Wycombe Wanderers entertain Northampton Town on Friday in their 43rd league game of the season.
When the fixtures were published back in June and Wycombe fans cast their eyes over the run-in, many hoped the final two home-games against Northampton and Bristol Rovers would turn out to be promotion battles.
The Cobblers had just lost the play-off final, while both Rovers and the Chairboys had dramatically improved in the second half of the season under new-managers John Ward and Gareth Ainsworth.
All three clubs expected to find themselves in the top half of the table, challenging for a place in this season`s top seven.
Instead they occupy three of the bottom four places with only four games to play.
Relegation has been a noose around the Cobblers’ neck for the majority of the season. They dropped into the bottom two on 21st September and have remained there ever since.
At the time Wycombe were 6th, and it would be another month before the start of the gradual but steady decline that has put them in the predicament they’re in today.
The two sides last met at Sixfields four days before Christmas and following a 4-1 win for the visitors, Northampton were rock-bottom with 18 points and the Chairboys in 13th place with 27 points.
The Cobblers parted company with manager Aidy Boothroyd at the end of that game and appointed former Oxford manager Chris Wilder just over a month later.
Wilder’s reign has consisted of 6 wins, 6 draws and 4 defeats as the Cobblers have clawed their way to within touching distance of survival.
Northampton’s playing staff has also undergone a transformation. From the squad of 18 that faced Wycombe in December, only 4 remained in the squad that beat Burton 1-0 on Saturday – goalkeeper Matt Duke and midfielders Ricky Ravenhill, Chris Hackett and Ian Morris.
Northampton before Wilder
Scored 0.77 goals per game and conceded 1.39 goals per game
Northampton after Wilder
Scored 0.94 goals per game and conceded 1.13 goals per game.
Wycombe all season
Scored 0.98 goals per game and conceded 1.29 goals per game.
Not much has changed at Wycombe since December. Kortney Hause was sold and defenders Aaron Pierre and Daniel Rowe were brought in on loan and have cemented their places in the side.
A worryingly insipid performance at Newport on Saturday saw the Chairboys comfortably beaten, allowing the Cobblers to draw level on points.
Only goal difference keeps Ainsworth’s men out of the relegation zone, and with their Football League status at stake, Friday’s clash has taken on an even greater importance than their promotion-clinching clashes with Notts County and Southend in recent seasons.
It’s the biggest game for years, but don’t be surprised if it’s surpassed by the Rovers game in ten days time.
Here’s what our closest rivals are up to at the weekend…
Friday…
Chesterfield v Exeter
Morecambe v Scunthorpe
Torquay v Dagenham
Saturday…
Burton v Hartlepool
Portsmouth v Bristol Rovers
Here are all the stats…
League positions & comparison with last season
Wycombe (9 points worse off)
After 42 games this season the Chairboys are 22nd with 46 points
After 42 games last season they were 15th with 55 points
Northampton (22 points worse off)
After 42 games this season the Cobblers are 23rd with 46 points
After 42 games last season they were 3rd with 68 points
Wycombe Home Record..W 6 – D 5 – L 10 – Pts 23…Ppg 1.10 (Rank-22)
North’ton Away Record…W 5 – D 6 – L 10 – Pts 21…Ppg 1.00 (Rank-19)
Wycombe’s last five games (All Competitions)
Lg2: Rochdale (H)…………..Lost 0-2
Lg2: Burton (A)………………Lost 0-1
Lg2: Scunthorpe (A)………Drew 0-0
Lg2: Dagenham (H)………..Won 2-0
Lg2: Newport (A)……………Lost 0-2
Northampton’s last five games (All Competitions)
Lg2: Morecambe (A)………Drew 1-1
Lg2: Wimbledon (H)……….Drew 2-2
Lg2: Bury (H)………………..Lost 0-3
Lg2: Accrington (A)………..Won 1-0
Lg2: Burton (H)……………..Won 1-0
Wycombe Goal Stats (49 games in all Competitions)
Goals Scored (Total)……….Lg: 41…Cups: 9…Total: 50
Goals Conceded (Total)……Lg: 50…Cups: 7…Total: 57
Goals Scored (Home)………Lg: 18…Cups: 4…Total: 22
Goals Conceded (Home)…..Lg: 24…Cups: 5…Total: 29
Clean Sheets…………………Lg: 8…..Cups: 2…Total: 10
Failed to Score……………….Lg: 16…Cups: 1…Total: 17
Northampton Goal Stats (46 games in all Competitions)
Goals Scored (Total)……….Lg: 35…Cups: 3…Total: 38
Goals Conceded (Total)……Lg: 54…Cups: 7…Total: 61
Goals Scored (Away)………Lg: 14…Cups: 2…Total: 16
Goals Conceded (Away)…..Lg: 24…Cups: 5…Total: 29
Clean Sheets…………………Lg: 11…Cups: 0…Total: 11
Failed to Score……………….Lg: 17…Cups: 2…Total: 19
Wycombe Goal Scorers – (All Competitions)
Dean Morgan…………Lg: 8 – Cups: 0 – Total: 8
Matt McClure………….Lg: 5 – Cups: 2 – Total: 7
Max Kretzschmar…….Lg: 6 – Cups: 0 – Total: 6
Paris Cowan-Hall…….Lg: 4 – Cups: 1 – Total: 5
Steven Craig………….Lg: 3 – Cups: 1 – Total: 4
Jo Kuffour……………..Lg: 3 – Cups: 1 – Total: 4
Anthony Stewart……..Lg: 3 – Cups: 1 – Total: 4
Stuart Lewis…………..Lg: 3 – Cups: 0 – Total: 3
Billy Knott……………..Lg: 1 – Cups: 1 – Total: 2
Matt Bloomfield………Lg: 0 – Cups: 1 – Total: 1
Gary Doherty…………Lg: 0 – Cups: 1 – Total: 1
Kortney Hause……….Lg: 1 – Cups: 0 – Total: 1
Leon Johnson…………Lg: 1 – Cups: 0 – Total: 1
Josh Scowen………….Lg: 1 – Cups: 0 – Total: 1
Sam Wood…………….Lg: 1 – Cups: 0 – Total: 1
Own Goal………………Lg: 1 – Cups: 0 – Total: 1
Northampton’s top Goal Scorers – (All Competitions)
Darren Carter…………5
Luke Norris…………….5
Jacob Blyth…………….3
Stuart Dallas…………..3
Mathias K-Dounbe……2
Chris Hackett………….2
Ian Morris………………2
Roy O’Donovan……….2
Emile Sinclair………….2
Own Goals……………..2
10 other players have each scored 1 goal.
Wycombe Shooting (Top-3) – (All Competitions)
Dean Morgan……..16 on-target…27 off-target…2 against woodwork
Matt McClure………16 on-target…24 off-target…1 against woodwork
Max Kretzschmar…16 on-target…19 off-target…0 against woodwork
Northampton Shooting (Top-3) – (All Competitions)
Darren Carteri……15 on-target…24 off-target…1 against woodwork
Chris Hackett……….9 on-target…28 off-target…1 against woodwork
Luke Norris………..17 on-target…14 off-target…1 against woodwork
Shooting (Club) – (League only)
Wycombe…146 on target…187 off target…..6 against w’work (Rank-24)
North’ton….113 on target…237 off target…12 against w’work (Rank-20)
Discipline – (All Competitions)
Wycombe………9 Red Cards – 86 Yellow Cards (1 red card rescinded)
Northampton…..5 Red Cards – 75 Yellow Cards
League Form Guide
All Season
Wycombe…Pld: 42…W: 11…D: 13…L: 18…Pts: 46…Pts per game: 1.10
North’ton….Pld: 42…W: 11…D: 13…L: 18…Pts: 46…Pts per game: 1.10
First-third of the season (games 1-15)
Wycombe…..Pld: 15…W: 6…D: 3…L: 6…Pts: 21…Ppg: 1.40 (Rank-12)
North’ton……Pld: 15…W: 2…D: 4…L: 9…Pts: 10…Ppg: 0.67 (Rank-24)
Second-third of the season (games 16-30)
Wycombe…..Pld: 15…W: 1…D: 7…L: 7…Pts: 10…Ppg: 0.67 (Rank-24)
North’ton……Pld: 15…W: 4…D: 4…L: 7…Pts: 16…Ppg: 1.07 (Rank-18)
Final-third of the season (game 31 onwards)
Wycombe…..Pld: 12…W: 4…D: 3…L: 5…Pts: 15…Ppg: 1.25 (Rank-15)
North’ton……Pld: 12…W: 5…D: 5…L: 2…Pts: 20…Ppg: 1.67 (Rank-5)
Last Five league Games
Wycombe……….LLDWL – 4 points (Rank-21)
Northampton….DDLWW – 8 points (Rank-11)
Last Five League Games (Home)
Wycombe………WWLLW – 9 points (Rank-8)
Last Five League Games (Away)
Northampton….LDWDW – 8 points (Rank-6)
Against Top Half Opposition
Wycombe…..Pld: 23…Pts: 19…Pts per game: 0.83…(Rank-21)
North’ton……Pld: 22…Pts: 15…Pts per game: 0.68…(Rank-24)
Against Bottom Half Opposition
Wycombe…..Pld: 19…Pts: 27…Pts per game: 1.42…(Rank-17)
North’ton……Pld: 20…Pts: 31…Pts per game: 1.55…(Rank-11)
First Half v Second Half – Performance Comparison
Before half-time
Wycombe…..W: 12…D: 20…L: 10…Gf:16…Ga:16…Ppg: 1.33 (Rank-15)
North’ton……W: 10…D: 19…L: 13…Gf:21…Ga:28…Ppg: 1.17 (Rank-19)
After half-time
Wycombe……W: 8…D: 17…L: 17…Gf:25…Ga:34…Ppg: 0.98 (Rank-23)
North’ton…….W: 9…D: 17…L: 16…Gf:14…Ga:26…Ppg: 1.05 (Rank-21)
Previous Meetings
In 24 previous meetings there have been 7 wins for Northampton, 5 for Wycombe and 12 draws.
At Adams Park the tally is 3 wins for the Chairboys, 3 for ther Cobblers and 6 draws.
1993/94 LG2: Wycombe 1 Northampton 0
1997/98 LG1: Wycombe 0 Northampton 0
1998/99 LG1: Wycombe 1 Northampton 2
2000/01 LG1: Wycombe 1 Northampton 0
2001/02 LG1: Wycombe 2 Northampton 1
2002/03 LG1: Wycombe 1 Northampton 1
2004/05 LG2: Wycombe 0 Northampton 1
2005/06 LG2: Wycombe 1 Northampton 1
2005/06 FAC: Wycombe 1 Northampton 3
2009/10 JPT: Wycombe 2 Northampton 2
2010/11 LG2: Wycombe 2 Northampton 2
2012/13 LG2: Wycombe 0 Northampton 0
The Man In The Middle
Friday’s referee is 50 year-old veteran Andy D`Urso from Essex who first took charge of a Football League match in 1994.
Last season, Mr D’Urso sent Joel Grant off after 42 minutes of a 2-2 draw at home to Morecambe. The Shrimps equalised in the 90th minute, but Bruno Andrade appeared to have won it for the Chairboys in stoppage time only for the goal to be inexplicably disallowed. The Wycombe fans were incensed and booed the official from the pitch.
Earlier this season, Mr D’urso dismissed Charles Dunne after 49 minutes of a 2-2 draw at Oxford. The U`s scored their equaliser in the 97th minute despite a clear foul in the build-up. The Wycombe fans were incensed and booed the official from the pitch.
During the current campaign Mr D`Urso has issued 9 red and 96 yellow cards in 32 games.
Prediction
Wycombe 0 Northampton 0
