Preview: Wycombe Wanderers v Stevenage

Wycombe Wanderers entertain Stevenage on Saturday in their 36th league game of the season.


The league table currently shows Wycombe in 3rd place with 60 points from 35 games and Stevenage in 13th spot with 45 points from 34 games

Stevenage's Away Record...Won 5 - Drawn 3 - Lost 8 - Pts 18 (Rank-15)

Wycombe's Home Record....Won 9 - Drawn 5 - Lost 4 - Pts 32 (Rank-5)


The Blues will have to unlock the division's meanest defence if they hope to build on Tuesday's victory at Barnet by taking another three valuable points from Stevenage on Saturday.

The Hertfordshire side have conceded only 32 league-goals this season - the fewest of any club in league two.

On their travels, they've conceded only 15 goals in 16 league games. In doing so, they've kept a clean sheet 4 times, conceded a single goal on 10 occasions, and only let their standards drop with a 2-0 defeat at Torquay and a 3-0 setback at Bury.

The downside from Boro's point of view is that only Bradford City have scored fewer than their meagre tally of 14 away goals so far this season.

It all points to a tight game where keeping a clean sheet could be vital and goalscoring opportunities could be rare.

Blues boss Gary Waddock has key decisions to make at both ends. At the back, Dave Winfield is available again following his three-match suspension but will he make an instant return to the side, or will Chris Westwood and Leon Johnson be rewarded for their sterling performance at Barnet?

Up-front, Waddock has plenty of options. Stuart Beavon is likely to start, but who his partner will be is open to question. Tuesday's incumbent was Ben Strevens, but there are rumblings that youngster Matt McClure is being considered for his first start, while Jon-Paul Pittman and Scott Rendell have both found the net in recent weeks and will be raring to go again.

It's always nice to win, but with tough trips to Shrewsbury and Morecambe on the horizon, it would be great to bank all three points on Saturday, particularly with Rotherham playing Bury and the Shrews facing a tough test at Torquay.


Here are all the stats......


Stevenage's last five games (All Competitions)

LG2: Crewe (A)...............Won 1-0

LG2: Port Vale (A)...........Won 3-1

LG2: Cheltenham (H).......Won 4-0

LG2: Torquay (A).............Lost 0-2

LG2: Hereford (H)............Lost 0-1



Wycombe's last five games (All Competitions)

LG2: Burton (H)..............Won 4-1

LG2: Macclesfield (A).......Won 1-0

LG2: Chesterfield (A).......Lost 1-4

LG2: Aldershot (H).........Drew 2-2

LG2: Barnet (A)..............Won 1-0



Stevenage Goal Stats (41 games in all Competitions)

Goals Scored (Total)..........Lg: 41...Cups: 8...Total: 49

Goals Conceded (Total)......Lg: 32...Cups: 7...Total: 39

Goals Scored (Away).........Lg: 14...Cups: 3...Total: 17

Goals Conceded (Away).....Lg: 15...Cups: 1...Total: 16

Clean Sheets.....................Lg: 10...Cups: 2...Total: 12



Wycombe Goal Stats (41 games in all Competitions)

Goals Scored (Total)...........Lg: 51...Cups: 11...Total: 62

Goals Conceded (Total).......Lg: 42...Cups: 11...Total: 53

Goals Scored (Home)..........Lg: 29...Cups: 7.....Total: 36

Goals Conceded (Home)......Lg: 21...Cups: 10...Total: 31

Clean Sheets......................Lg: 12...Cups: 1.....Total: 13



Stevenage's Top Goal Scorers - (All Competitions)

Byron Harrison............6

Chris Holroyd..............6

Scott Laird..................4 (inc 1 pen)

John Mousinho............3 (inc 1 pen)

Mark Roberts..............3

Charlie Griffin.............3

Peter Winn.................3

Michael Bostwick.........3

Stevenage have benefitted from four own-goals.

Three other players have each scored two goals.

Eight other players have each scored one goal.



Wycombe's Top Goal Scorers - (All Competitions)

Scott Rendell..........12 (inc 6 pens)

Gareth Ainsworth......8

Kevin Betsy..............7

Andy Sandell............7

Stuart Beavon...........5

Ben Strevens............5

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

Lewis Montrose.........3

Jon-Paul Pittman.......3

Three other players have each scored two goals.

Three other players have each scored one goal



Stevenage Shooting (Top-3) - All Competitions

Michael Bostwick.....21 on-target...28 off-target...2 against woodwork

Chris Beardsley......11 on-target...20 off-target...1 against woodwork

John Mousinho........14 on-target...15 off-target...0 against woodwork



Wycombe Shooting (Top-3) - All Competitions

Kevin Betsy............20 on-target...43 off-target...2 against woodwork

Gareth Ainsworth....18 on-target...31 off-target...3 against woodwork

Stuart Beavon........20 on-target...22 off-target...2 against woodwork



Shooting (Club) - League Games Only

Stevenage..139 on target...193 off target.....8 against w'work (Rank-14)

Wycombe...147 on target...201 off target...14 against w'work (Rank-11)



Most Assists

Stevenage - Lawrie Wilson...8

Wycombe - Kevin Betsy.......6



League Form Guide

All Season

Stevenage..Pld: 34...W: 11...D: 12...L: 11...Pts: 45...Pts per game: 1.32

Wycombe...Pld: 35...W: 17...D: 9.....L: 9.....Pts: 60...Pts per game: 1.71



First-half of the season

Stevenage....Pld: 23...W: 7....D: 9...L: 7...Pts: 30...Pts per game: 1.30

Wycombe.....Pld: 23...W: 11...D: 7...L: 5...Pts: 40...Pts per game: 1.74



Second-half of the season

Stevenage.....Pld: 11...W: 4...D: 3...L: 4...Pts: 15...Pts per game: 1.36

Wycombe......Pld: 12...W: 6...D: 2...L: 4...Pts: 20...Pts per game: 1.67



Last Five league Games

Stevenage.......WWWLL - 9 points (Rank-7)

Wycombe......WWLDW - 10 points (Rank-4)



Last Five League Games (Away)

Stevenage........LLWWL - 6 points (Rank-9)



Last Five League Games (Home)

Wycombe........WDLWD - 8 points (Rank-11)



Against Top Half Opposition

Stevenage....Pld: 19...Pts: 18...Pts per game: 0.95...(Rank-19)

Wycombe.....Pld: 16...Pts: 19...Pts per game: 1.19...(Rank-11)



Against Bottom Half Opposition

Stevenage....Pld: 15...Pts: 27...Pts per game: 1.80...(Rank-5)

Wycombe.....Pld: 19...Pts: 41...Pts per game: 2.16...(Rank-1)



Previous Meetings

2010/11 LG2: Stevenage 0 Wycombe 2



The Man In The Middle

Saturday's referee is Graham Horwood from Bedfordshire who was promoted to the National List of Referees in 2007. His last Wycombe game was a 4-0 home-win over Macclesfield in December 2008. During the current campaign he's issued 1 red and 55 yellow cards in 20 games.



Prediction

Wycombe 1 Stevenage 0

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