Wycombe 1

Dagenham 1.

 

AARON Pierre headed a 95th minute equaliser to preserve Wanderers’ unbeaten record just as it looked as though Matt McClure’s first half goal had Ko’d Wycombe.

For the second time in a week Pierre’s head came up trumps – this time to earn Wycombe a point that had looked like it was never going to come.

They trailed from as early as the seventh minute when McClure, the striker that Wycombe let go in the summer became the first player to score a league goal against the Blues this season. He took advantage of a big hole in Wanderers’ back line when Pierre was caught out trying to win a header to give his new side a seventh minute lead before he was sent off for a second yellow card in the second half.

It was a goal few at Adams Park saw coming but Wycombe’s unbeaten record looked in severe danger of going up in smoke against a Daggers side who had not even taken a point before their arrival in Buckinghamshire.

But it might have been even worse for Wanderers as the East Londoners were fuming about having a second ‘goal’ ruled out just before half time when Ayo Obileye was controversially denied by the linesman's flag after the referee signalled for a goal.

It certainly wasn’t the debut Aston Villa defender Janoi Donacien  would have dreamed about when he came in for his Wanderers bow having arrived on loan 24 hours earlier.

The centre back, who played more than 30 times for Tranmere Rovers in this division last year, was named in the starting line-up alongside Aaron Pierre with Sido Jombati returning to his preferred right back position as manager Gareth Ainsworth changed his defence for the fifth time in as many matches and he was part of a rearguard that was made to look uncomfortable in the first half.

Wycombe opted for a conventional 4-4-2 with Aaron Amadi-Holloway the man to drop down to the bench, which for the first time this season had a full complement of players on it but despite having the extra man in midield they struggled to find their normal energy levels in a sluggish first half from them.

The Daggers team-sheet also raised an eyebrow or two with prolific marksman Jamie Cureton ruled out after taking a knock against his former club Exeter in midweek and maybe that was a reason for the complacement nature of Wanderers' start to the game. 

It was the ultimate banana-skin fixture. Wanderers, with their best ever start to the season, were joint top while Dagenham were rock bottom and pointless after their opening three.

And it looked like running to form when, in the third minute, the Daggers defence went completely AWOL to leave Michael Harriman with a free header on goal from Paul Hayes’ deep cross but keeper Liam O’Brien bailed his dozing defenders out by finger-tipping the ball over the bar.

But if the Daggers defence were sleeping then, Wanderers’ new-look back four were caught napping completely as the Londoners took a shock lead through a familiar face.

A through ball punched a huge hole in the defence as Pierre was pulled out of position and Wycombe left McClure unattended to race onto a through ball and slot the ball under keeper Ingram. The striker, who learned his trade in the Wycombe youth team did not celebrate his goal as a mark of respect to his former club, who deemed him surplus to requirements in the summer.

Wanderers continued to give hMcClure and Dagenham space though and with the trickery of Jodi Jones it soon became evident that the Daggers hadn’t come to make up the numbers.

Their fast balls out of defence were a constant threat and Christian Doidge was close to doubling their lead with a diving header as the visitors again found space down the Wycombe right.

Wycombe’s best chance of getting back into the game looked to be from set pieces where Daggers keeper O’Brien did not look comfortable dealing but he did produce a fine reflex save to keep out Garry Thompson’s close-range effort.

It was a sign Wanderers were slowly getting their game together but Sam Wood would have been disappointed to direct a header wide when well-placed as Wycombe began to get some joy down the Daggers left hand side and the hard-working Thompson cut back a superb low cross which no-one in a Wanderers shirt could get a boot on before from another Jacobson flag kick, Pierre toed an effort over the bar.

Dagenham hadn’t produced too much as an attacking force since the goal but Jones reminded Wycombe they needed to stay alert with another moment of trickery and a shot which Ingram had to deal with.

And the visitors left the field at half time feeling mightily aggrieved not to have doubled their lead. Ayo Obileye headed Andre Boucard’s delivery into the net on the stroke of half time and ran off to celebrate while Wanderers had their heads in their hands.

But then, out of nowhere, referee Darren England ran over to his linesman and after a very lengthy discussion with his assistant disallowed the goal. Dagenham were still arguing as the half ended while their manager Wayne Burnett stayed in the dugout with an angry face on as he studied pictures coming out of his laptop. Obileye cerainly did not look like he had come from an offside position and from the look of his protestations at half it looked as though McClure might have been the man accused of straying by the linesman.

While Dagenham fumed, Wycombe began the second half with intent and Thompson fired an audacious volley onto the roof of the net.

Wycombe were next to feel aggrieved when Thompson was needlessly bundled over in the box by Joe Widdowson but no penalty was given. Widdowson looked as though the red mist of having his side's second  goal disallowed was still affecting him and was booked seconds later when he piled into Jacobson.

Before the hour was up, Blues boss Ainsworth decided he needed to change it, replacing skipper Hayes with Amadi-Holloway.

Jason Banton was the next to be introduced replacing debutant Donacien as Wycombe looked for a key to unlock Dagenham’s defence and Banton was just a cigarette paper away from doing so with a fierce shot shortly after his introduction.

Dagenham could not get out of their half and their task was made even harder when McClure was sent off on 76 minutes. He had chased down a long ball and when Jombati mis-controlled it McClure stuck out a late leg to receive a second yellow card and leave his team a man light.

Wycombe's 11 went close to a leveller on 83 minutes when Stephen McGinn’s drive was well kept out by O’Brien who had been so well protected by his defence that it was a rare moment of action for the keeper.

The six minutes of extra time board offered Wycombe further encouragement but the best Wanderers could offer was a Thompson free kick which smashed into the wall until the 95th minute when for the second time in a week Aaron Pierre stole in at the back stick to head home an equaliser.