Bristol Rovers 2

Wanderers 0.

 

WANDERERS lost for the second time in a week as Bristol Rovers exacted a small piece of revenge on the Blues for sending them down them down to the Conference the season before last.

This time though it was the Pirates who were smiling as they sunk Wycombe with two goals in the first ten minutes to end Wanderers’ hopes of a trip to Wembley in the JPT Trophy.

Rovers had just one year down in the doldrums of non-league football after Wanderers’ last day of the season win at Torquay put them there and it was the first time the pair had renewed hostilities since that day.

There had in the meantime been a failed legal challenge from Rovers who wanted to see Wycombe docked points for their transfer activities but that was blown out of the water and the west country side had to take their year out in the lower echelons.

The margin of Rovers’ victory would have been higher had it not been for the form of Matt Ingram in the Wycombe goal, but Wanderers were never out of it during an absorbing cup tie.

With Saturday’s league match between the two having been called off because Rovers have three players on international duty both managers could have afforded to put all their eggs into one basket – but both resisted the temptation and made changes.

Wanderers made four changes from the side beaten at home by Northampton for the grudge game and on first impressions they were changes that might blunt their attacking edge.

Garry Thompson, the man who has had more shots than any other Wanderer dropped to the bench as did former Rover Joe Jacobson, the man with more assists than any other Wycombe player.

Saturday’s goalscorer Luke O’Nien was also given a bench role alongside striker Gozie Ugwu for the second round tie.

In their place Ryan Sellers came in at left midfield for his first start while Jason Banton came in at right midfield  and Sam Wood returned at left back. There was also a starting berth for Max Kretzschmar who started up front with Aaron Amadi-Holloway.

And Wanderers still seemed to be getting to grips with all their personnel and positional changes when they fell behind to Rovers’ first attack on four minutes.

The goal came down Blues right side where Danny Rowe was operating at right back. Chris Lines picked out Matty Taylor and the Rovers frontman eased forward unchallenged to bend a shot from outside the box beyond Matt Ingram’s despairing dive.

Blues might have been level moments later when a cross from the left was headed on and Aaron Pierre saw his header bounce back off the crossbar. The chance was still alive but Matt Bloomfield saw his shot brilliantly saved by Lee Nicholls.

But, having been so close to an equaliser, Blues were left with a mountain to climb when Rovers doubled their lead from their second attack, with a familiar face doing the damage.

Former Wanderer Jermaine Easter slammed in a trademark 10th minute finish from inside the box as Rovers opened Wycombe up with far too much ease as Sido Jombati, playing at centre back, failed to cut out the ball.

With Wood at left back, Rowe at right back and Jombati in the centre of defence the new-look rearguard looked uncomfortable but while that area was a cause of concern, attack-wise Wanderers looked capable of causing problems for the hosts if they could keep the ball down that end.

Kretzschmar should have reduced the arrears after a mazy run by Amadi-Holloway put him clear on the edge of the box but with just the keeper to beat he put his low shot the wrong side of the post when it seemed easier to score.

Further encouragement came when Bloomfield freed Banton but, after driving at the defence, the former Plymouth man chose the wrong option cutting back inside for a shot which was blocked when he would have been better off sliding the ball across the six yard box to the unmarked Kretzschmar.

It was akin to a game of ‘last goal wins’ in the playground as one team’s attack was followed by the other’s.

Banton and Amadi-Holloway particularly were causing problems for the Bristol defence while Sellers was a useful and productive outlet out wide on the left and Blues knew that if they could get one goal back there was every chance a second would follow.

However on 37 minutes Billy Bodin might have put the game beyond them crashing an effort from inside the box that clipped the top of the Wycombe bar after both Jombati and Aaron Pierre had won tackles but failed to complete the job by clearing.

The 123 Blues fans in the crowd of 3,243 knew it all hinged on the next goal and Rovers should have had it 59 seconds into the second half when Bodin slipped in Christiano Montano whose daisy cutter was brilliantly saved by Ingram.

Jombati then produced a great block to deny Easter as Rovers came out for the second half chasing that killer third goal.

Ingram then saved with his legs to thwart Bodin who drove clear after being released by Taylor’s cheeky backheel.

An even better move resulted in another close shave for Wanderers who were cut apart by a clever one-two but Rovers centre half Mark Mchrystal was fractionally off target with his effort.

Ingram then saved with his knees to deny Easter a second as the hosts continued in the ascendancy although Blues did have half chances with Stephen McGinn spooning one over the top and Amadi-Holloway having two fierce efforts blocked.

But Wycombe had a real let off when Sam Wood’s horribly short back pass was read by Taylor and man on the match Ingram came to his pal’s rescue by racing out to clear the danger.

A further let off came when from another sweeping Rovers move Montano spooned his effort over the bar from virtually underneath it.

Wycombe remained a threat though and Rovers knew it and Nicholls was relieved to hang onto a long range fizzer from Blues sub Luke O’Nien.

The goal didn't come though and Rovers were fully deserving of their victory.