Wycombe Wanderers entertain Coventry City on Tuesday in their 35th league game of the season.
The Chairboys lost 4-2 at home to relegation-threatened Morecambe on Saturday.
It was a defensive horror show that saw the Shrimps take a 4-0 lead after only 52 minutes.
Gareth Ainsworth’s side had previously been in sensational form with seven wins and a draw in their eight league games in 2018.
But when you concede four at home to a side in 22nd place you invite some scrutiny of your defensive record.
Wanderers have now conceded a whopping 50 league goals, 28 of which they’ve shipped at Adams Park.
To put that in context…
Since joining the Football League Wycombe have never conceded that many goals after 34 games in League Two.
In League One, they’ve conceded more than 50 goals at this stage just three times, the relegation seasons of 2003/04, 2009/10 and 2011/12.
Only one team in the division (Swindon) has conceded more league goals at home this season.
Tuesday’s opponents Coventry have conceded only 28 league goals in total, the same number as Wycombe have conceded at Adams Park.
But never fear, thanks to a swashbuckling brand of attacking football, Wanderers score goals for fun these days, and remain in the automatic promotion places with 62 points, 15 points more than they had at the same stage last season.
They also have three good reasons to bounce back on Tuesday: (1) Saturday’s horror show. (2) Chance to pull clear of 4th place. (3) The defeat at Coventry just before Christmas, a performance which left 700 travelling fans feeling a lot less festive than when they arrived.
Ainsworth fielded an unchanged starting line-up against the Shrimps and was still able to name only six substitutes.
The Blues’ boss has no newly reported injury concerns and remains tight lipped about the status of the following injured players…
Scott Kashket (thigh), Sam Saunders (knee), Randell Williams (unspecified), Anthony Stewart (calf), Sido Jombati (knee) and Michael Harriman (broken leg).
Coventry City claimed a share of the spoils after coming from behind to draw 1-1 at Mansfield Town on Saturday.
The Sky Blues played with ten men for most of the game after defender Jordan Willis was sent off in the 14th minute.
Mark Robins’ side are without a win in their last four league matches and are six points adrift of the play-off places with 51 points.
They have the best defence in division having conceded only 28 goals this season.
Robins made two changes to his starting line-up against the Stags. Michael Doyle returned to the side after recovering from a knee injury, and Rod McDonald was also handed a recall.
Dominic Hyam dropped to the bench and Loanee Josh Barrett was left out of the squad altogether.
Jack Grimmer kept his place in the side after recovering from a recent a hamstring strain, while loanee Jonson Clarke-Harris also continued in attack following a couple of impressive performances.
Robins has no newly reported injury concerns ahead of the midweek trip to Adams Park.
Willis serves a one-match ban following his dismissal at the weekend.
Tom Davies (fractured collarbone) won’t be fit until after Easter.
Jodi Jones and Tony Andreu (anterior cruciate knee ligament injuries) won’t play again until next season.
Here are some stats…
Coventry Away Record………W 5…..D 4 – L 8 – Pts 19 – Ppg 1.12 (Rank-13)
Wycombe Home Record……W 10 – D 3 – L 4 – Pts 33 – Ppg 1.94 (Rank-8)
League positions & comparison with last season
Coventry (26 points better off – 1 division lower)
After 33 games this season the Sky Blues are 9th in Lg2 with 51 points
After 33 games last season they were 24th in Lg1 with 25 points
Wycombe (15 points better off)
After 34 games this season the Chairboys are 3rd with 62 points
After 34 games last season they were 11th with 47 points
Coventry’s last five games (All Competitions)
Lg2: Forest Green (A)………..Lost 1-2
Lg2: Accrington (H)……………Lost 0-2
Lg2: Colchester (A)……………Lost 1-2
FAC Brighton (A)……………….Lost 1-3
Lg2: Mansfield (A)……………Drew 1-1
Wycombe’s last five games (All Competitions)
Lg2: Carlisle (H)………………..Won 4-3
Lg2: Exeter (A)…………………Drew 1-1
Lg2: Swindon (H)………………Won 3-2
Lg2: Cheltenham (A)…………Won 2-0
Lg2: Morecambe (H)………….Lost 2-4
Coventry Goal Scorers – (All Competitions)
McNulty………………………..16 (inc 5 pens)
Nazon……………………………8
Jones……………………………..5
Biamou………………………….3
Doyle…………………………….3
Ponticelli……………………….3
Shipley………………………….3
Bayliss…………………………..2
Clarke-Harris…………………2 (inc 1 pen)
Grimmer……………………….2
Andreu………………………….1
Kelly-Evans……………………1
Stevenson……………………..1
Vincenti…………………………1
Willis……………………………..1
Own Goals…………………….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
Coventry Goal Stats (42 games in all Competitions)
Goals Scored (Total)………..Lg: 37…Cups: 16…Total: 53
Goals Conceded (Total)……Lg: 28…Cups: 13…Total: 41
Goals Scored (Away)………..Lg: 15…Cups: 4…..Total: 19
Goals Conceded (Away)……Lg: 17…Cups: 5…..Total: 22
Clean Sheets……………………Lg: 12…Cups: 3…..Total: 15
Failed to Score…………………Lg: 12…Cups: 0…..Total: 12
Wycombe Goal Stats (41 games in all Competitions)
Goals Scored (Total)………..Lg: 67…Cups: 9…..Total: 76
Goals Conceded (Total)……Lg: 50…Cups: 14…Total: 64
Goals Scored (Home)………Lg: 39…Cups: 7…..Total: 46
Goals Conceded (Home)….Lg: 28…Cups: 13…Total: 41
Clean Sheets……………………Lg: 8…..Cups: 2…..Total: 10
Failed to Score…………………Lg: 6…..Cups: 2…..Total: 8
Wycombe – miscellaneous stats
Shots on-target (for)………….Lg: 195…Cups: 40…Total: 235
Shots on-target (against)……Lg: 137…Cups: 34…Total: 171
Shots off-target (for)………….Lg: 275…Cups: 53…Total: 328
Shots off-target (against)……Lg: 201…Cups: 40…Total: 241
Corners (for)………………………Lg: 191…Cups: 45…Total: 236
Corners (against)………………..Lg: 159…Cups: 34…Total: 193
Ave possession (for)……………Lg: 51.38%…..Cups: 50.14%
Ave possession (against)……..Lg: 48.62%…..Cups: 49.86%
Shooting comparison (league only)
Wycombe……..shots on target – 195 (per game: 5.74) – (Rank-1)
Coventry……….shots on target – 155 (per game: 4.70) – (Rank-5)
League Form Guide
All Season
Coventry………Pld: 33…W: 15…D: 6…L: 12…Pts: 51…Pts per game: 1.55
Wycombe……..Pld: 34…W: 18…D: 8…L: 8…..Pts: 62…Pts per game: 1.82
Last Five league Games
Coventry………….WLLLD – 4 points (Rank-20)
Wycombe…….WDWWL – 10 points (Rank-5)
Last Five League Games (Away)
Coventry………….WLLLD – 4 points (Rank-12)
Last Five League Games (Home)
Wycombe……….LWWWL – 9 points (Rank-14)
First 45 mins v Second 45 mins – Performance Comparison
First 45 mins
Wycombe…….W: 15…D: 10…L: 9…Gf: 32…Ga: 21…Pph: 1.62
Second 45 mins
Wycombe…….W: 13…D: 12…L: 9…Gf: 35…Ga: 29…Pph: 1.50
Discipline *
Coventry……..2 Red Cards…67 Yellow Cards
Wycombe…….1 Red Card…..66 Yellow Cards
Marcus Bean………………9 yellow (inc 1 Checkatrade)
Joe Jacobson………………8 yellow
Luke O’Nien……………….6 yellow – 1 red
Adam El Abd………………5 yellow
Sam Saunders……………5 yellow
Scott Brown……………….4 yellow
Paris Cowan-Hall………..4 yellow (inc 1 Checkatrade)
Adebayo Akinfenwa……3 yellow
Matt Bloomfield…………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 6 previous meetings there have been 5 wins for Coventry, 1 for Wycombe and 0 draws.
At Adams Park the tally is 2 wins for the Sky Blues, 1 for the Chairboys and 0 draws.
1993/94 LgC: Coventry 3 Wycombe 0
1995/96 LgC: Wycombe 4 Coventry 2
2014/15 FLT: Wycombe 0 Coventry 1
2016/17 FLT: Wycombe 2 Coventry 4
2016/17 FLT: Coventry 2 Wycombe 1
2017/18 Lg2: Coventry 3 Wycombe 2
Boss v Boss
In their managerial careers, Gareth Ainsworth and Mark Robins have clashed only once.
The current tally is 1 win for Robins.
Coventry’s record last season
Home….W:8…D:7…..L:8…..GF:22 – GA:24 – Pts:31
Away…..W:1…D:5…..L:17…GF:15 – GA:44 – Pts:8
Total……W:9…D:12…L:25…GF:37 – GA:68 – Pts:39
Final position: 23rd in League One
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
Tuesday’s referee is Brendan Malone from Wiltshire who was promoted to the National List of Referees in 2010.
Last season he refereed Wycombe’s 1-1 draw at home to Accrington Stanley.
Having been out injured, this will be Mr Malone’s first game of the current season.
During the last campaign he issued 3 red and 104 yellow cards in 27 appearances.
Prediction
Wycombe 2 Coventry 2
