Blues stun the Lions to claim Waddock's first win (From Bucks Free Press)

Blues stun the Lions to claim Waddock's first win

4:56pm Saturday 21st November 2009

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Millwall 0, Wanderers 2.

WANDERERS shrugged off an injury crisis to record only their second win of the season as they became the first team to win at the New Den.

Chris Westwood's headed goal on 54 minutes and Kevin Betsy's second almost 20 minutes later was enough to earn Blues boss Gary Waddock his first win in charge of the Chairboys.

They knocked the Lions out of their stride with a hard working performance and fully deserved a rare and much needed three points.

Waddock, a former Millwall player, materminded the victory despite missing Matt Harrold, Matt Phillips, John Akinde and Leon Johnson through injury and then losing striker Jon Paul Pittman on a stretcher midway through the first half.

But his team, inspired by on-loan debutant Gareth Ainsworth who he signed from QPR on Friday, produced a gutsy performance to frustrate and then topple the Lions in their own back yard.

Wanderers fought fire with fire and flew into tackles unsettling a Millwall side who were protecting a proud unbeaten home record.

But the bottom-of-the-table Blues made the high-flying play-off chasers look ordinary with a hard-working team display.

The Lions quickly ran out of ideas as they ran into a yellow brick wall and it was Wanderers who looked more composed on the ball.

They fully deserved Westwood's opener and if the centre half hadn't got quite so much force on a downward header in the first half causing it to bounce wide, the reborn member of Waddock's squad might have even had a brace to celebrate.

Westwood, who has taken the placed of dropped skipper Michael Duberry, starred at both ends of the field but it was 36-year-old Ainsworth who deserved the man of the match plaudits.

There was certainly no question of him taking it easy on his month away from QPR.

Within 13 minutes the ageing all-action player forced the Lions into an early change after landing a boot in the face of former Wanderer Tony Craig who had to be replaced by Andy Frampton after receiving a kick in the face off Ainsworth.

It was just the type of commitment that Wanderers have been lacking and his enthusiasm spread like wildfire through the Chairboys team.

Three times Millwall players had to be treated for blood injuries in just the first half as Wycombe tore into challenges in a performance which was in stark contrast to their limp 6-0 surrender at Huddersfield just seven days ago.

And it was Ainsworth's probling and delivering from the right that led to Wanderers taking the lead.

Millwall carelessly conceded a 54th minute corner down that side and when Scott Davies swung it over there was defender Chris Westwood to powerfiully head in.

The second arrived on 72 minutes. Kevin Betsy held off the challenge of Jack Smith to run on and wrong-foot home keeper David Forde and slot the ball into the net in front of the disbelieving Blues fans who have had so little to cheer this season.

The Lions had only conceded four goals at home and they didn't expect to concede two to Wycombe.

Betsy's strike led to an early rush for the exits from the equally disbelieving home fans who had seen little from the team after Marc Laird forced Blues keeper Scott Shearer into an early save with a shot on the turn.

Shearer then pushed a Chris Hackett free kick wide before Paul Robinson wastefully headed the resultant corner wide, Wanderers looked quite comfortable at the back.

But that was all in the opening 20 minutes and despite a brief surge just after the interval that was as good as they gave before a late rally when they were two down.

Once Wanderers might have crumpled under that but not today. Even when five minutes of injury time were added it was the Millwall supporters not the Wycombe fans who groaned.

They knew they were not going to puncture Wanderers rearguard and with every man doing his job Blues played out the extra time and claimed their first away win to finally moved their points tally into double figures.

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