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Oakes keeps Blues bang on course
Morecambe 0,
Wycombe 1.
STEFAN Oakes' stunner cemented Wanderers' position in the play-offs and ended a run of two straight away defeats.
The midfield maestro curled in a sensational first half free-kick to see off the League Two new-boys at a wintery Christie Park.
It was moment of genius worthier of a far bigger stage and it might just go a long way to making sure that Wanderers are playing at the likes of Nottingham Forest's City Ground and Leeds United's Elland Road next season instead of at a ground that until last season had only ever played host to non-league football.
Morecambe came up via the Conference play-offs last season and Oakes' goal kept Wycombe well on course for their own bit of play-off glory this season.
And they will be hoping they can keep on-loan Aston Villa starlet Chris Herd for the end of season run in and Wembley bid.
The 18-year-old, with the even younger looks, was at the centre of everything Wycombe did in the first half, fully justifying manager Paul Lambert's decision to start with the on-loan 18-year-old and leave former Northern Ireland international Tommy Doherty sitting on the bench.
Herd ghosted in front of his marker to head an Oakes free kick against the base of the post after 20 minutes and the youngster who was full of running was unlucky again when he was the first to react in the box forcing Shrimps' keeper Scott Davies into a save by the foot of the post.
Herd had been Wycombe's most dangerous player from the first minute when he had the temerity to shove Morecambe hardman Danny Adams into touch after just 30 seconds.
It took Adams 35 minutes to respond, barging the young Aussie to the ground 30 yards out.
And how he must have regretted it as Oakes used that sweet left foot of his to strike the resultant free kick straight into the back of Scott Davies' net.
If a Premiership player had done it they would have been raving about it for weeks but this Oakes. He just nonchantly raised one finger in the air as he casually celebrated his piece of genius.
Wanderers needed the goal at that time because the game was in danger of drifting into nothingness on the icy wind.
Earlier Morecambe almost made the perfect start when Michael Twiss teed up Matthew Blinkhorn on the edge of the box. His shot beat Frank Fielding's despairing dive but also missed his left hand post.
Twiss on the left and Blinkhorn on the right continued to pose Wycombe problems until Oakes took the game by the scruff of the neck with his 36th minute wonder strike.
Having got one free kick goal to his name, he finished the half searching another almost decapitating a Morecambe defender with a shot which would have ripped the net from its posts.
His left foot almost helped Wycombe double their lead at the start of the second half when his inch-perfect corner was headed wide by Mike Williamson, who was making his first start for a year.
Wanderers made a change on 65 minutes taking off Scott McGleish and replacing him with John Sutton.
But Wycombe needed Fielding to prevent the reds drawing level on 72 when Carl Baker stabbed goalwards at the end of a game of pinball in the Wanderers box.
The quality continued to come from Oakes though and it was from another one of his flag kicks that Sutton was denied a goal that would have made the afternoon more comfortable for the 330 Wycombe fans shivering behind the goal.
And their mood was improved further with the introduction of fit-again Sergio Torres from the bench.
But it was Leon Knight who might have doubled their lead twisting and turning before shooting just over.
Morecambe huffed and puffed but rarely threatened to wipe out Oakes' wonder winner.
4:48pm Saturday 22nd March 2008
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