Blues enter the play-offs in good heart

10:36am Sunday 4th May 2008

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WYCOMBE Wanderers will enter the play-offs in good heart and with a new secret weapon tucked up their sleeve.

Seventeen year-old debutant Matty Phillips laid on both goals as Wanderers equalled their points record with a 2-1 victory over Bradford City.

The Aylesbury-born teenager, who has not yet passed his driving test, set up first half goals for Delroy Facey and Leon Knight as the Blues matched their 14-year-old points record of 78 in a season.

The right-sided midfielder, who has been with Wycombe since he was spotted playing five-aside as an eight year-old, was only playing because manager Paul Lambert decided to rest some of his senior stars ahead of Sunday's play-off semi-final first leg at home to Stockport.

But in the 78 minutes before he went off with cramp, he provided a stand-out performance to pip Mike Williamson to the Man of the Match award.

Lambert said: "He was terrific. He played without fear. He can deliver the ball and he can make things happen. The play-offs are a different scenario altogether, but I know he could handle it."

Phillips set the Blues on their way to a two-goal lead inside the first 25 minutes but the deficit was halved just before half-time in a penalty incident that could have cost keeper Frank Fielding his play-off place, The on-loan Blackburn Rovers glovesman brought down David Brown in the box to concede a penalty and even though he was the last man and could have been sent off according to the laws of the game, the referee showed common sense and leniency.

Many refs would have produced the red card - a decision which would have ruled Fielding out of the play-offs - but Nigel Miller didn't even book him deciding that the penalty, which was stroked home by Luke Medley, was enough punishment.

That score gave City encouragement after they had been torn apart by the Phillips-inspired Blues.

The first-year youth team player made a dream start to his home debut as Blues took the lead after just six minutes.

Picking the ball up in midfield, Phillips drove confidently at the defence, gliding past two would-be-tacklers before slipping the perfect pass through to Facey.

The big striker took it in his stride before drilling in his first Wycombe goal off the far post.

It wasn't the start City defender David Wetherall would have wanted, playing the last act of his 19-year professional career, but his team should have been on level terms soon after.

No Wycombe player went to close down Paul Heckingbottom and when Fielding could only push out his long-range effort, Medley should have done so much better than boot his effort on the follow-up into the crowd.

But while he lacked composure, Phillips oozed confidence, dribbling at defenders taking the majority of Blues' free kicks and corners from either side, and even pulling off one outrageously-disguised defence-splitting pass in the second half.

His delicately delivered 25th minute free kick caused chaos in the City defence and when keeper Scott Loach could only paw the ball away from under his bar Mike Williamson returned it into the danger area where Blues skipper David McCracken headed against the bar.

Phillips had the City defence in trouble again moments later with a corner the Bantams simply could not defend.

The outstanding Williamson again won the header and Knight, back from a two-game ban, swivelled on the bouncing ball and slammed it into the net from close range to double Wycombe's lead.

It was party time at Adams Park with the 500 Bradford fans - who were determined to make the most of the final day of the season no matter the score - leading the way with Mexican waves and congas the order of the day for the shirt-sleeved crowd.

And the colourful travelling fans, who were easily the best to visit Wycombe this season, finally had something on the pitch to cheer with Medley's 44th minute penalty after Ben Starosta's ball into the box had left Fielding exposed.

The Bantams could have been level before half time as the home defence was cut open again but this time Fielding got his timing spot on as he charged out to whip the ball off the toe of Scott Phelan after Brown's pass had gone through the defence like a hot knife through butter.

City began the second half in the ascendancy with Omar Daley stinging Fielding's fingers with a low shot and McCracken having to make a vital block to keep Blues' lead intact.

This was no tepid end-of-season affair and, as the game opened out, Knight went close for Wanderers cutting inside before unleashing a low shot which fully extended Loach.

Facey was next to try his luck and, teed up by Gary Holt, he smashed in a fierce half volley which the keeper was relieved to gather.

But the save of the day belonged to Fielding, flinging himself to his left to push out Daley's blockbuster after the Bradford man had cut inside Tommy Doherty and threatened to rip the net away from the posts.

It was Fielding's last act though before he was substituted by Jamie Young with the play-offs in mind and the Wycombe reserve keeper produced a couple of good saves as City hunted an equaliser.

With both sides throwing caution to the wind there was action in both goalmouths with Loach needing two attempts to gather a deflected long-range effort from the industrious Facey.

Facey's striker partner Knight earned himself a foolish booking for petulantly kicking the ball away but he showed his good side as well, cutting inside to hammer in a low drive which Loach flicked around the base of the post.

Wanderers finished the afternoon with a lap of honour but the real work is still to be done with the play-offs starting on Sunday.

Wycombe: Fielding (Young 57), Johnson, Williamson, McCracken, Woodman, Phillips (Oakes 78), Holt, Doherty, Torres, Knight, Facey (McGleish 78).

Subs Not Used: Martin, Sutton.

Booked: Knight.

Goals: Facey 6, Knight 25.

Bradford: Loach, Starosta, Wetherall, Bower, Heckingbottom, Daley (Rhodes 75), Phelan, Nix, Taylforth, Conlon (Brown 28), Medley (Ainge 84).

Subs Not Used: O'Brien, Sharry.

Goals: Medley 44 pen.

Att: 5,467 Ref: Nigel Miller (Durham).