Wounded Wycombe head to Deepdale

Wycombe Wanderers travel to Preston North End on Saturday for their 26th league game of the season.

The league table currently shows Wycombe in 22nd place with 20 points from 25 games and Preston in 14th spot with 32 points from 24 games.


Preston's Home Record......W 4 - D 3 - L 5 - Pts 15...Ppg 1.25 (Rank-14)

Wycombe's Away Record...W 2 - D 3 - L 7 - Pts 9.....Ppg 0.75 (Rank-20)


Preston are having a topsy turvy season.

After losing 4-2 at home to Colchester United on the opening day, the Lilywhites drew at Scunthorpe the following week before embarking on a superb run of seven consecutive victories which rocketed them up to 2nd in the table.

The last of those seven wins was a thriller at Adams Park in which the Blues scored three goals before half time and still managed to lose.

That night was as good as it got for Preston who immediately embarked on a shocking run of eight defeats and one draw in their next nine games to plummet all the way down to 16th in the table.

It was a nosedive that cost manager Phil Brown his job in December, and a month later the Lilywhites are on the verge of appointing Stevenage boss Graham Westley as his successor.

If Westley is in charge at Deepdale on Saturday, he'll be without star-strikers Neil Mellor and Iain Hume who are both injured. His new side also have the third worst defensive record in the division.

At this point I should write something insightful about Wycombe, but in keeping with their recent performances, it's difficult, so I can't be arsed.

Here are some stats…


Preston's last five games (All Competitions)

Lg1: Stevenage (H).......Drew 0-0

Lg1: Franchise (A)..........Won 1-0

Lg1: Carlisle (H)............Drew 3-3

Lg1: Sheff Wed (H)..........Lost 0-2

Lg1: Rochdale (A)..........Drew 1-1



Wycombe's last five games (All Competitions)

Lg1: Carlisle (A).............Drew 2-2

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

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

Lg1: Bournemouth (A)......Lost 0-2

Lg1: Huddersfield (H)........Lost 0-6



Preston Goal Stats (32 games in all Competitions)

Goals Scored (Total)............Lg: 37...Cups: 10...Total: 47

Goals Conceded (Total)........Lg: 42...Cups: 9.....Total: 51

Goals Scored (Home)...........Lg: 20...Cups: 4.....Total: 24

Goals Conceded (Home).......Lg: 24...Cups: 3.....Total: 27

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



Wycombe Goal Stats (30 games in all Competitions)

Goals Scored (Total)..............Lg: 28...Cups: 8.....Total: 36

Goals Conceded (Total)..........Lg: 46...Cups: 13...Total: 59

Goals Scored (Away).............Lg: 14...Cups: 0.....Total: 14

Goals Conceded (Away).........Lg: 22...Cups: 2.....Total: 24

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



Preston's Top Goal Scorers - (All Competitions)

Neil Mellor...............9

Iain Hume...............7

Juvhel Tsoumou.......4

Jamie Proctor..........3

Seven other players have each scored 2 goals.

Nine other players have each scored 1 goal.



Wycombe's Top Goal Scorers - (All Competitions)

Stuart Beavon..........11

Marcello Trotta..........6

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

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

Two other players have scored 2 goals.

Six other players have each scored 1 goal.



Preston Shooting (Top-3) - All Competitions

Neil Mellor...........28 on-target...32 off-target...2 against woodwork

Paul Coutts.........26 on-target...21 off-target...1 against woodwork

Iain Hume...........20 on-target...22 off-target...3 against woodwork



Wycombe Shooting (Top-3) - All Competitions

Stuart Beavon.....35 on-target...10 off-target...0 against woodwork

Joel Grant...........16 on-target...13 off-target...0 against woodwork

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



Shooting (Club) - League Games Only

Preston......124 on target...132 off target...10 against w'work (Rank-14)

Wycombe...108 on target...103 off target.....4 against w'work (Rank-23)



Most Assists

Preston - Parry & Coutts...............5

Wycombe - Beavon & Sandell........3



League Form Guide

All Season

Preston........Pld: 24...W: 9...D: 5...L: 10...Pts: 32...Pts per game: 1.33

Wycombe.....Pld: 25...W: 5...D: 5...L: 15...Pts: 20...Pts per game: 0.80



Last Five league Games

Preston...........DWDLD - 6 points (Rank-13)

Wycombe.........DWLLL - 4 points (Rank-20)



Last Five League Games (Home)

Preston..........LLDDL - 2 points (Rank-24)



Last Five League Games (Away)

Wycombe.......LDLDL - 2 points (Rank-22)



Against Top Half Opposition

Preston.........Pld: 12...Pts: 11...Pts per game: 0.92...(Rank-11)

Wycombe......Pld: 14...Pts: 6.....Pts per game: 0.43...(Rank-22)



Against Bottom Half Opposition

Preston.........Pld: 12...Pts: 21...Pts per game: 1.75...(Rank-11)

Wycombe......Pld: 11...Pts: 14...Pts per game: 1.27...(Rank-20)



Previous Meetings

In 12 previous meetings there have been 6 wins for Preston, 2 for Wycombe and 4 draws.

At Deepdale the tally is 3 wins for the Lilywhites 1 for the Blues and 1 draw.

1993/94 Lg2: Preston 2 Wycombe 3

1993/94 Lg2: Wycombe 1 Preston 1

1993/94 Poff: Wycombe 4 Preston 2

1996/97 Lg1: Wycombe 0 Preston 1

1996/97 Lg1: Preston 2 Wycombe 1

1997/98 Lg1: Wycombe 0 Preston 0

1997/98 Lg1: Preston 1 Wycombe 1

1998/99 Lg1: Wycombe 0 Preston 1

1998/99 Lg1: Preston 2 Wycombe 1

1999/00 Lg1: Wycombe 1 Preston 1

1999/00 Lg1: Preston 3 Wycombe 2

2011/12 Lg1: Wycombe 3 Preston 4



The Man In The Middle

Saturday's referee is Philip Gibbs from the West Midlands who was promoted to the National List of Referees in 2008. His most recent Wycombe game was last April's stunning 3-1 win at Bury. So far this campaign he's issued 3 red and 78 yellow cards in 25 games.



Prediction

Preston 3 Wycombe 0

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