Double joy for Blues

5:01pm Saturday 22nd November 2008

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Wanderers 4, Port Vale 2.

WYCOMBE Wanderers survived two Port Vale fightbacks before claiming a vital victory at Adams Park this afternoon.

Two goals apiece from Matt Harrold and Chris Zebroski wrapped up the points on a day when the form guide went out of the window.

Wanderers don't score many goals and until this afternoon, they had only conceded six all season.

But the script disappeared in a roller coaster ride.

The Blues led 2-0 and 3-1 but Marc Richards' penalty and Scott Brown's screamer meant it was never a comfortable ride for Peter Taylor's Wanderers before Harrold, with his second of the game, set the seal on a nailbiting win that left Port Vale wondering just what had hit them.

The visitors had been the better side in the opening exchanges and for much of the game, running the midfield and passing the ball crisply.

Wanderers on the other hand, had struggled to find any cohesion until they took a 23rd minute lead with the first moment of real quality they had produced against a Vale side who had clearly done their homework to frustrate Wanderers' playmakers.

David Howland was detailed to mark Angelo Balanta and with Anthony Griffiths keeping tabs on Wycombe winger Matty Phillips and Luke Prosser shackling Harrold, Wanderers had struggled to make any impression.

That was until all three produced at the same moment.

Phillips chipped a ball into Harrold and the target man's clever backheel set Balanta on his way to goal before he was upended in the box by Griffiths for a penalty.

When Harrold sent keeper Joe Anyon the wrong way from 12 yards it was tough on the Valiants whose game-plan had frustrated Peter Taylor's side who had been forced to kick it long as Vale bossed the middle zone

The goal was just what Wycombe needed and it lifted their confidence.

Balanta, who had been a pale shadow of the player who dazzled against Bradford a week earlier, let a Craig Woodman throw-in flash across his body before swivelling to unleash a half volley which whistled just wide.

But better was to come for the Blues as they bagged a second goal in first half injury time with another moment of high quality.

Zebroski used the outside of his boot to flick the ball past his marker and while the defender was trying to catch him up, the former Torquay marksman planted the ball past Anyon for Wycombe's second.

That was a body blow for the visitors, but they took just six minutes of the second half to grab themselves a lifeline with a penalty that would have left Peter Taylor fuming.

Simon Richman was running in the opposite direction to the goal when he was needlessley brought down by Phillips.

Blues keeper Scott Shearer did his best to repair the teenager's mistake but Richards just about managed to squeeze his spot kick into the corner of the net.

Having seen their lead cut in half, Wanderers came close to restoring their two-goal cushion almost immediately as Valiants keeper Anyon became the latest victim of Wanderers' notoriously slippery pitch.

Like so many others this season, he lost his footing as he tried to control a routine back pass only regaining his balance in the nick of time to whip the ball away from Harrold.

Zebroski did put tWycombe back in the comfort zone though on 65 minutes with a wonderful piece of opportunism. In a crowded box, he chested the ball down and, before the defence could react, he poked the bouncing ball over the keeper.

But Wanderers had not learned their lesson. Zebroski's good work was undone in the space of 60 seconds after a moment of sloppiness by skipper Dave McCracken.

He allowed a low right wing cross flash across the box and Scott Brown punished him by lashing the free ball into the rigging behind Scott Shearer.

But after picking the ball out of his net and then dealing rather unconvincingly with James Lawrie's long range effort, the Wycombe glovesman turned provider as Wycombe again re-established a two-goal buffer.

His massive boot downfield was seized upon by Harrold who planted the ball into the back of the opposite net.

This time Wycombe did not relinquish their two-goal cushion, almost extending it with substitute Franck Moussa being denied a fifth Wycombe goal right at the death.

Spence then whacked a shot against the post when he should have squared to Zebroski who was screaming for his hat-trick chance.