Waddock's Wycombe face a tough test

Wycombe Wanderers travel to North Bucks on Saturday for their 19th league game of the season.

The league table currently shows Wycombe in 23rd place with 13 points and their opponents in 4th spot with 33 points, both sides having played 18 games.


Franchise Home Record.....W 4 - D 5 - L 0 - Pts 17...Ppg 1.89 (Rank-6)

Wycombe's Away Record...W 2 - D 2 - L 5 - Pts 8.....Ppg 0.89 (Rank-19)


With only one win in their last eleven games and none in the last six, it's a wounded Wycombe Wanderers that make the short journey to Bletchley on Saturday.

Last week's home defeat at the hands of Bournemouth was the latest in a string of disappointing results that have left the Blues four points adrift of safety and odds-on favourites for an immediate return to league two.

On paper, things are unlikely to improve at the weekend.....

Wycombe have kept only one clean sheet in 23 outings and their strongest defender Leon Johnson is suspended.

Their opponents on the other hand are unbeaten at home, have scored 16 goals in their last 4 games and boast 18 different goalscorers including 9 players with 3 or more goals to their name.

There is one good omen.....Wycombe have never lost at the Denbigh stadium.

Their most recent visit in April 2010 was particularly satisfying with man-of-the-match Kevin Betsy laying on two goals for Alex Revell before scoring a stoppage-time winner himself to give the Blues a thrilling 3-2 victory.

Betsy is still with Wycombe, but has been inexplicably ignored by manager Gary Waddock in recent months.

To refresh your memory, the victorious Wycombe team that day was as follows: Heaton, Mousinho, Hunt, Westwood, Woodman, Ainsworth, Bloomfield, Montrose (Beavon 81), Betsy, Pittman (Phillips 65), Revell.

At the time Waddock's Blues were second bottom of the table with an average of 0.90 points per game.

Despite their lowly position, it was an optimistic group of Wycombe fans that travelled to Bletchley that day on the back of two consecutive victories and a visible improvement in form.

Now Waddock's side are second bottom with an average of only 0.72 points per game and optimism is in short supply, although the loan-signing of Fulham's 19 year-old reserve striker Marcello Trotta has raised fans' hopes as only a new face can.

Speaking to wwfc.com, Waddock said: "What's gone on has gone on and we can only affect what's in front of us. We've got nothing to lose on Saturday, everybody expects us to go up there against one of the in-form teams and it's going to be a difficult afternoon for us, but we're looking forward to it."

Speaking to MKNews, Franchise manager Karl Robinson said: "I think Wycombe hate us more than we hate them as they were the best team in Buckinghamshire and now we are. They have some good footballers. If we approach it in the right frame of mind we'll win the game, if not, we won't."


Here are some stats…


Franchise last five games (All Competitions)

Lg1: Sheff Utd (A)............Lost 1-2

Lg1: Walsall (A)...............Won 2-0

Lg1: Rochdale (H)............Won 3-1

FAC: Nantwich (H)............Won 6-0

Lg1: Colchester (A)..........Won 5-1



Wycombe's last five games (All Competitions)

Lg1: Charlton (H)...............Lost 1-2

Lg1: Sheff Wed (H)............Lost 1-2

Lg1: Notts County (A).......Drew 1-1

FAC: Fleetwood (A)............Lost 0-2

Lg1: Bournemouth (H)........Lost 0-1



Franchise Goal Stats (23 games in all Competitions)

Goals Scored (Total)............Lg: 35...Cups: 18...Total: 53

Goals Conceded (Total)........Lg: 18...Cups: 6.....Total: 24

Goals Scored (Home)...........Lg: 19...Cups: 9.....Total: 28

Goals Conceded (Home).......Lg: 9.....Cups: 3.....Total: 12

Clean Sheets.......................Lg: 7.....Cups: 2.....Total: 9



Wycombe Goal Stats (23 games in all Competitions)

Goals Scored (Total)..............Lg: 17...Cups: 8.....Total: 25

Goals Conceded (Total)..........Lg: 28...Cups: 13...Total: 41

Goals Scored (Away).............Lg: 9.....Cups: 0.....Total: 9

Goals Conceded (Away).........Lg: 14...Cups: 2.....Total: 16

Clean Sheets.........................Lg: 1.....Cups: 0.....Total: 1



Franchise Top Goal Scorers - (All Competitions)

Charlie MacDonald......6

Sam Baldock..............6

Jabo Ibehre................5

Luke Chadwick...........5

Daniel Powell.............4

Dean Bowditch...........4

Angelo Balanta...........4

Dean Lewington..........4

Clinton Morrison.........3

Two other players have each scored 2 goals.

Seven other players have each scored 1 goal.



Wycombe's Top Goal Scorers - (All Competitions)

Stuart Beavon...........8

Scott Donnelly...........5 (inc 2 pens)

Joel Grant.................3

One other player has scored 2 goals.

Six other players have each scored 1 goal.



Franchise Shooting (Top-3) - All Competitions

Dean Bowditch......20 on-target...16 off-target...0 against woodwork

Angelo Balanta......15 on-target...14 off-target...0 against woodwork

Luke Chadwick......18 on-target...10 off-target...0 against woodwork



Wycombe Shooting (Top-3) - All Competitions

Stuart Beavon........21 on-target.....4 off-target...0 against woodwork

Scott Donnelly........13 on-target...11 off-target...0 against woodwork

Joel Grant..............12 on-target...10 off-target...0 against woodwork



Shooting (Club) - League Games Only

Franchise.....106 on target...99 off target...1 against w'work (Rank-6)

Wycombe......66 on target...88 off target...3 against w'work (Rank-23)



Most Assists

Franchise - Dean Bowditch......7

Wycombe - Andy Sandell........3



League Form Guide

All Season

Franchise.....Pld: 18...W: 9...D: 6...L: 3.....Pts: 33...Pts per game: 1.83

Wycombe.....Pld: 18...W: 3...D: 4...L: 11...Pts: 13...Pts per game: 0.72



Last Five league Games

Franchise......DLWWW - 10 points (Rank-4)

Wycombe............LLLDL - 1 point (Rank-22)



Last Five League Games (Home)

Franchise.......DWDDW - 9 points (Rank-5)



Last Five League Games (Away)

Wycombe........LLWLD - 4 points (Rank-18)



Against Top Half Opposition

Franchise......Pld: 9...Pts: 12...Pts per game: 1.33...(Rank-8)

Wycombe......Pld: 9...Pts: 7.....Pts per game: 0.78...(Rank-15)



Against Bottom Half Opposition

Franchise......Pld: 9...Pts: 21...Pts per game: 2.33...(Rank-2)

Wycombe......Pld: 9...Pts: 6.....Pts per game: 0.67...(Rank-24)



Previous Meetings

In 6 previous league meetings there have been 3 wins for the franchise, 1 for Wycombe and 2 draws.

2006/07: LG1 Wycombe Lost 3-1 (Away)

2006/07: LG1 Wycombe Lost 2-0 (Home)

2007/08: LG2 Wycombe Drew 1-1 (Home)

2007/08: LG2 Wycombe Drew 2-2 (Away)

2009/10: LG1 Wycombe Lost 1-0 (Home)

2009/10: LG1 Wycombe won 3-2 (Away)



The Man In The Middle

Saturday's referee is Carl Boyeson from East Yorkshire who was promoted to the National List of Referees in 2002. His most recent Wycombe game was a 1-1 draw at Northampton Town in August 2010. So far this season he's issued 4 red and 39 yellow cards in 15 games.



Prediction

The Franchise 4 Wycombe 0

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