AINSWORTH CHUFFED TO AVOID ANY LATE DRAMA
Eight minutes added on again...
WYCOMBE Wanderers manager Gareth Ainsworth could not hide his relief after his side successfully saw out eight minutes of stoppage time to claim the narrowest of home wins over visitors Portsmouth.
A week after his side were heartbreakingly beaten 4-3 by a stoppage-time winner at Tottenham in the FA Cup, the smiles returned to Adams Park with a display of characteristic grit and determination.
“When I saw the board go up I thought ‘oh here we go’,” said Ainsworth. “But once we got past seven minutes and 55 seconds I relaxed a little.
“It was written in the stars that we’d have another eight minutes added on this week and this time we held out. We were great and with all the energy and effort from the boys I think we deserved it.
“It's a good result against a good team, and they’ll do well this season. It's great to see us getting results against big teams here.”
After back-to-back defeats in the previous week, including their first league reverse since October at Exeter on Tuesday evening, the Chairboys got off to a nervy start.
Portsmouth striker Jamal Lowe, making his first start since his January move from National League South side Hampton & Richmond Borough, could have put the visi-
tors in front inside a minute.
Some excellent work from veteran Gary Roberts pulled the Wycombe defence out of shape before he squared for Lowe to strike narrowly wide of the right-hand post.
At the other end, the lively Adebayo Akinfenwa was Wycombe’s biggest goal threat, superbly taking down an aerial ball on his chest before volleying low into the grateful arms of goalkeeper David Forde.
Pompey looked brighter in attack, causing the Chairboys plenty of problems with their lively forward line. But it was left-back Enda Stevens who came closest to breaking the deadlock, stinging the hands of goalkeeper Jamal Blackman with a powerful strike. Debutant Eoin Doyle showed one moment of brilliance to nutmeg Aaron Pierre and break free, but his weak effort was comfortably held by Blackman. Only two minutes of the second half had been played when Wycombe made the breakthrough. Top scorer Scott Kashket’s speculative effort from the edge of the area took a wicked deflection off a Pompey defender, wrongfooting the goalkeeper.
That proved a decisive turning point as the hosts effectively shut up shop, leaving Portsmouth unable to find a way through.
Substitute Carl Baker went closest to restoring parity when he pounced on some hesitant defending and lobbed the keeper, but it sailed over the bar.
And despite throwing everyone – including goalkeeper David Forde – forward in the dying moments, they were unable to test the hosts, who leapfrogged their visitors into sixth in the League Two table.
Despite the defeat, manager Paul Cook was pleased with his side.
He said: “I just told the players that I can’t ask any more from our team. I thought we were excellent.
“Every player knew their job and worked hard all week.
“I thought the players were a credit. You can’t always win, but we looked a good team. We’ve had a bad result, but I feel that if we play like that every week in the run-in we’ll have a lot of good days.
“Unfortunately we couldn’t win, but the reaction from the Pompey fans makes me feel like it is a win. That makes me so proud.
“I know the rules and I know my job is to get this side promoted and I will move heaven and earth to give those fans what they want.”