of their five league games and are ranked 4th in the current form guide.
They are currently 14th in the table with 49 points, one point less than they had at the same stage last season.
Dunne named an unchanged starting line-up against the Hatters, but made two changes on the bench with Leon Legge and George Maris both returning from injury.
They were preferred to teenager Harry Darling and loanee Adam Phillips, who were both left out of the 18-man squad.
Dunne has no new injury concerns ahead of this weekend’s trip to Adams Park.
Piero Mingoia has been back in full training for the last fortnight after recovering from a groin injury but isn’t quite ready to return.
Scourge of the Chairboys Barry Corr is also back in full training after recovering from a groin problem and will be hoping to make the bench.
Here are some stats…
Cambridge Away Record……..W 3…..D 5…L 10…Pts 14 – Ppg 0.78 (Rank-19)
Wycombe Home Record……..W 10 – D 3…L 5…..Pts 33 – Ppg 1.83 (Rank-9)
League positions & comparison with last season
Cambridge (1 point worse off)
After 36 games this season United are 14th with 49 points
After 36 games last season they were 12th with 50 points
Wycombe (12 points better off)
After 35 games this season the Chairboys are 4th with 62 points
After 35 games last season they were 10th with 50 points
Cambridge’s last five games (All Competitions)
Lg2: Chesterfield (A)………….Won 3-2
Lg2: Grimsby (H)……………….Won 3-1
Lg2: Notts County (H)………..Won 1-0
Lg2: Accrington (A)…………….Lost 0-1
Lg2: Luton (H)………………….Drew 1-1
Wycombe’s last five games (All Competitions)
Lg2: Exeter (A)…………………Drew 1-1
Lg2: Swindon (H)………………Won 3-2
Lg2: Cheltenham (A)…………Won 2-0
Lg2: Morecambe (H)………….Lost 2-4
Lg2: Coventry (H)……………….Lost 0-1
Cambridge Goal Scorers – (All Competitions)
Ikpeazu……………………..13 (inc 1 pen)
Ibehre……………………….6
Maris…………………………5
Brown……………………….4
Elito…………………………..4 (inc 2 pens)
Legge………………………..2
Amoo………………………..1
Dunk…………………………1
Mingoia…………………….1
Taft……………………………1
Waters………………………1
Wycombe Goal Scorers – (All Competitions)
Adebayo Akinfenwa………..16
Craig Mackail-Smith………..10
Paris Cowan-Hall…………….8
Luke O’Nien……………………8
Nathan Tyson…………………6
Eberechi Eze…………………..5
Joe Jacobson…………………..5 (inc 3 pens)
Nick Freeman…………………4
Marcus Bean…………………..2
Matt Bloomfield………………2
Sam Saunders…………………2
Josh Umerah…………………..2
Will De Havilland…………….1
Michael Harriman…………..1
Sido Jombati……………………1
Dan Scarr………………………..1
Dayle Southwell………………1
Anthony Stewart……………..1
Wycombe Assists – (All Competitions)
Adebayo Akinfenwa………..14
Craig Mackail-Smith………..7
Paris Cowan-Hall…………….4
Joe Jacobson…………………..4
Nathan Tyson…………………4
Nick Freeman………………….3
Dominic Gape…………………3
Michael Harriman…………..3
Sam Saunders…………………3
Matt Bloomfield………………2
Eberechi Eze……………………2
Luke O’Nien…………………….2
Dan Scarr………………………..2
Marcus Bean…………………..1
Sido Jombati……………………1
Nathan McGinley…………….1
Jack Williams……………………1
Cambridge Goal Stats (42 games in all Competitions)
Goals Scored (Total)………..Lg: 36…Cups: 3…..Total: 39
Goals Conceded (Total)……Lg: 46…Cups: 10…Total: 56
Goals Scored (Away)………..Lg: 13…Cups: 2…..Total: 15
Goals Conceded (Away)……Lg: 33…Cups: 7…..Total: 40
Clean Sheets……………………Lg: 15…Cups: 1…..Total: 16
Failed to Score…………………Lg: 14…Cups: 3…..Total: 17
Wycombe Goal Stats (42 games in all Competitions)
Goals Scored (Total)………..Lg: 67…Cups: 9…..Total: 76
Goals Conceded (Total)……Lg: 51…Cups: 14…Total: 65
Goals Scored (Home)………Lg: 39…Cups: 7…..Total: 46
Goals Conceded (Home)….Lg: 29…Cups: 13…Total: 42
Clean Sheets……………………Lg: 8…..Cups: 2…..Total: 10
Failed to Score…………………Lg: 7…..Cups: 2…..Total: 9
Wycombe – miscellaneous stats
Shots on-target (for)………….Lg: 199…Cups: 40…Total: 239
Shots on-target (against)……Lg: 138…Cups: 34…Total: 172
Shots off-target (for)………….Lg: 279…Cups: 53…Total: 332
Shots off-target (against)……Lg: 206…Cups: 40…Total: 246
Corners (for)………………………Lg: 193…Cups: 45…Total: 238
Corners (against)………………..Lg: 164…Cups: 34…Total: 198
Ave possession (for)……………Lg: 51.34%…..Cups: 50.14%
Ave possession (against)……..Lg: 48.66%…..Cups: 49.86%
Shooting comparison (league only)
Wycombe………shots on target – 199 (per game: 5.69) – (Rank-1)
Cambridge…….shots on target – 155 (per game: 4.31) – (Rank-11)
League Form Guide
All Season
Cambridge……Pld: 36…W: 13…D: 10…L: 13…Pts: 49…Pts per game: 1.36
Wycombe……..Pld: 35…W: 18…D: 8…..L: 9…..Pts: 62…Pts per game: 1.77
Last Five league Games
Cambridge………WWWLD – 10 points (Rank-4)
Wycombe…………..DWWLL – 7 points (Rank-11)
Last Five League Games (Away)
Cambridge…………..LLLWL – 3 points (Rank-20)
Last Five League Games (Home)
Wycombe………….WWWLL – 9 points (Rank-14)
First 45 mins v Second 45 mins – Performance Comparison
First 45 mins
Wycombe…….W: 15…D: 11…L: 9…..Gf: 32…Ga: 21…Pph: 1.60
Second 45 mins
Wycombe…….W: 13…D: 12…L: 10…Gf: 35…Ga: 30…Pph: 1.46
Discipline *
Cambridge……4 Red Cards…45 Yellow Cards
Wycombe…….1 Red Card…..68 Yellow Cards
Marcus Bean………………9 yellow (inc 1 Checkatrade)
Joe Jacobson………………8 yellow
Luke O’Nien……………….6 yellow – 1 red
Paris Cowan-Hall………..5 yellow (inc 1 Checkatrade)
Adam El Abd………………5 yellow
Sam Saunders……………5 yellow
Matt Bloomfield…………4 yellow
Scott Brown……………….4 yellow
Adebayo Akinfenwa……3 yellow
Dominic Gape…………….3 yellow
Craig Mackail-Smith……3 yellow
Dan Scarr…………………..3 yellow (inc 1 Checkatrade)
Anthony Stewart………..3 yellow
Sido Jombati………………2 yellows
Dayle Southwell…………2 yellow
Nathan Tyson…………….2 yellow
Will de Havilland……….1 yellow
From FA website *
Previous Meetings
In 19 previous meetings there have been 13 wins for Wycombe, 5 for Cambridge and 1 draw.
At Adams Park the tally is 9 wins for the Chairboys, 1 for United and 0 draws.
1993/94 FAC Wycombe 1 Cambridge 0
1994/95 Lg1: Wycombe 3 Cambridge 0
1999/00 Lg1: Wycombe 1 Cambridge 0
2000/01 Lg1: Wycombe 0 Cambridge 2
2001/02 Lg1: Wycombe 2 Cambridge 0
2003/04 FLT: Wycombe 1 Cambridge 0
2004/05 Lg2: Wycombe 2 Cambridge 1
2014/15 Lg2: Wycombe 1 Cambridge 0
2015/16 Lg2: Wycombe 1 Cambridge 0
2016/17 Lg2: Wycombe 1 Cambridge 0
Boss v Boss
In their managerial careers, Gareth Ainsworth and Joe Dunne have never clashed before.
Cambridge’s record last season
Home….W:9…..D:5…L:9…..GF:30 – GA:26 – Pts:32
Away…..W:10…D:4…L:9…..GF:28 – GA:24 – Pts:34
Total……W:19…D:9…L:18…GF:58 – GA:50 – Pts:66
Final position: 11th in League Two
Wycombe’s record last season
Home…W:11…D:6….L:6…..GF:29 – GA:21 – Pts:39
Away….W:8…..D:6….L:9…..GF:29 – GA:32 – Pts:30
Total….W:19…D:12…L:15 – GF:58 – GA:53 – Pts:69
Final position: 9th in League Two
The Man In The Middle
Saturday’s referee is Nick Kinseley from Essex who was promoted to the National List of Referees in 2015.
Earlier this season he refereed Wycombe’s 1-0 home win over Chesterfield.
During the current campaign he’s issued 6 red and 95 yellow cards in 24 appearances.
Prediction
Wycombe 2 Cambridge 1
