Wycombe Look Doomed With Only Six To Go

Willi's Wycombe

Wycombe Wanderers' brief stay in League One, following promotion last season, looks to be coming to an end. With only six games of the season remaining, the Blues are nine points away from safety. During a crucial Bank Holiday period, Wanderers lost both of their games and performances have been patchy and not sufficient to merit greater rewards.

In recent weeks, the Blues have been unable to take maximum points from vital encounters. Having found themselves 2-0 up with fifteen minutes to go against Exeter City, they conspired to throw away their advantage and conceded a late equaliser to draw 2-2. Gareth Ainsworth had found a way through the Exeter defence and held firm to poke his finish through visiting 'keeper Paul Jones. Stuart Beavon doubled the lead as his shot deflected off the underside of the unfortunate Jones, to trickle into the net.

The away side had been tidy throughout and retained posession well until their indiscretions that lead to Wycombe scoring. It was only a lack of cutting edge that had stopped them from turning their territorial dominance into something more meaningful. Their fightback began when Liam Sercombe steadied himself on the edge of the Wycombe box and hit the ball superbly into the right-hand corner of Tom Heaton's goal to reduce the deficit. Wycombe's defensive line attempted to play Richard Logan offside however their disjointed effort could not stop the substitute racing through to equalise and send the Devonian side's fans delirious.

This crushing result needed to be rectified the following week at the Weston Homes Community Stadium, the first time Wycombe had visited the new home of old rivals, Colchester United. By all accounts, despite falling a goal behind on the hour mark to Ian Henderson's goal, Wycombe had managed to frustrate the home team. The Blues did manage to salvage something from the game. Deep into stoppage-time, Gareth Ainsworth's dubious contact from a Matt Philips cross incensed the U's and it looked like he handled the ball into the net. Unfortunately, despite this sweet moment of fortune, Wycombe desperately needed to take more from the game.

An Easter holiday double-header saw two defeats which have made the Blues' chances of avoiding the drop extremely slim. Firstly, Wycombe fell to a 2-1 loss to promotion chasing Huddersfield Town. Dean Keates' consolation goal proved not enough to salvage a point. On Easter Monday, Wycombe lost by the same scoreline, this time to mid-table Walsall. The Blues only got going after Adam Hinshelwood had reduced arrears with around twelve minutes left.

Wycombe have still to play fellow strugglers Tranmere Rovers and Leyton Orient however they appear to be heading back to League Two. Wycombe manager Gary Waddock has vowed to not give up hope until relegation is a mathematical certainty although in reality, all he can do now is try to motivate the players to an inspiring finish to the season. The boss will have to decide which squad members are worth keeping hold of and who will be best suited to the challenges ahead next season. On current evidence, a complete re-build may seem like the only viable option.