A sickening blow right at the death!
From 1-0 down to 3-1 up it should have been the footballers winning the game against a team that uses a caveman style of football but we let it slip away. Wycombe are the form term of League Two after winning eight games in succession, six of those in the league, so in hindsight a draw is no bad thing.
After 120 minutes playing on a heavy pitch at Newport it was surprising Adams didn't use any subs, especially in the last 10 minutes when fresh legs were needed.
Wycombe have improved slightly since the last time they visited Home Park but still use the dark arts and after scoring in the 8th minute it looked like the game was over as a spectacle, however the referee was strong and stopped the time wasting antics from Ainsworth's team, although the ref did have a poor second half when he should have penalised some tackles from the Wycombe players.
Big Akinfenwa has tormented us so often in recent years and had a hand in all three of Wycombe's goals.
Garita started up front and Carey switched from the wing to playing the "Carey role" behind the main striker.
It was clear for the first half that our main tactic was to hit long balls to Slew on the left wing rather than to Garita in the centre, this had a lot of success because Slew had the beating of the Wycombe right-back at every opportunity, although this stopped when Harriman was replaced on 29 minutes by Jombati because of injury, after that Slew didn't have so much joy down the right side.
Wycombe took the early lead after Carey gave the ball away, Akinfenwa played a great through ball to Kashket, he he easily slotted past McCormick.
Our response was a thundering shot from Smith against the post after he followed up his own corner.
We turned on the pressure and Slew had time to turn in the box and fire in a low shot that the big Wycombe keeper struggled to keep out, the ball crossed the line by about a foot and the linesman signalled it was a goal.
We were now rampant with Garita causing all sorts of problems, his first instinct is to collect the ball, turn and run at the Wycombe defence, sometimes it worked and other times he could have looked up and passed to a better placed team mate.
A great flick from Jervis sent Garita way down the right side, he beat a defender and this time had the composure to look up and play a low ball across the six yard box, we know by now that the big Wycombe keeper can't get down quick enough to low balls and there was Jervis to finish off the move he started a scramble the ball home from close range. Another scrappy goal but who cares.
Wycombe themselves hit the woodwork following the corner but we held out until half time.
The cavemen started the second half the better team, we were content to sit back and play on the break.
Following a Carey corner Songo'o got his foot on the ball amongst a crowd of players to give us a 3-1 lead. Surely game over?
Wycombe came straight back and a superb cross from Jacobson was volleyed in by the unmarked Akinfenway. 3-2.
Carey nearly made it 4-2 but was closed down at a tight angle with only the keeper to beat.
We were still getting joy from the unpredictability of Garita but by now he was tiring.
With time ticking away Songo'o allowed Akinfena to control a cross into the area, he laid it back to Cowan-Hall who set up Weston to curl in a 20-yard shot past McCormick. 3-3.
Both sides had half chances in injury time but nothing came from them.
It could be seen as a point gained against an inform winning team or two points dropped at home, either way we are no longer top of the league and drop to second place.
Bradley and Songo'o were immense at the back, Bradley headed and cleared everything Wycombe threw at him, although to be super critical both of them allowed the unmarked Akinfenwa to score from a cross and also allow him to control the ball in the area and set-up the third goal.
Fox was efficient in midfield, he never wastes a pass, next to him Smith wasn't so good and often gave the ball away.
Carey had a quiet game by his standards, we needed something a bit special from him, perhaps he's tired?
Garita was a box of tricks up front, none of the 21 players on the pitch knew what he would do next, the result was that he caused a lot of problems.
Slew had a very good first half on the left side but once Wycombe changed their right back he didn't cause so many problems.
Jervis was fleeting, in some instances he had the beating of his full back and in others he was easily tackled, if he added some grit and steel to his game he would be playing at a higher level.
Miller struggled during the game, he also gave the ball away, however he plays his part in a very good defence.
Threlkeld now looks a better left-back than the other two recognised left-backs in the squad, he had another storming game.
McCormick's kicking foot needs recalibrating because most of his kicks either sailed over Adams head in the dug-out or hit a ball boy on the Lyndhurst touchline, that said his handling is excellent.
Just before Wycombe scored their third goal Goodwillie was ready to come on but sat down when the goal went in. Perhaps Adams should have introduced subs before Wycombe scored their third goal?
Credit to Wycombe, their style of football is not for the purists but it's a successful style of football on a shoestring budget, they still use the dark arts although it's not as bad as in recent seasons.
Man of the match: Threlkeld.
McCormick 7, Miller 5, Songo'o 7, Bradley 8, Threlkeld 8, Fox 7, Smith 5, Carey 5, Slew 6, Jervis 6, Garita 8.
