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Match Reports

REPORT: Robins 0-2 Wycombe

17 February 2018

Match Reports

REPORT: Robins 0-2 Wycombe

17 February 2018

Striker Adebayo Akinfenwa proved to be the nemesis of Cheltenham Town yet again as he scored one and set up another as the promotion chasing Wycombe claimed the spoils at the LCI Rail Stadium.

The Robins battled away strongly in the first 45 minutes but found themselves two down at the break after two goals in the final five minutes of the half.

First Akinfenwa turned and fired home from close range - his third of the season against Cheltenham.

Then the big striker set up team-mate Paris Cowan-Hall deep into injury time to drive home for the comfort of a two goal lead.

Cheltenham worked hard in the second half but could find no way past a well-drilled Wycombe outfit who maintained an automatic promotion spot.

Manager Gary Johnson made two changes to his starting line-up with Sanmi Odelusi and the fit-again Joe Morrell returning for Nigel Atangana and Elijah Adebayo.

Morrell introduced himself to the match with a smart tackle on the edge of the area in the opening minutes to deny Luke O'Nien a sight of goal.

The on-loan midfield man then saw a shot saved by Brown before the Wycombe stopper, returning to Whaddon Road after a successful loan spell last season, flapped at a deep corner from Dawson but Moore headed it clear.

Challenges were flying in from both teams as the players looked to take control in the middle of the park in the opening 15 minutes.

O'Nien threatened with a 25-yard drive whistling over the home goal before Pell and Akinfenwa - former team-mates - tussled for the ball in midfield.

Cheltenham forced the first serious save of the game, when Carl Winchester unloaded a stinging and dipping drive that Brown bundled clear.

Wycombe’s Adam El-Abd headed over a Joe Jacobson free kick while Nien saw a shot bounce off the turf and wide after Scott Flinders punched a cross away. 

Bloomfield was the next to try his luck, with a rising long range effort rattling wide before the opening goal of the game.

Craig Mackail-Smith robbed a Cheltenham man and fed Akinfenwa who, ten yards out, turned neatly and fired low past Flinders.

Pell became the first man in the book, after a challenge on El-Abd in midfield, before a real body-blow to the Robins in injury time.

A tackle in the final third fell to the feet of Akinfenwa who quickly rolled in Cowan-Hall and he had time to pick his spot and fire home a second.

Johnson made a double change at the break to try and spark his charges, with Jerell Sellars and Brian Graham on for Odelusi and Rodon.

Sellars was immediately on the ball as he looked to probe and open up Wycombe in the final third.

A superb lung-bursting run from Kevin Dawson saw him race 40 yards with the ball and slide in Eisa, but his low cross from the right was hacked away.

Dawson then crossed to Graham at the back post, with the big Scot heading inches wide of the target.

Dawson was in the thick of the action in the second period as he reacted first to Jamie Grimes challenging for the ball and hit a volley just wide of the Wycombe goal.

At the other end, Grimes did well to slam the door shut on Bloomfield after Mackail-Smith broke down the left wing before Will Boyle produced a sublime block to deny Moore on halfway.

Wycombe were controlling possession and territory as much as possible with time running down, with Dawson heading into the arms of Brown in a rare home attack.

One final change saw Adebayo replace Pell but it was Wycombe who threatened another as Flinders got down quickly to deny O'Nien, after he was fed by Akinfenwa, before the midfielder saw another drive palmed away.

CHELTENHAM TOWN: Flinders (Gk), Grimes, Pell (Adebayo 81), Dawson, Winchester, Boyle, Eisa, Morrell, Odelusi (Graham 45), Rodon (Sellars 45), Chatzitheodoridis. Subs not used: Lovett (Gk), Atangana, Wright, Moore.

WYCOMBE: Brown (Gk), Moore, Jacobson, El-Abd, McGinley, Gape, O’Nien Bloomfield (Thompson 79), Mackail-Smith, Cowan-Hall (Tyson 66), Akinfenwa. Subs not used: Ma-Kalambay (Gk), Scarr, Bean, Freeman.

REFEREE: Gavin Ward

ATTENDANCE: 3,513 (857 from Wycombe)


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