Wycombe Wanderers travel to York City on Saturday for their 36th league game of the season.
The Chairboys` six-game unbeaten run came to an end on Tuesday when they lost 1-0 to Plymouth in a dismal encounter at Adams Park.
An impressive turnout of 612 Argyle fans had Conor Hourihane’s fine winner and two fierce shots from Reuben Reid to rellieve their boredom, but all the Blues could muster was a first-half header from Matt McClure.
With second-bottom Northampton winning at Exeter, the Chairboys are now only four points clear of the relegation zone with eleven games to play.
Of the eleven games, only four are at Adams Park, which is probably a good thing when you recall some of the performances that have given Wycombe the third-worst home-record in the division with only 20 points from 19 games.
Things have been much better on the road where the Chairboys boast the 9th best ratio of points-per-game.
Five of the next six games are against teams currently in the top half of the table, but again that’s no bad thing.
Amazingly, Gareth Ainsworth’s side have the 5th best record in the division against top-half teams, a feat that’s sadly counterbalanced by the worst record in the division against teams from the lower reaches.
Not sure what to make of visiting Ebor on the Ides of March, but next up are play-off chasing York who have won five and drawn two of their last seven games to make them the division’s numero-uno, in-form team.
Daunting maybe, but there’s a chink of light when you realise that four of those wins were away from home, and that the Minstermen have only won one of their last five games at Bootham Crescent.
It’s a glimmer of hope that will come to nothing if injuries and suspensions force Ainsworth to select the same midfield that flopped so badly on Tuesday.
A rare, and probably fleeting appearance from Jesse Kewley-Graham on the right, a below par performance from Max Kretzschmar on the left, and the bewildering decision to replace Josh Scowen with Nick Arnold, gave Matt Bloomflield no chance of rescuing a midfield that gifted the initiative to the Pilgrims.
Scowen will serve the second of his two-match ban, but there’s a chance that Stuart Lewis will be available again, assuming he hasn’t vanished into the same booker-triangle that made Matt Spring and Jon-Paul Pittman totally disappear.
With Matt McClure picking up an injury against Plymouth, Dean Morgan is likely to have a new partner in either Steven Craig or Jo Kuffour who haven’t found the net in 2014, or Reece Styche or Anthony Jeffrey who are yet to score for the club.
At least they’re all due a goal.
Paris Cowan-Hall, Gary Doherty, Charles Dunne and Tommy Fletcher remain on the sidelines.
Here are all the stats…
League positions & comparison with last season
Wycombe (7 points worse off)
After 35 games this season the Chairboys are 20th with 41 points
After 35 games last season they were 13th with 48 points
York City (9 points better off)
After 36 games this season the Minstermen are 9th with 49 points
After 36 games last season they were 18th with 40 points
Wycombe Away Record…W 5 – D 6 – L 5 – Pts 21…Ppg 1.31 (Rank-9)
York City Home Record…W 6 – D 7 – L 4 – Pts 25…Ppg 1.47 (Rank-13)
Wycombe’s last five games (All Competitions)
Lg2: Chesterfield (H)……..Won 1-0
Lg2: Exeter (A)…………….Won 1-0
Lg2: Southend (A)………..Drew 1-1
Lg2: Hartlepool (H)………..Won 2-1
Lg2: Plymouth (H)………….Lost 0-1
York City’s last five games (All Competitions)
Lg2: Plymouth (A)…………Won 4-0
Lg2: Southend (H)………..Drew 0-0
Lg2: Exeter (H)…………….Won 2-1
Lg2: Wimbledon (A)………Won 1-0
Lg2: Mansfield (A)…………Won 1-0
Wycombe Goal Stats (42 games in all Competitions)
Goals Scored (Total)……….Lg: 38…Cups: 9…Total: 47
Goals Conceded (Total)……Lg: 42…Cups: 7…Total: 49
Goals Scored (Away)………Lg: 22…Cups: 5…Total: 27
Goals Conceded (Away)…..Lg: 20…Cups: 2…Total: 22
Clean Sheets…………………Lg: 6…..Cups: 2…Total: 8
Failed to Score……………….Lg: 11…Cups: 1…Total: 12
York City Goal Stats (40 games in all Competitions)
Goals Scored (Total)……….Lg: 42…Cups: 5?..Total: 47
Goals Conceded (Total)……Lg: 38…Cups: 13…Total: 51
Goals Scored (Home)………Lg: 17…Cups: 2…..Total: 19
Goals Conceded (Home)…..Lg: 14…Cups: 10…Total: 24
Clean Sheets…………………Lg: 14…Cups: 0…..Total: 14
Failed to Score……………….Lg: 13…Cups: 2…..Total: 15
Wycombe Goal Scorers – (All Competitions)
Matt McClure………….Lg: 5 – Cups: 2 – Total: 7
Dean Morgan…………Lg: 7 – Cups: 0 – Total: 7
Paris Cowan-Hall…….Lg: 4 – Cups: 1 – Total: 5
Max Kretzschmar…….Lg: 5 – Cups: 0 – Total: 5
Jo Kuffour……………..Lg: 3 – Cups: 1 – Total: 4
Anthony Stewart……..Lg: 3 – Cups: 1 – Total: 4
Steven Craig………….Lg: 2 – Cups: 1 – Total: 3
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
York City’s top Goal Scorers – (All Competitions)
Wes Fletcher………….13
Ryan Jarvis…………….9
Ryan Bowman…………7
Josh Carson……………4
Ryan Brobbel………….3
Michael Coulson………3
John McCombe………..3
Own Goals……………..2
Three other players have each scored 1 goal
Wycombe Shooting (Top-3) – (All Competitions)
Dean Morgan……..14 on-target…24 off-target…2 against woodwork
Matt McClure………15 on-target…21 off-target…0 against woodwork
Stuart Lewis……….11 on-target…17 off-target…0 against woodwork
York City Shooting (Top-3) – (All Competitions)
Josh Carson………..22 on-target…25 off-target…0 against woodwork
Wes Fletcher??……25 on-target…20 off-target…0 against woodwork
Michael Coulson……20 on-target…25 off-target…0 against woodwork
Shooting (Club) – (League only)
Wycombe…..126 on target…160 off target…4 against w’work (Rank-22)
York City……149 on target…206 off target…4 against w’work (Rank-8)
Discipline – (All Competitions)
Wycombe…….8 Red Cards – 79 Yellow Cards (1 red card rescinded)
York City……..3 Red Cards – 64 Yellow Cards
League Form Guide
All Season
Wycombe…Pld: 35…W: 10…D: 11…L: 14…Pts: 41…Pts per game: 1.17
York City….Pld: 36…W: 12…D: 13…L: 11…Pts: 49…Pts per game: 1.36
First-third of the season (games 1-15)
Wycombe….Pld: 15…W: 6…D: 3…L: 6…Pts: 21…Ppg: 1.40 (Rank-12)
York City…..Pld: 15…W: 4…D: 4…L: 7…Pts: 16…Ppg: 1.07 (Rank-19)
Second-third of the season (games 16-30)
Wycombe….Pld: 15…W: 1…D: 7…L: 7…Pts: 10…Ppg: 0.67 (Rank-24)
York City…..Pld: 15…W: 4…D: 7…L: 4…Pts: 19…Ppg: 1.27 (Rank-13)
Final-third of the season (game 31 onwards)
Wycombe…..Pld: 5…W: 3…D: 1…L: 1…Pts: 10…Ppg: 2.00 (Rank-4)
York City……Pld: 6…W: 4…D: 2…L: 0…Pts: 14…Ppg: 2.33 (Rank-1)
Last Five league Games
Wycombe……WWDWL – 10 points (Rank-4)
York City……WDWWW – 13 points (Rank-1)
Last Five League Games (Away)
Wycombe……..DDLWD – 6 points (Rank-9)
Last Five League Games (Home)
York City………DLDDW – 6 points (Rank-18)
Against Top Half Opposition
Wycombe…..Pld: 18…Pts: 24…Pts per game: 1.33…(Rank-5)
York City……Pld: 18…Pts: 23…Pts per game: 1.28…(Rank-7)
Against Bottom Half Opposition
Wycombe…..Pld: 17…Pts: 17…Pts per game: 1.00…(Rank-24)
York City……Pld: 18…Pts: 26…Pts per game: 1.44…(Rank-11)
First Half v Second Half – Performance Comparison
Before half-time
Wycombe….W: 12…D: 14…L: 9…Gf:16…Ga:14…Ppg: 1.43 (Rank-7)
York City…..W: 9….D: 18…L: 9…Gf:19…Ga:18…Ppg: 1.25 (Rank-14)
After half-time
Wycombe….W: 7…D: 14…L: 14…Gf:22…Ga:28…Ppg: 1.00 (Rank-23)
York City…..W: 8…D: 19…L: 9…..Gf:23…Ga:20…Ppg: 1.19 (Rank-16)
Previous Meetings
In 14 previous meetings there have been 6 wins for York, 5 for Wycombe and 3 draws.
At Bootham Crescent the tally is 5 wins for the Minstermen. 1 for the Chairboys and 1 draw.
1985/86: Fac York 2 Wycombe 0
1994/95: Lg1 York 0 Wycombe 0
1995/96: Lg1 York 2 Wycombe 1
1996/97: Lg1 York 2 Wycombe 0
1997/98: Lg1 York 2 Wycombe 0
1998/99: Lg1 York 3 Wycombe 0
2012/13: Lg1 York 1 Wycombe 3
The Man In The Middle
Saturday’s referee is Steven Rushton from Staffordshire who was promoted to the National list of Referees in 2009. He`s taken charge of five Wycombe games, a 1-1 draw at Exeter in October 2009, a 4-1 defeat at Chesterfield in March 2011, a 1-1 home-draw with Scunthorpe in August, 2011, a 2-2 home-draw with Oldham in April 2012, and finally, a 4-0 defeat at Cheltenham on Boxing Day 2012. During the current campaign he’s issued 3 red and 35 yellow cards in 18 games.
Prediction
York City 1 Wycombe Wanderers 0
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