Head boy Ryan’s a believer
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WYCOMBE
Tafazolli 27
PRESTON
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0
PROUD boss Gareth Ainsworth hailed the unshakeable belief of his Wycombe players as they cut the gap to safety to nine points.
A towering first-half header from Ryan Tafazolli gave the rock-bottom Chairboys only a sixth league victory of the season to keep their faint survival hopes alive. But defeat left Preston boss Alex Neil turning the air blue as he accused his team of lacking “a bit of **** ing passion”.
Ainsworth said: “We really went at Preston and it wasn’t just one set-play, there was some flowing football in there, too. It was one of our best performances of the season. I asked for everything before the game and nothing less than total belief that we could stay in this league and what you saw was genuine.”
Wycombe looked a threat from set-pieces early on, Tafazolli heading Joe Jacobson’s delivery wide, and the defender then brought a flying save from Daniel Iversen. The keeper rescued Preston again after Uche Ikpeazu muscled his way into the six-yard box.
But from the corner a minute later Jacobson again swung over the cross and Tafazolli climbed highest to head into the far corner.
Preston sub Brad Potts hit the side-netting and David Stockdale saved from another substitute, Anthony Gordon, but Wanderers stood firm.
Neil said: “It was a poor performance, and I am alarmed at our current form.
They were hungrier than us, competed better.
“That was maybe the first time we haven’t shown the correct level of fight.” WYCOMBE: Stockdale 7; McCarthy 6, Knight 7, Tafazolli 8, Jacobson 7; Gape 7 (Ofoborh 77, 6), Thompson 7; Horgan 6, McCleary 7 (Grimmer 86), Mehmeti 7; Ikpeazu 7 (Muskwe 86).
PRESTON: Iversen 7; Van den Berg 6 (Riis 76, 6), Huntington 5, Storey 5, Hughes 6; Browne 6, Whiteman 5 (Gallagher 46, 6); Johnson 5 (Potts 46, 6), Maguire 6 (Gordon 63, 6), Sinclair 5 (Barkhuizen 46, 6); Evans 6.
MAN OF MATCH: Ryan Tafazolli. Could have had a first-half hat-trick, and also helped keep a vital clean sheet.
REFEREE: Tim Robinson 7.
Lincoln City Rochadale
MICHAEL APPLETON admitted Lincoln got exactly what they deserved. City fell behind to Oliver Rathbone’s effort and might have conceded further goals before Morgan Rogers’ stunning leveller.
Stephen Humphrys grabbed Dale’s winner to leave Appleton questioning his side’s spirit. “We got what we deserved – we got nothing. It was 2-1 and probably should have been more,” said Appleton.
“We’ve got talent, we know we’ve got talent, we’ve got players who can hurt teams and, on our day, can beat teams up at times with our ability.
“But the game is about more than that, it’s about earning the right to play and earning the right to gain territory on the opposition.
“It summed up the game that we produced a bit of quality to get back into the game.
“A team with real, real desire to get out of the league and be successful goes on to win that game.”
Brian Barry-Murphy saw his Rochdale side give their survival hopes a major boost.
“It was a high-level performance from our lads,” he said. “It fills us with confidence and hope as we head towards an exciting end of the season.”
IAN EVATT hailed
Bolton’s “best win of the season” after Gethin Jones’ (below) secondhalf goal clinched the three points.
“That was the best win of the season because that was everything we’re not,” said Evatt. “The weather made it scrappy.” Port Vale boss Darrell Clarke – yet to register a win in the job – added: “We’re just lacking that quality.”