Wycombe Wanderers 1-1 Ipswich Town - Half-Time
Tuesday, 2nd Nov 2021 20:49

Bersant Celina’s second goal of the season sees the Blues and Wycombe level at 1-1 at half-time at Adams Park.

Celina, Wes Burns and Kane Vincent-Young all came into the starting line-up with the Kosovo international starting as the number 10 with Conor Chaplin, who has had a back problem recently, dropping to the bench.

Vincent-Young was at right-back having been injured at the weekend with Janoi Donacien still absent having been taken unwell on Saturday morning, as was Wes Burns, who was back on the right wing.

Hayden Coulson moved to left-back with Matt Penney and Luke Woolfenden dropping out of the 18. Sone Aluko and Scott Fraser were back in the squad after injuries and were on the bench.

For Wycombe, former Town loan keeper David Stockdale started and another ex-Blues glovesman Adam Przybek was on the bench.

The fourth official was Alan Young, who was the referee who wrongly disallowed a Town goal against the Chairboys at Portman Road in November 2019 and who took Leyton Orient and Hartlepool off before injury time had been played at the end of the first half at the weekend, instead playing it at the start of the second.

After a minute’s silence ahead of Remembrance Sunday, the two teams took a knee, with the usual exception of Toto Nsiala, who stood and raised an arm.

Town, wearing their white and black away kit, were first to threaten in the fourth minute, Lee Evans hitting a shot from outside the area wide from the edge of the box.

Wycombe went close in the seventh minute when David Wheeler knocked down a Joe Jacobson cross to Brandon Hanlan, whose shot squirmed wide off a defender. Christian Walton confidently claimed the resultant corner in front of the very noisy Town support.

Coulson required treatment after a fair but strong challenge as the game approached the quarter-hour mark.

After the game restarted, with Coulson clearly hobbling, Wycombe took a 17th-minute lead.

Walton looked to be prevented from coming for a corner from the left, Ryan Tafazolli headed down and Wheeler shot home from close range.

Walton protested to referee Lee Swabey that he had been fouled but to no avail and Town found themselves behind.

The Chairboys threatened again two minutes later but Dominic Gape’s shot was blocked by a defender.

Coulson eventually made way in the 22nd minute with Cameron Burgess taking over at left-back.

Town had shown little since Evans’s early shot but in the 28th minute they levelled out of nothing.

Skipper Sam Morsy was allowed to bring the ball forward midway inside the home side’s half before laying the ball off to Celina, who took a touch before hitting a shot which took a deflection before keeper Stockdale was only able to palm it into his net. The one-time Blues loanee’s subsequent reaction showed he felt he should have done better.

The atmosphere of the game completely changed after the goal with the Town fans now the ones making the noise, the home supporters having made themselves heard having gone ahead.

On the pitch, the Blues looked a far more confident and positive outfit. On 28 Celina went looking for his second but on this occasion Stockdale saved.

Town continued to dominate, playing keep-ball with Wycombe losing it quickly whenever they got hold of it. On 43 Vincent-Young cut in from the left and saw a shot blocked before Burns’s subsequent effort was deflected behind.

In the first of four additional minutes, Macauley Bonne almost hassled Anthony Stewart into an error but the Chairboys’ centre-half eventually put his foot through it and cleared the danger.

The Blues were warmly applauded off at half-time having been much the better side after they’d scored, while the home side had been very much in charge prior to Celina’s strike.

Town will hope to start the second period as they finished the first and that they find a second goal while continuing to keep the Chairboys quiet.

Wycombe: Stockdale, Jacobson (c), Gape, Stewart, Tafazolli, Wheeler, Vokes, Hanlan, Obita, McCarthy, Scowen. Subs: Przybek, Grimmer, Thompson, Kaikai, Horgan, Mehmeti, Akinfenwa.

Town: Walton, Vincent-Young, Nsiala, Edmundson, Coulson (Burgess 22), Morsy (c), Evans, Burns, Celina, Edwards, Bonne. Subs: Hladky, Burgess, Harper, Aluko, Chaplin, Fraser, Pigott. Referee: Lee Swabey (Devon).

Photo: Matchday Images

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