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Wycombe secure first point of the season in draw with high-flying Watford

Anthony Stewart of Wycombe Wanderers celebrates after scoring his team's first goal during the Sky Bet Championship match between Wycombe Wanderers and Watford at Adams Park on October 27, 2020 in High Wycombe, England.  - GETTY IMAGES
Anthony Stewart of Wycombe Wanderers celebrates after scoring his team's first goal during the Sky Bet Championship match between Wycombe Wanderers and Watford at Adams Park on October 27, 2020 in High Wycombe, England. - GETTY IMAGES
  • Wycombe Wanderers 1 Watford 1

A point apiece from the first league clash between Wycombe Wanderers and Watford this century. For Wycombe it meant their first Championship point, for Watford a stumble on their way back to the Premier League. Yet, Wycombe had most to rue: a slew of missed chances and what looked to be a late, winner when Joe Jacobson netted from an added time corner, disallowed by referee John Brooks. Even so, Wycombe manager Gareth Ainsworth was delighted: “If we keep playing like that, there is no chance we’ll go down. This has been coming and we were the better side.”

Watford conceded from a second set-piece in two games and for all their flashes of quality, they were second best.

“We didn’t do out job. I can’t be happy,” sighed head coach Vladimir Ivic. “We need to learn from this game, we need to be better.”

Watford juggled their Premier league personnel and IIvic granted Etienne Capoue a first start of the season. Wycombe too had a maiden Championship starter: 38-year-old Adebayo Akinfenwa. “He’s a dying breed,” smiled Ainsworth. “He brought such presence.”

What Akinfenwa lacked in mobility was outweighed by his ability to hold up the ball. So when Anthony Stewart crossed into the box just after the half-hour, Akinfenwa nodded on. Scott Kashket pounced, swivelled and shot, only to be foiled by Ben Foster’s superlative save, the first of many. The roles were reversed soon after, when Kashket wriggled through some insubstantial defending and squared for the unmarked Akinfenwa to shoot high over the open goal.

Wycombe goalkeeper Ryan Allsop was primarily a vociferous spectator until Watford scored when Ismaila Sarr nodded Kiko Femenia’s Premier League-quality cross past him.

Wycombe heads dropped, but only momentarily and when Jacobson lofted a corner in from the right, centre-half Stewart met it with an unstoppable header. “My feeling wasn’t relief,” said Ainsworth. “It was justification.”

Match details           

Wycombe Wanderers (4-3-3): Allsop 6; Grimmer 7 Knight 6 Jacobson 7 Stewart 7; Adeniran 6 Wheeler 6 Thompson 6; Horgan 6 (Onyedinma, 86) Akinfenwa 7 (Ikpeazu, 85) Kashket 7 (Samuel, 87)

Subs: Stockdale (gk), Pattison Bloomfield Phillips

Watford (3-5-2): Foster 8; Cathcart 6 Troost-Ekong 6 Kabasele 6 (Chalobah, 74); Femenia 7 Capoue  7 Cleverley 6 (Garner, 90) Quina 7 (Murray, 74) Sema 7; Sarr 7 Pedro 5

Subs: Bachmann (gk) Ngakia Wilmot,Sierralta

Booked: Femenia

Referee: John Brooks (Leicestershire)