In 1887, a group of furniture trade workers began a team to play matches together this led to meeting between them and the creation of Wycombe Wanderers FC. Wycombe were a semi-pro team for almost 70 years before joining the Alliance Premier League (now the National League) in 1985, unfortunately their first season in the league was a disappointing one as they were relegated back into the Isthmian League on goal difference.
The Chairboys have had a lot of joy in cup competitions over the years, noticeably in the 00/01 season where they reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup. Wins over First Division opposition including Grimsby Town, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Wimbledon and a last-minute winner against Leicester at Filbert Street courtesy of Roy Essandoh, Wycombe found themselves against Liverpool. Unfortunately, The Reds proved to be the better side going 2-0 up thanks to goals from Emile Heskey and Robbie Fowler, Keith Ryan gave the Wanderers a spark of hope with a last-ditch effort but ultimately it wasn’t enough to keep them in it.
In recent years, Wycombe have been known as a yo-yo club due to them floating between League One and Two for the last 15 years. Four promotions, three relegations, one play-off semi loss and play-off final loss, and a surviving relegation out of the Football League on goal difference, it’s hardly ever a quiet season for the Wanderers.
Matchday 2 – Grimsby 1 The Cobblers 1
Grimsby snatched a late equaliser to pick up their first point back in the English Football League with a 1-1 draw against Northampton at Blundell Park.
Northampton winger Sam Hoskins opened the scoring with his third goal in two games and it looked as though that 74th-minute strike would spoil the homecoming party.
However, less than a minute after coming off the bench, substitute Jordan Maguire-Drew turned home to earn Grimsby a share of the spoils.
Chances were few and far between in the first half, with Mitch Pinnock closest to breaking the deadlock with a right-footed drive.
At the other end, Grimsby were mainly restricted to half-chances as Gavan Holohan set his sights from distance, twice, and Luke Waterfall prodded wide.
Brendan Kiernan tested Northampton goalkeeper Lee Burge with a dipping volley in the second half, before team-mate Kieran Green passed up a golden headed chance.
Grimsby might have been made to rue that when Hoskins fired into the bottom corner, but Maguire-Drew came off the bench to have the final say.
Matchday 2 – Bolton 3 Wycombe 0
Dempsey had not scored since he was on target for Gillingham against the Trotters last October.
But he ended his drought after 15 minutes following good approach play by Liverpool loanee Conor Bradley.
Aaron Morley, whose penalty earned Bolton a 1-1 opening day point at Ipswich, doubled the lead from Dapo Afolayan’s exquisite pass four minutes from half-time.
Bolton went down 2-0 in last season’s corresponding fixture but lost just three of their remaining 23 games, while Wycombe went on to reach the play-off final.
Gareth Ainsworth’s visitors were largely second best this time, though Lewis Wing’s shot struck an upright with the score still at 1-0.
Anis Mehmeti also headed a Gareth McCleary cross onto the top of the net after Wycombe had fallen further into arrears.
Bolton continued to boss the game after half-time and Dempsey sealed victory after 66 minutes, drilling home Amadou Bakayoko’s superb through ball.
The Pappa John Trophy- The Cobblers 0 Wycombe 1
Just three weeks after their first round meeting in the Carabao Cup, the Cobblers and Wycombe Wanderers came up against each other in the Checkatrade Trophy. Shaun McWilliams, back from a hamstring injury picked up on the opening day of the season, captained a side which also included centre-back Jay Williams from the club’s academy.
Scott Kashket drew an early save from Lewis Ward and it was the aforementioned Kashketwho opened the scoring on 11 minutes with a fine strike into the top corner.
Alex Samuel on the stretch couldn’t convert Nick Freeman’s cross and Ward saved from Paris Cowan-Hall as Wycombe went close to a second. Anthony Stewart blocked a goal-bound effort from Dean Bowditch in a half-chance for the Cobblers and it was the League 1 side who led at the break.
The Cobblers upped the tempo at the start of the second half, Billy Waters firing over the bar following a corner. Wycombe continued to look dangerous at the other end though with a deflected effort from Cowan-Hall and a shot just wide from Kashket.
Waters tried a shot from 30-yards that had Yves Ma-Kalambay scrambling before Dean Austin made a change, Academy graduate Sean Whaler coming on to make his Cobblers debut.
A goal-line clearance from Sido Jombati denied Bowditch late on and Wycombe claimed the win. The Cobblers next game in the competition is a trip to Oxford United on Tuesday 9 October.
Games Played – 20
Games Won – 6
Games Drawn – 8
Games Lost – 6
TOM NIELD
Stephen Finch and Hristo Karaivanov
Fourth Official : Abigail Byrne
The West Yorkshire-based official will travel to the Sixfields Stadium for his 22nd game of the season and his 8th in Sky Bet League Two.
This is his Fifth season as an EFL referee, with the 2017-18 campaign his first.
The official has had a busy year in 2020 off the pitch as he’s a senior nurse/matron with the Acute & Emergency Service at the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust and has been working hard on the front line along with spending his evenings and weekends on a football pitch. He will be moving into a Head of Nursing role in due course.
This is Tom’s second time taking charge of a game this season his first being a 3-2 win for Peterborough where he shown 3 yellow cards.
- This is the second ever League Cup meeting between Northampton and Wycombe, with the Chairboys winning on penalties following a 1-1 draw at this stage in 2018-19.
- Wycombe have won four of their last five away games against Northampton in all competitions (L1), having won just one of their first 11 visits to the Cobblers (D6 L4).
- Northampton have lost five of their last eight League Cup matches (W2 D1), though have won in the first round of the competition in each of the last two seasons.
- Wycombe Wanderers are winless in 22 League Cup matches (D8 L14) since beating Charlton 1-0 in the 2006-07 quarter-final. However, they have progressed to the next round via penalties following five of those draws.
