The Wanderer - issue 119 - http://www.wwisc.co.uk/

CENTRAL MIDFIELD: Marcus Browne – Oxford United. As the final approached the last
ten minutes of normal time, and with Wycombe holding on for dear life, a long ball
forward by Cameron Brannagan landed at the feet of Jack Grimmer, who, with Browne
bearing down on him, took a poor first touch, the ball almost bouncing out for a throw.
Grimmer raced to keep it in play, scuffing a dangerously under-hit backpass towards
Ryan Allsop. Browne was clean through – or at least he would have been, but he’d
turned his back on the ball, appealing to the referee for the non-existent throw-in.
Allsop rushed forward and launched the ball upfield, Elliott Moore ducked the header
(which would have earned him a place in this team, but we set ourselves a maximum of
three players per club) and Fred Onyedinma raced onto the loose ball, subsequently
winning the penalty that ultimately secured our place in the Championship.
LEFT CENTRAL MIDFIELD: Conor McGrandles – Milton Keynes. Wycombe were heading
into the break with a 2-1 lead when, in the fourth minute of first half stoppage time,
long-serving Franchise perma-villain Dean Lewington theatrically tumbled over Giles
Phillips’ outstretched leg. The referee was suitably impressed by Lewington’s Fosbury
Flop to award a penalty and up stepped McGrandles, keen to make amends, having fired
a penalty over the bar in MK’s League Cup game against Wimbledon four days earlier…
…He fired the penalty over the bar. Wycombe kept their lead and though MK equalised
in the second half, recovered Franchiser David Wheeler scored a dramatic last minute
winner to provide further proof, were it ever needed, that the county is, indeed, ours.
RIGHT STRIKER: KAYDEN JACKSON – Ipswich Town. In a tense, top of the table clash at
Portman Road, a largely dominant Ipswich side were all over the visitors for long periods
of the game, particularly in the first half, as Wycombe struggled to get it out of their own
area in the face of unrelenting Ipswich pressure. Just before the break, the Tractor Boys’
attacking supremacy paid off; Luke Garbutt’s cross finding an unmarked Luke Chambers,
who headed it down into the bottom corner. The ref gave the goal, 1-0 went up on the
scoreboard and the hosts went mental. Then the linesman belatedly intervened, having
spotted the slightest of touches from a marginally offside Jackson, just before the ball
crossed the line. After consulting with the linesman, the ref reversed his decision, the
scoreboard went back to 0-0 and the hosts went mental. The aggrieved Tractor Boys
couldn’t muster the same intensity in the second half and Wycombe held on for a draw.
LEFT STRIKER: Ellis Harrison – Portsmouth. Wycombe’s early season promotion charge
faced a stern test when perennial League One title favourites Portsmouth visited Adams
Park. In a closely fought, bad tempered game, the Chairboys’ task suddenly became
infinitely harder when Nnamdi Ofoborh was sent off for a rash challenge on Tom Naylor,
the foul sparking a mini brawl, with an incensed Harrison at the centre of it. However,
Pompey’s man advantage soon disappeared, as Harrison, who had already been booked,
needlessly picked up a second yellow for his part in the shoving match, levelling the
numbers once more and swinging the momentum in Wycombe’s direction. Wanderers
continued to frustrate Portsmouth and late in the game, Naylor handled in the box and
Akinfenwa casually rolled home the subsequent penalty to grab a 1-0 win for the Blues.
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