Wycombe Wanderers- Last Time...

Last updated : 12 March 2004 By Rob Davies
If ever there was a match that summed up Notts' first half of the season, this was it. A six pointer of great proportions, Wycombe travelled to Meadow Lane on a bit of a come-down after the wave of publicity brought by former England skipper Tony Adams' arrival as manager.

Adams hadn't rocketed them up the table as expected and had yet to win his first League game in charge, with Wycombe still sitting at the very bottom of the table. Meanwhile, Notts were just places higher up- sat in 22nd spot, but Billy Dearden's men, and the club in general, were on a high themselves- it was the club's first game since exiting the demon that was Administration.

Another bad day at the office for Bill
They had also managed to win two games in a row before this fixture, as the excellent 1-0 win at Oldham was followed by a 2-1 Second Round FA Cup win at Gravesend.

Notts were without the match winner at Gravesend, Clive 'Judas' Platt, so the recently off form Mark Stallard was drafted in to partner Paul Heffernan. Elsewhere, Billy Dearden continued to dig his own grave by leaving promising trialist Adam Murray on the bench, instead preferring the under achieving duo of Ian Baraclough & Paul Bolland.

The game itself was dire, by far Notts' worst home display of the season.

It took 26 minutes for there to be any chance of note, Jermaine McSporran- a consant menace on the right- fired in dangerously but Stevie Mildenhall produced the save of the match to deny the dangerous hitman.

The major talking point occured just after, though, as a poor backpass let in Heffernan, who was clattered by the on-rushing 'keeper, but referee TA Parkes amazingly denied Notts one of the most clear cut penalties seen at Meadow Lane for a long while.

Paul Heffernan- Found the net
And in first half injury time ex Notts County midfielder Michael Simpson struck a powerful 25-yard drive that took a huge deflection off the head of Ian Richardson to divert the ball past the already commited Mildenhall and give Wycombe a shock lead. I can't really remember (Thank God), but I'm pretty sure Notts were desrvedly booed off at half time.

If the two sides were trying to prove they shouldn't have been at the bottom of the table they weren't making a very good job of it, with the second half no better then the first.

I was soon woke up, however, when Adam Murray was introduced into the fray instead of the woeful Paul Bolland (different player to the one we see these days).

Ten minutes after Murray (now at Kidderminster) had been introduced, Notts equalised. It summed up the game, the scrapiest of all goals was finished off by Heffernan after decent work by Richardson & Baraclough.

Nothing much happened after that and the game drifted into a lifeless 1-1 draw.

However, while Billy Dearden's exit and the arrival of Gary Mills- followed by numerous comings and goings, has signalled an upturn in fortunes for Notts, Wycombe have not been so lucky and look certain for the drop, high profile manager or not.

Mind you, Notts never beat Wycombe- so don't be too confident when turning up at Adams Park tomorrow.

Notts Team That Day: Mildenhall, Jenkins, Fenton, Richardson, Nicholson, Baldry, Caskey, Bolland (Murray), Baraclough, Stallard (Hackworth), Heffernan.

Not Used: Deeney, Barras, Riley.