Leyton Orient 1

Wycombe 1.

 

WYCOMBE Wanderers maintained their unbeaten away record with a draw at leaders Leyton Orient.

But it might have been so much better. They were in control, 1-0 up and heading for three points until a defensive calamity allowed Jay Simpson a 67th minute equaliser which, up until that point, hadn’t looked like coming.

Prior to Sido Jombati and Aaron Pierre getting caught in an unseemly muddle it looked as though forgotten man Matt Bloomfield, whose last action for the Blues was to see his penalty saved in the play-off final shootout last May, would emerge as the hero.

He scrambled in the opener just before half time in an inspirational individual performance from him.

Blues boss Gareth Ainsworth got his tactics spot on – including the out-of-the-blue selection of Bloomfield - to unsettle an Os side who had not previously conceded a goal at Brisbane Road.

He won the tactical battle of wits and his team carried out the instructions to the letter until the defensive mistake proved their undoing.

It was hard to stomach on a day when Wanderers had done so much more right than they had done wrong.

Bloomfield led the team out as he came in for his first game of the season taking the armband in place of skipper Paul Hayes who was ruled out with the same Achilles injury which forced him out of last week’s home defeat against Plymouth Argyle.

There was also no place in the squad for Sam Wood who continues to be troubled by a knee injury.

With Bloomfield and Stephen McGinn coming in there was no place for Jason Banton who dropped down to the bench. Centre half Danny Rowe was also benched as Wanderers appeared to pick their side with their opponents half in mind with Sido Jombati again operating as a centre half.

League leaders Orient had not lost at home or even conceded a goal at Brisbane Road so it was always going to be a tough ask for Gareth Ainsworth’s Blues albeit maybe not quite the David and Goliath billing that Ainsworth had been giving it all week in the build up to the match.

Indeed stats-wise the odds pointed to the opposite with Wycombe having won an astonishing 11 of the previous 15 meetings between them without a draw being in sight.

Orient knew if they didn’t concede they would set a new record for not conceding home goals going back to 1935 – 1936 season.

But it was Wycombe who made the more purposeful start with Garry Thompson stabbing an attempt over the bar from distance.

Thompson’s range was out again moments later when he found another pocket of space ten yards from the box try another speculative effort from distance after another neat Wycombe move.

Wanderers enjoyed much of the meaningful early possession and they had clearly been instructed to shoot on sight with Marcus Bean’s driving run ending with another long distance effort ending up high in the stands.

Orient’s early tactic was to use the full width of the pitch and from Jack Payne’s  cross dangerman Jay Simpson saw his header deflected wide.

It made for an open start and Blues knew they had to get to grips with Orient midfielder Dean Cox who was becoming an increasing influence with a string of incisive balls which meant the Wycombe rearguard could never switch off.

But on 23 minutes it was Os keeper Alex Cisak who was nearly caught out mis-punching a Jacobson free kick behind him and he needed his skipper Alex Baudry to scamper back and prevent what would have been a very embarrassing own goal.

The O’s goal came under threat again when Gozie Ugwu pounced on a purposeful Thompson cross to turn and drill in a shot which was blocked by the Os defence.

It was another sign though that Wycombe had come to win and a Jacobson cross was just too high for Bloomfield who was having a big influence on the game in his first outing since the Wembley play-off final last May.

And they were almost gifted an opener on 32 minutes when Lloyd James woefully underhit backpass was seized upon by Thompson only for the keeper to block his effort and the follow up. That flurry of action produced a corner and this time it was Blues’ Aaron Pierre who was denied by the O’s Aussie international keeper Cisak.

But just as the home fans were breathing a collective sigh of relief their team almost poached the lead. Again Cox was the architect escaping down the wing to slide in a low cross which Blues keeper Matt Ingram pawed away from the foot of Jay Simpson with Sammy Moore unable to turn in and Connor Essam heading the corner which followed wide.

Wycombe dusted themselves down from that scare and promptly became the first team to score at Brisbane Road this season. Jacobson’s cross was headed goalwards by Ogwu whose effort was blocked. He recovered to swing a desperate leg at the rebound but it was Bloomfield who got the crucial boot to the ball to force it over the line for a scrappy but deserved 42nd minute opener.

It was no less than the visitors deserved and it might have got even better when Thompson’s clever flick almost played in Ogwu only for an Os defender to flick out a saving leg just as the ex-Yeovil man was poised to shoot.

Half time saw Orient reshuffle with another striker Ollie Palmer coming on for Lloyd James. Wycombe though were fighting for every ball though and Bloomfield was inspirational as they began the second period on top and with purpose. The Os were getting rattled and Sean Clohessy was lucky not to get a second booking when he poleaxed Joe Jacobson whose turn had been far too clever for him.

Minutes later Wycombe’s feeling of injustice was heightened when Michael Harriman picked up a soft yellow card for toeing the ball away after the referee had blown up.

Wycombe continued to push for a killer second goal while the travelling fans turned it into a home game with their barrage of noise.

And they might have had a second to cheer when centre half Pierre danced around a couple of defenders in the box before forcing a save out of Cisak.

Cisak was forced into emergency action again to keep out a header from his own defender Frazer Shaw who panicked when Jacobson’s delivery came into the box.

Blues went close again through O’Nien and Ogwu in another frantic goalmouth scramble before they self destructed with a double mix-up at the back for the Os equaliser on 67 minutes.

Pierre and Jombati both had chances to clear before Jombati dallied, trod on the ball and was robbed by Simpson who needed no second invitation and rifled home the finish.

Orient’s tails were now up and it was as though somebody had suddenly let 5,000 fans in. Ingram had to dive full length to keep out Blair Turgott as now the home side pushed for a winner. Ollie Palmer wastefully screwed wide.

Then Blues needed a terrific last ditch save with his leg from Ingram to deny Simpson as the Os striker turned past Jacobson to earn himself a free shot on goal.

As the Os hammered on the door Wanderers might even have been grateful to the orient pitch invader who ran around on the turf for a couple of minutes before being grounded by a kick from one of a gaggle of stewards who gave chase.

The incident brought Wanderers a bit of vital breathing space and they regrouped and went again.

Bloomfield tried to claim for a penalty after he was shoved in the box while substitute Aaron Amadi-Holloway couldn’t turn sharply enough on a chance which presented itself on the edge of the six yard box.

Pierre and Connor Essam were then involved in an unsavoury scrap which on another day might have brought them both a red card but they both got nothing more than a talking to.

Both sides continued to go for it in a battle to the wire but it finished honours even and with the pressure Orient mounted late on that was probably the right outcome although Stephen McGinn might have won it with a late effort which was blocked by two Orient bodies.