Fri 15th Apr
League One
Kick-off 15:00

WYW Wycombe

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PLY Argyle

Steven Schumacher

Argyle head into their Easter weekend of fixtures, five points clear of the sides below them and with just one defeat in their last nine matches.

The Greens take on Wycombe Wanderers at Adams Park on Good Friday, with the hosts also in the hunt for the play offs.

They are one of three clubs tied on 73 points but sit just outside the top six on goal difference.

Last weekend’s draw at Burton Albion was the tenth time in the last 13 matches that Argyle have stopped their opponents scoring and was the 17th time this season that they have kept a clean sheet in the league.

With just 40 goals conceded in total, the Greens have the third best defensive record in Sky Bet League One.

Only Rotherham United with 26, and Wigan Athletic with 36, have conceded fewer.

1800 members of the Green Army will be making the trip to Buckinghamshire hoping that Argyle can claim their first victory at Wycombe since 2015.

With 78 points already accumulated and with just four games to go, the season has already been a remarkable one for the Greens.

Add to that the fact they have the fourth best away record in the league and they are definitely one of the most consistent sides in Sky Bet League One.

Steven Schumacher is confident that this will carry on and they can continue to prove the doubters wrong.

He said, “What everybody keeps forgetting, when they say we have tough games to come, is that we are one of the best sides in the division as well.

“We’re doing alright, everybody has underestimated us all season and thought that we will fall away from the chasing pack, but we haven’t, and we will do our best to try and get as many points as we can from these remaining matches.”

That away form has seen them pick up nine wins and six draws and in recent times they have lost just two of their last eight on the road.

A win against Wycombe on Friday will take the Pilgrims to 81 points and extend the gap to the Chairboys to eight points.

Steven said, “We know it’s going to be a big game, were bringing nearly 2000 fans up there and their fans are normally pretty good as well.

“It’s going to be exciting, it’s a really hard place to go and we will have to be up for the challenge because they’re a good team.”

The hosts are also in terrific form. They are unbeaten in their last eight matches and have won three of their last four at home.

Their 1-1 draw at Gillingham last weekend ended a two-match winning streak but kept them right on the heels of the three sides above them.

Having come through a tough patch of form at the start of 2022, which saw them go seven games without a win, Gareth Ainsworth’s side look to be back to their best just at the right time of the season.

They will also have the 3-0 win at Home Park back in November fresh in their minds and will be hoping for a similar performance on Saturday.

TEAM NEWS

Argyle will wait on the fitness of club captain Joe Edwards who picked up a knock in the 0-0 draw with Burton last weekend.

Conor Grant and Steven Sessegnon returned to the squad for that game and have had another week of training behind them.

Wycombe will be without Lewis Wing after his red card against Gillingham last Saturday.

Anis Mehmeti is also out after picking up an injury in the same game.

Curtis Thompson and Anthony Stewart are also injury doubts.

TICKET NEWS

Argyle have completely sold out of their allocation for Friday’s game.

ARGYLE TV

If you cannot make the game, then it is available to watch on Argyle TV worldwide for just £10. 

Details on packages available to you can be found here.

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Panutche Camara scrapping for the ball at Wycombe

Wycombe Wanderers 2 
McCleary 14, 31 

Argyle 0 

A brace of first-half strikes from Garath McCleary proved enough to condemn Argyle to a frustrating opening to the Easter weekend. 

The Pilgrims battled gamely through the second period but were unable to carve out a major chance against a resolute Wycombe defence.  

Argyle boss Steven Schumacher made three changes from the draw at Burton, with Steven Sessegnon, Conor Grant and Luke Jephcott coming in for Ryan Law, Niall Ennis and injured skipper Joe Edwards. Youngster Finley Craske was named on the Argyle bench. 

Wycombe drew 1-1 on Gillingham last weekend and, like Argyle, entered the game desperately scrapping for points in the play-off race. The early stages were understandably tight, with a strong defensive header from Jordon Garrick repelling one dangerous ball into the box from Wycombe. 

Garrick returned to his attacking day-job with a lovely jink inside but the shot lacked any power to trouble former Pilgrim stopper David Stockdale. Wanderers replied with a break from Brandon Hanlan and a low drive well saved by the alert Mike Cooper. 

Unfortunately, there was no stopping Wycombe a minute later. Sam Vokes flicked on a header for the lively McCleary in the right channel, who rifled a terrific finish into the roof of the net from around 15 yards. 

The Greens regrouped and, after a period of patient possession, Sessegnon burst into the box for a low cutback toward Garrick, who opened his foot for a first-time effort that skimmed inches wide with Stockdale rooted to the spot. 

Gradually, the Argyle midfield of Panutche Camara, Jordan Houghton and Danny Mayor began to enjoy more control in the engine room, but that soon changed, as a swift counter from Hanlan led to a clever ball across the box for McCleary to calmly convert his second of the afternoon. 

The quick reactions of Cooper kept Argyle in the game moments later, turning wide a flicked effort from Vokes. Wycombe did have the ball in the net from the subsequent corner but referee Darren Drysdale had spotted a foul. 

The Greens attempted to start the recovery with a drilled 25-yard effort from the left boot of Grant deflected wide by Chris Forino-Joseph, and it was going to need a big second-half performance to salvage something in the Adams Park sunshine. 

Two half-time changes brought the fresh legs of Ennis and Ryan Broom into the Pilgrim cause, with Garrick and Mayor the duo replaced, although the first meaningful act after the restart was a timely block from captain James Wilson. 

A delicious scuttling cross from Sessegnon very nearly found the run of Jephcott on 54 minutes, with Stockdale smartly off his line to gather, as the Pilgrims tried to ramp up the pressure on a steadfast home defence. 

Generally, however, the game had become very scrappy, which was better suited to a Wycombe side looking to protect their two-goal advantage. One loose ball fell to Broom for a rushed volley that dribbled wide. 

Joe Jacobson swung a free-kick over the bar for the hosts before astute defending from Grant ensured a low cross didn’t reach McCleary, lurking at the back post for his hat-trick. 

Adam Randell for Houghton was the final roll of the Pilgrim dice and he soon started a slick passing move that finished with Ryan Tafazolli heading over his own bar under pressure from Jephcott.  

Argyle were turning the screw, with two hopeful penalty claims turned down by the officials, but the threat on the counter remained, Dan Scarr digging out a superb last-ditch tackle to thwart Hanlan in the left channel. 

Hanlan then steered a shot narrowly over before Randell lashed a left-footer just past the post to complete a tough afternoon for the Pilgrims. We go again for the crucial visit of Sunderland on Monday. 

Wycombe Wanderers (4-2-3-1): 13 David Stockdale; 26 Jason McCarthy 6 Ryan Tafazolli, 38 Chris Forino-Joseph, 3 Joe Jacobson (capt); 4 Dominic Gape (2 Jack Grimmer 80), 28 Josh Scowen; 12 Garath McCleary (23 Jordan Obita 89), 17 Daryl Horgan (7 David Wheeler 70), 18 Brandon Hanlan; 9 Sam Vokes. Substitutes: 30 Tyla Dickinson (gk), 16 Sullay Kaikai, 20 Adebayo Akinfenwa, 33 Oliver Pendlebury. 

Booked: Scowen 45, Stockdale 90 

Argyle (3-5-2): 1 Mike Cooper; 5 James Wilson (capt), 6 Dan Scarr, 3 Macaulay Gillesphey; 17 Steven Sessegnon, 28 Panutche Camara, 4 Jordan Houghton (20 Adam Randell 74), 10 Danny Mayor (7 Ryan Broom H-T), 15 Conor Grant; 31 Luke Jephcott, 14 Jordon Garrick (11 Niall Ennis H-T). Substitutes: 25 Callum Burton (gk), 27 Ryan Law, 33 Romoney Crichlow, 36 Finley Craske. 

Booked:  

Attendance: 8,181 (1,839 away)  

Referee: Darren Drysdale