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Archived News from April 2017

SUPER STAGS WIN AT WYCOMBE TO STAY IN THE HUNT
20th April 2017 0:12


English Football League - Sky Bet League Two
Wycombe Wanderers 0 - 1 Mansfield Town
Pearce 13
Attendance: 4128 (305 from Mansfield)

Date: 14 April 2017

Martin Shaw at Adams Park

Mansfield Town produced a fine performance to win 1-0 at Wycombe Wanderers, who started the day one point above the Stags. The win moves Mansfield to within two points of the play-off positions with 4 games to go, ahead of Monday’s mouth-watering clash with Luton Town at the One Call Stadium. The Stags were much the better side in the first half, producing an incisive attacking display, taking the game to the home side, and should have been further ahead that 1-0 at the break. The crucial goal came on 13 minutes. An excellent free kick delivery from Joel Byrom, 38 yards out, was met by Krystian Pearce, who rose above Adebayo Akinfenwa to head past Jamal Blackman from 10 yards and against the inside of the right post. The ball came back out and Pearce headed it back into the empty net. Unlucky for Pearce in the first place to hit the post, then lucky that it came back so he could head it in! But a good goal, with a cracking delivery from Byrom. The Stags should have been further ahead with 3 great chances for Alfie Potter in the space of a minute on 34 minutes. Firstly a great break from the Stags as Ben Whiteman found Potter, whose shot from inside the box was blocked for a corner. Then a minute later, Mal Benning crossed low from the left, keeper Blackman could only push the cross straight Potter who shot goalwards, with the keeper nowhere, and Aaron Pierre cleared off the line. The ball came back to Potter whose shot was pushed wide by Blackman. The second half saw Wycombe on top and pushing Mansfield back but a combination of excellent defending, most notably from Pearce, Taft and Bennett, and some wonderful saves from Jake Kean, preserved the Stags lead in a tense finale. Kean’s best save came on 81 minutes as Harriman crossed from the right and Akinfenwa’s close range powerful header was brilliantly tipped over. One of the saves of the season. Kean also saved well from Akinfenwa on 89 minutes as Pierre’s high punt forward was headed on by Akinfenwa and Kean tipped wide. Kean also pushed Jacobson’s free kick on 74 minutes. Stags players also threw their bodies on the line, none more so than Ben Whiteman who did well to block Kashket’s shot over the bar on 71 minutes. So a tremendous win for Mansfield, enjoyed by the 305 jubilant travelling fans. The Stags deserved the win by virtue of being better than Wycombe in both boxes, both attacking and defending, including goalkeeping. Plenty of good performances through the side. Potter was incisive going forward, but should have taken one of his three great chances. Danny Rose played well up front. Joel Byrom was excellent in midfield, and provided that bit of quality, to go along with a battling display. At the back, Pearce, Taft and Bennett were terrific in central defence, with White and Benning doing well at wing back. And behind them, Jake Kean produced some match-winning saves.

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MATCH REPORT: Wycombe 0 Mansfield Town 1
chad.co.uk, by Agency

Krystian Pearce grabbed the only goal of the game as Mansfield got back to winning ways. The Stags had succumbed to back-to-back defeats, before a deserved victory at Adams Park. Steve Evans’ side could have opened up a commanding lead early on, but Pearce was the only one who could break down a spirited defence. Despite dominating proceedings they were almost made to pay for their missed chances late on as young shot-stopper Jake Kean came to the rescue. Although they were the away side, it was the Stags who put their foot on the gas early. Hosts’ goalie Jamal Blackman had some early work to do as he had to keep out Danny Rose’s speculative half-volley, before commanding his box to snuff out a cross. The Stags’ quick start paid dividends in the 14th minute as defender Pearce powered home his fourth goal of the season. The former Notts County man guided his initial header, from Joel Byrom’s pinpoint cross, against the post before calmly nodding home the rebound. Adebayo Akinfenwa was the Chairboys’ main outlet, but he failed to get the support he needed. Ten minutes before the interval the Stags had a flurry of chances to double their deserved lead. Alfie Potter saw his strike, after an impressive counter-attack, thwarted before his second strike was blocked on the line by a sprawling hosts’ defender. The two misses almost cost Evans’ men as Akinfenwa launched a dipping effort over the bar. After the break it was Potter making a last-ditch tackled as he got in the way of Michael Harriman’s goal-bound shot. On the hour Akinfenwa missed another great chance to equalise as he headed wide after doing all the hard work. Promising keeper Kean denied the ‘Beast’ twice at the death as the Stags clung on to all three points. The first was a great reaction save to a header, before tipping a second Akinfenwa header past the post.

Wycombe: Blackman, Harriman, Pierre, Jombati, Jacobson, Bean, O’Nien, Bloomfield (Freeman, 76), Thompson (Weston, 81), Akinfenwa, Kashket (Jakubiak, 87). Unused subs: Richardson, Gape, Saunders, Hayes.

Mansfield: Kean, White, Bennett, Pearce, Taft, Benning, Whiteman, Byrom, Potter (MacDonald, 69), Rose (Arquin, 83), Green (Coulthirst, 63). Unused subs: Jensen, Howkins, McGuire, Baxendale.

Referee: Robert Jones

Attendance: 4,218 (305)

Read more at: http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/match-report-wycombe-0-mansfield-town-1-1-8494320

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Wycombe Wanderers suffer a huge knock to their playoff chances as they unluckily lose 1-0 at Adams Park to Mansfield Town
bucksfreepress.co.uk

Wycombe Wanderers suffered a severe dent to their playoff hopes as they lost 1-0 to fellow promotion hopefuls Mansfield Town at Adams Park.

Krystian Pearce grabbed the game’s only goal on 13 minutes when he nodded into an empty net after his initial header came back off the bost from Joel Byrom’s free kick.

http://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/sport/football/15226026.Wycombe_s_playoff_dreams_fade_as_they_lose_to_Mansfield/

Wanderers came close on several occasions in the second half, with Adebayo Akinfenwa coming closest as he saw his bullet header brilliantly saved by Jake Kean.

With two minutes remaining, Akinfenwa was again denied by more heroics from Kean as the big striker’s flick was destined for the top corner before the Mansfield stopper intervened.

Mansfield had the first chance of the game on two minutes when Danny Rose cracked a fierce strike at goal from the edge of the box but Jamal Blackman saved calmly.

The next chance fell to the Stags which was duly dispatched by Pearce as Wycombe failed to get into their stride in the first 15 minutes.

Wanderers almost got an equaliser on 32 minutes when Rhys Bennett came close to scoring an own goal as his header wrongfooted Kean in the Mansfield goal but landed on the roof of the net.

A minute later, Mansfield broke away and Alfie Potter got into the Wycombe area but he saw his shot superbly blocked by Michael Harriman.

The visitors once again nearly doubled their advantage when a cross from Mal Benning on the left fell to Potter who saw his shot heroically blocked on the line by Aaron Pierre.

Right on half-time, Akinfenwa came so close to producing a moment of magic as he controlled expertly and slammed a ferocious shot inches over the bar.

The Chairboys were on the front foot at the start of the second half.

Akinfenwa again almost got Wycombe an equaliser on 54 minutes but his header was deflected over by Bennett when it looked certain to go in after an excellent cross by Garry Thompson.

‘The Beast’ had a half chance five minutes later when he was allowed to turn in the box but his snapshot was blazed over.

The Blues were inching closer and Thompson cracked a shot wide from 20 yards with half an hour remaining.

Wycombe were well in the ascendency midway through the second half but were being kept at bay by a rock-solid Stags backline.

Scott Kashket was the next in line to test the Mansfield defence and his rasping drive was desperately blocked by Pearce in the nick of time with 20 minutes left.

Kean made an excellent save on 75 minutes to deny Joe Jacobson’s free-kick, parrying out for a corner.

From the resulting corner, the visitors again desperately blocked away with Akinfenwa lurking in the box.

Mansfield’s keeper then produced two top class saves in the last quarter of an hour to deny Akinfenwa twice and enable the visitors to take away three points they barely deserved.

Gareth Ainsworth’s men will now have to win their remaining four games to have a chance of reaching the League Two playoffs.

WYCOMBE WANDERERS: Blackman, Harriman, Jombati, Pierre, Jacobson, Bean, O’Nien, Bloomfield (sub: Freeman, 76), Thompson (sub: Weston, 81), Kashket (sub: Jakubiak, 87), Akinfenwa. Subs: Richardson, Saunders, Gape, Freeman, Hayes.

MANSFIELD TOWN: Kean, Bennett, Benning, Pearce, Taft, Potter (sub: Macdonald, 69), Green (sub: Coulthirst, 63), White, Byrom, Whiteman, Rose (sub: Arquin, 83). Subs: Jensen, Howkins, McGuire, Baxendale.

REFEREE: Robert Jones

ATTENDANCE: 4,218

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Wycombe Wanderers launch investigation over reports footballer ‘headbutted’ supporter in High Wycombe
bucksfreepress.co.uk

A Wycombe Wanderers footballer is tonight being investigated over reports he allegedly headbutted a supporter outside a supermarket following the team’s defeat earlier today.

The Adams Park outfit this evening issued a short statement saying team bosses had been “made aware of a possible incident between a player and a member of the public” and an internal investigation is underway.

http://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/news/15226381.Investigation_launched_over_reports_footballer__headbutted__Wanderers_fan/

The Bucks Free Press understands the investigation centres around star player Aaron Pierre, with the revelation coming hours after a man tweeted a picture of himself with blood on his face, accusing the centre back of headbutting him.

In a series of later tweets, the supporter alleged that he was headbutted after telling the player “he had a bad game” outside a Tesco store in Sands - less than a mile from Wycombe’s ground.

The message was tweeted at 6.20pm today, just over an hour after the club saw their League Two playoff homes fade following a 1-0 loss to Mansfield.

Wycombe Wanderers have not confirmed which player is currently being investigated, but did say in their statement that they will release more information if and when it is relevant.

It is not yet clear if Thames Valley Police are investigating the alleged incident.

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Latest | April 2017