Epic fight ends in tears (From Bucks Free Press)

Epic fight ends in tears

9:41am Thursday 5th January 2006 in

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LEAGUE Two leaders Wycombe Wanderers staged the mother of all comebacks to claw their way back from 3-0 down to lead 4-3 but were then hit by a cruel sucker punch as Macclesfield scored twice more to win 5-4.

Blues looked down and out when they trailed 3-0 inside the first 13 minutes but they hauled it round to take the lead in one of the most thrilling games ever seen at Adams Park only to lose it again in the space of five minutes.

First they were given a lifeline when Tommy Mooney slammed home a dubious 31st minute penalty for a handball which even the Wycombe players didn't appeal for.

Then Mooney stabbed home from the edge of the box to give Wycombe real hope on the hour mark before Russell Martin blasted a spectacular 71st minute equaliser from 25-yards to notch his first league goal.

And, having been out for the count in the first half, Blues were in front just four minutes later as Town's David Morley turned Danny Senda's low cross into his own net to give Wycombe a lead that they couldn't have dreamed about.

But the fairytale turned into a horror story in the space of just five minutes as Macclesfield picked themselves up off the canvas to floor Wycombe with a comeback of their own and claim their first away league win of the season.

Wanderers were still celebrating their own great escape when Danny Whittaker skipped down the left and sent in a cross which the outstanding Jon Parkin flicked over the line with his outstretched boot following a flick on from McIntyre.

Then, as the crowd were still drawing breath, Parkin headed in a winner from another Whittaker cross as the Silkmen extended their unbeaten run to ten games.

But the drama wasn't finished there. The tension spilled over at the end of the five minutes injury-time that was added on.

Macc boss Brian Horton went over the top in his celebrations and when the suits in the Blues directors box responded none too favourably to it, Horton launched a foul-mouthed tirade in their direction.

Horton, who once applied for the Wycombe manager's job, was escorted off the pitch by Blues' goalkeeping coach Jim Barron and afterwards refused to talk about the row claiming he was talking to his own club's representatives.

It's not the first time Horton and his celebrations have angered Wanderers. He clashed with Blues boss John Gorman following the game at Moss Rose last season and it was clear that bad blood still exists between the clubs.

But while Horton did not cover himself in glory, Gorman did. He stayed on the pitch at the end to shake the hand of every one of the Macclesfield players who had ended his side's unbeaten home record. And they deserved the applause.

With strikers Parkin and Clive Wijnhard proving a real handful for Roger Johnson and Mike Williamson; and Macclesfield's Whittaker and Martin Bullock causing no end of trouble breaking from midfield, the Silkmen stunned Wycommbe.

They were in front after just three minutes when Wijnhard tucked in the rebound after keeper Frank Talia could only parry Whittaker's effort back into the striker's path.

Whittaker doubled the visitors' lead just seven minutes later belting the ball through a crowd of players after Kevin Sandwith's corner was helped on by Kevin McIntyre.

Wanderers were in disarray and their afternoon got worse as Macclesfield made it 3-0 inside the first quarter of an hour. Bullock made great strides down Wycombe's left before cutting inside and sliding the ball through to Wijnhard who scored with aplomb.

Macclesfield could have gone even further ahead. The magnificent Parkin thumped a header against the bar all before Wycombe began their fightback only to suffer late heartache at the end.

Gorman said: "It's a horrendous way to finish after putting in so much effort. We showed tremendous character with our amazing fightback but if anything we did it too early. The momentum was with us but there was always a sting in the tail because the opposition came to have a right go and credit to them."

Wycombe: Talia, Senda, Oakes, Johnson, Williamson, Betsy, Martin, Lee (Easton 25), Bloomfield (Torres 45), Griffin, Mooney. Subs Not Used: Williams, Philo, Dixon.

Goals: Mooney 31 pen & 61, Martin 71, Morley 76 og.

Macclesfield: Deasy, Sandwith, Morley, Bullock (Briscoe 86), Harsley, Parkin, Whitaker, McIntyre, Wijnhard, Navarro, Teague. Subs Not Used: McDonald, Miles, Morgan, Smart.

Booked: Harsley, Deasy.

Goals: Wijnhard 3, Whitaker 10, Wijnhard 13, Parkin 77, 81.

Attendance: 5,364 ((Macclesfield 103).

Referee: Mr Penn