FA Cup Preview: Wycombe v Chelmsford City

Wycombe Wanderers entertain Chelmsford City on Saturday in the second round of the FA Cup.


Wycombe are 7th in League Two with 28 points from 18 games.

Chelmsford are 4th in the Blue Square Conference South with 27 points from 14 games.


Wycombe's Home Record (All competitions)....Won 3 - Drawn 3 - Lost 5

Chelmsford's Away Record (All competitions)..Won 4 - Drawn 3 - Lost 4


The Clarets have already sold over 1,300 tickets for a cup clash that will earn the winner a place in Sunday's third round draw alongside the glamour boys of English football.

Isthmian League Champions in 2007/08, Chelmsford were 5th in the Conference South in 2008/09 before making further progress with a 3rd place finish last season.

It's over twenty years since they last reached this stage of the FA Cup and having eyed Wycombe's less than impressive home-record, they will no doubt fancy their chances of causing an upset.

Having scored 48 goals in 22 games so far this season, the Clarets will be confident of testing a Wycombe defence that has conceded 21 goals in 11 games at Adams Park.

"Whatever will be will be," their manager Glenn Pennyfather told Total Essex. "I don't think our players will freeze on the day, they should relish the challenge of playing in front of 5,000 people and we will have a massive support behind us. I want to thank our supporters in advance for turning up."

"All the pressure is on the opposition, they are expected to win and win comfortably. For them, they would have been delighted with the draw, but football is all about belief and that's what we go there with."

"A lot of our players started off at league clubs so they know what it's all about. I have had Wycombe watched and I've got an idea of how we are going to play."

FA Cup giant-killing is something Wycombe know all about. Ten years ago, the Blues travelled to Millwall at this stage of the competition, little suspecting that four wins, four draws and a penalty shoot-out later, they would be emerging from the tunnel alongside Liverpool in the semi-final at Villa Park.

For now, a place in the third round would do nicely.


Wycombe's FA Cup journey so far

1st Round Proper - Hayes & Yeading (A)........Won 2-1



Chelmsford's FA Cup journey so far

2nd Qualifying Round - Chertsey Town (H).......Won 7-0

3rd Qualifying Round - Bromley (H)................Drew 2-2

3rd Qualifying Round Replay - Bromley (A)......Won 3-0

4th Qualifying Round - Carshalton (A)............Drew 1-1

4th Qualifying Round Replay - Carshalton (H)...Won 3-2

1st Round Proper - Hendon (H).......................Won 3-2




Chelmsford's last five games (All Competitions)

BSS: Farnborough (A).......Lost 1-3

BSS: St Albans (H)..........Drew 1-1

FAC: Hendon (H)..............Won 3-2

BSS: Woking (A).............Drew 2-2

FAT: Gloucester (A)..........Lost 0-1



Wycombe's last five games (All Competitions)


FAC: Hayes & Y'ding (A)....Won 2-1

JPT: Bristol Rovers (H).......Lost 3-6

LG2: Bradford (H).............Won 1-0

LG2: Port Vale (A).............Lost 1-2

LG2: Torquay (H)..............Lost 1-3



Chelmsford Goal Stats (22 games in all Competitions)

Goals Scored (Total)..........Lg: 27...Cups: 21..Total: 48

Goals Conceded (Total)......Lg: 18...Cups: 9...Total: 27

Goals Scored (Away).........Lg: 14...Cups: 4...Total: 18

Goals Conceded (Away).....Lg: 17...Cups: 2...Total: 19

Clean Sheets.....................Lg: 6.....Cups: 2...Total: 8



Wycombe Goal Stats (22 games in all Competitions)


Goals Scored (Total)..........Lg: 27...Cups: 8...Total: 35

Goals Conceded (Total)......Lg: 21...Cups: 9...Total: 30

Goals Scored (Home).........Lg: 14...Cups: 4...Total: 18

Goals Conceded (Home).....Lg: 13...Cups: 8...Total: 21

Clean Sheets.....................Lg: 7.....Cups: 1...Total: 8



Chelmsford's Top Goal Scorers - (All Competitions)

Sam Higgins............14

David Rainford..........9

Anthony Cook...........7

Billy Bricknell............4

Robbie Edmans.........3

Four other players have each scored two goals.

Three other players have each scored one goal.



Wycombe's Top Goal Scorers - (All Competitions)


Kevin Betsy..............6

Scott Rendell............6 (inc 4 pens)

Andy Sandell............5

Gareth Ainsworth......3

Stuart Beavon...........3

Matt Bloomfield.........3

Ben Strevens............3

Two other players have each scored two goals.

Two other players have each scored one goal



The Man In The Middle

Saturday's referee is Robert Lewis from Shropshire who took charge of Wycombe's 2-0 win over Morecambe on the opening day of the season. During the current campaign he's issued 0 red and 27 yellow cards in 10 games.



Prediction

Wycombe 2 Chelmsford 1

Click here to join in the debate on the club forum.