Oily Sailor's invaluable guide to the run-in

Oily Sailor gives us an insight into the final ten games of the season.

While the phrase "run-in" can conjure up those days when you have to leave your car in a quarry and jog to work, in football terms it means the dog days of the season, when the hammer of truth decides your team's fate, and, in Wycombe's case, when the sterling work of the autumn is often squandered in a festival of decay and points chucking.

With that in mind, I've enabled a giant supercomputer, powered only by the sense of shock experienced by regional visitors when they realise Denham Golf Club has its own train station (do recreational golf players ever travel by train?). It has crunched through a series of numbers ranging from 0-9 and come out with a verdict of CHEERY! or DREARY for each of the remaining 10 games.


Saturday, 19 March 2011, Shrewsbury v Wycombe. CHEERY!

Shrewsbury may be swanning round their new stadium like it's new but their record against Wycombe in the league is appalling. John Major was the Prime Minister the last time they beat the Chairboys in a league game. Indeed, Wycombe are unbeaten in their last 17 league games against Shrewsbury and have scored in 17 of the 19 FL matches, but don't expect much excitement as only one of the last 11 games between the sides has gone over 2.5 goals.


Saturday, 26 March 2011, Morecambe v Wycombe. CHEERY!

An easy journey for any Wycombe fans living in Morecambe, Morecambe have never beaten Wycombe since reaching the Football League and have managed just one goal in five games.


Saturday, 2 April 2011, Wycombe v Stockport. CHEERY!

No Wycombe manager has tasted victory against Stockport more than once, and Gary Waddock could be the first to do so on April 2, which would lead to a DVD release at the very least. While Wycombe are invariably appalling in Cheshire, when Stockport travel south they aren't much better. In fact, County have scored only two goals in total in their last five league games at Adams Park and they don't look like changing their groove next month.


Tuesday, 5 April 2011, Hereford v Wycombe. CHEERY!

Wycombe may have spurned the chance of reaching the fourth round of the cup earlier this year against Hereford but when it comes to league football the Chairboys boss Herefordshire like Sun Valley itself. The Bulls have won only one of seven Football League games against Wycombe and will likely feel the brute force of a Chairboys` goal assault in this midweek game. Incidentally, only Martin O'Neill (11) has won more games on a Tuesday than Gary Waddock. The Wadfather loves a midweek sports special.


Saturday, 9 April 2011, Oxford Utd v Wycombe. CHEERY!

Visiting half-finished non-league grounds is one of the burdens of being the Barcelona of League Two and April's visit to Oxford United is one of those tiresome assignments. Luckily, Oxford have won only one of their six Football League home games against Wycombe with the Chairboys racking up 11 goals in that spell. Three points and permission to change ends at half-time is the least we can expect.


Saturday, 16 April 2011, Wycombe v Northampton. DREARY

Wycombe haven`t beaten Northampton since the Stuart Roberts masterclass in January 2003 that led to widespread terrace rioting. This is unlikely to change on April 16 and evidence for this is the fact that the goalscorers in Wycombe's last home win v Northampton were Andy Rammell (2) and Marco Gabbiadini for the Cobblers, both of whom began their careers before World War II.


Friday, 22 April 2011, Torquay v Wycombe. DREARY

Wanderers have won just one of seven Football League clashes with Torquay and have lost three of the last four. However bad you think this game could be, it will actually be worse.


Monday, 25 April 2011, Wycombe v Crewe. DREARY

A trio of nightmare fixtures is completed by a match against Crewe which has Temple of Doom written all over it. Wycombe have lost five of their last six games against the Railwaymen, conceding 14 goals in the process, so even a draw in this game would be cherished like a golden egg.


Saturday, 30 April 2011, Bury v Wycombe. CHEERY!

If points are needed as the season draws to a close, then this is the match they'll come in. Wycombe have won five of their last seven games against Bury, and Gigg Lane, scene of Dave Carroll's 100th goal for Wanderers, will once again be a field of glory.


Saturday, 7 May 2011, Wycombe v Southend. DREARY

After some decent results against the Shrimpers in the mid 1990s, Wycombe have won none of their last four against Southend and have never kept a clean sheet against them. If promotion is achieved in May then it will be more Notts County than Runcorn.


Vital would like to thank Oily for his contribution.

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