On Saturday afternoon, a very strong Wycombe Wanderers team narrowly defeated City. According to Kyle Fox, Wycombe was able to maintain their impressive winning streak by winning nine straight games across all competitions.
Unfortunately, another game was lost on Saturday. We could have gotten more out of this game as well, but we were unable to do so. As of right now, we have played Birmingham and Wycombe, the top two teams entering this weekend, and we have given up six goals at home in both of those contests. As we demonstrated in both of those games, giving up three goals in each of them creates a huge obstacle to overcome in order to win the game.
City had a very promising first fifteen minutes, and after McGrandles took advantage of a mistake made by the opposition at the back, Moylan had a half-time chance that he had to grasp. At the fourteen-minute mark, it also led to a goal. Ben House was waiting for us after we worked the ball out to the right wing through Erhahon. He delivered a low cross into the box, which Darikwa cleverly turned in. With Ethan Erhahon at the center of the build-up, it was a well-executed goal.
After his outstanding 45, I wasn’t surprised to see him return to the starting lineup as soon as he was ready minute cameo against Exeter last weekend. He was key to everything good in our play on Saturday, as he always is.
After our strong start, their first goal was a sucker blow, although it was a beautiful little dinked ball to the back post from the incredibly gifted midfielder Humphreys, who is on loan from Ipswich and always poses a serious threat. Uncharacteristically, the always dependable Darikwa misunderstood the cross, letting it fall directly into Kone’s path. Kone finished well past Wickens. He continued to score goals in the league with great efficiency. However, Darikwa would score both of our goals, more than making up for his mistake.
Then, just before halftime, Wycombe scored his second goal. In my opinion, this is never a good moment to give up a goal. The goal was incredibly well-planned, and the build-up was worthy of the final result. Onyedinma had a tap-in at the end of the move, and they played it flawlessly through the thirds. Even if you unconsciously give up a goal just before halftime, it’s still a setback. Being behind at halftime must have been a blow for the boys, especially in this situation given how we had begun the game.
However, we came out pretty strong again at the start of the second half within ten minutes of the restart we came very close with a wonderful effort from Dylan Duffy which he conjured up completely on his own and he was unbelievably unlucky not to score. Ben House also had a chance less than two minutes after Duffy’s effort. A chance I’m sure many would argue he should have done better with, I would tend to agree.
After almost putting us level at one end, Duffy then gave a penalty away within ten minutes of his attempt with a trip on Onyedinma in the box, which was bearing down on our goal. A clear penalty, no complaints. It gave a great opportunity for George Wickens, who pulled off a clever safe with his outstretched foot from the penalty after Leahy tried to place his effort in the centre of the goal.
Then came the killer blow on 72 minutes as Wycombe centre half Low popped up at the back post to nod in a cross a few yards out after they recycled a corner. That killed our chance of getting back in the game at that point.
However, we made an effort to regain it, as we always do in that situation. We got close to Darikwa, who got on a home cross the back post and then forced a safe out of their keeper at his nearby house. When we commit to winning the game, we always run the risk of leaving ourselves more vulnerable. Based on that, Wycombe ought to have had a fourth on the counterattack. McCleary blasted it over the bar and squandered a fantastic opportunity from eight yards out.
We eventually scored our second goal, and it was a screamer, but there was still more twist to come. It may be our season-long objective to get off the back.
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