Wycombe Wanderers boss Gareth Ainsworth has praised the performance of Portsmouth keeper Gavin Bazunu following the side’s 0-0 draw at Fratton Park.
The Irish international, who is on loan from Manchester City, made several important stops to deny the dominant Chairboys the lead, with his best saves seeing him deny Anis Mehmeti in the first-half and Lewis Wing in the second.
The 20-year-old made himself big to thwart the Albanian when he was through via a one-on-one, and in the latter stages of the contest, Bazunu brilliantly tipped away a fierce Wing free-kick, which seemed destined to go into the top left-hand corner.
33 - Massive chance for Wycombe! Horgan brilliant picks out Anis Mehmeti who is clean through on goal, but Bazunu makes himself big to deny the Albanian. It's the first real moment where either keeper has had to make a save. #Chairboys #Pompey
— James Richings 🏴🇲🇾 (@James_BFP) March 19, 2022
🔵 0-0 🪑
READ MORE: Another clean sheet for the Wanderers as Wycombe draw 0-0 away at Portsmouth
Speaking after the stalemate on the south coast, Ainsworth said: “How it finished 0-0 I’ll never know.
“Their keeper was man of the match and rightly so, as he has made some fantastic saves.
“He came for a lot of crosses and corners and that save from Lewis Wing’s free-kick was phenomenal and that’s why he’s an international and fair play to him.
“I don’t think Portsmouth had a shot on target which is a great testament to the way we are playing at the moment.
“The boys are staying solid which is brilliant and in the first half, we had the wind and we know Pompey would have it in the second half, but the boys adapted well and we created the better chances.
HT: Portsmouth 0-0 Wycombe Wanderers.
— James Richings 🏴🇲🇾 (@James_BFP) March 19, 2022
The Chairboys have been the better side but other than one real clear-cut chance for Mehmeti that Bazunu saved, it's been pretty quiet. #Chairboys #Pompey
“It was a real bloods, guts, and thunder match as predicted, it was just a shame that we didn’t finish it off.
READ MORE: Live League One updates at Fratton Park: Portsmouth 0-0 Wycombe Wanderers
“However, I don’t think it’s too damaging looking at the results today.
“The top teams can go and have their private battle but there are three places to be fought and scrapped for and as long as we’re in that, it’s a brilliant place to be.
“You’ve got to earn the win and today, we didn’t hit the target at the right times and when we did Bazunu was there to handle it.”
77 - Massive chance again! Wing's free-kick is brilliant pushed away by Bazunu! Great effort, great save! #Chairboys #Pompey
— James Richings 🏴🇲🇾 (@James_BFP) March 19, 2022
🔵0-0 🪑
The result means Wycombe are on 66 points for the season, just one point and two places off the play-off places.
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