Double Bogey

ARGYLE go in search of their first Sky League One win on Tuesday against a Wycombe Wanderers side who have had exactly the same fortunes as us, having picked up just a point from their opening three games.

Manager Gareth Ainsworth and his team have been somewhat of a thorn in our side – especially at home. You would need to travel back to 2007 for the last victory over the Chairboys at the Theatre of Greens. Even then, their players still scored more times than us in our 2-1 win – goals from Wycombe defender Martin Bullock and Lee Hodges, on the stroke of half-time, ensured our safe passage into the second round of the League Cup.  

Indeed, Ainsworth’s side are unbeaten on their last five visits to Home Park, not that that bothers Argyle manager Derek Adams, who saw his side give up a two-goal lead in the final ten minutes of the Chairboys’ last visit. 

Tuesday is a new day, though, and with it comes new opportunity to beat a so-called bogey team, with the manager in a defiant mood. 

“It doesn’t really have an influence because we should have won the game when we were 3-1 up here,” he said.  “We played really well that day and just conceded two very silly goals late on in the game.”

That visit was two seasons ago, with Argyle preceding Wycombe’s rise to League One last season. 

Derek said: “They played particularly well to get promoted last year, but we’re looking to get back to using home advantage. 

“They have changed their style of play since League Two and the season before. They’re very tenacious, very hard-working, and they have got some very good technical players.” 

If our record against Wycombe reads “could do better” - particularly in our own back yard, where last season, at times, we were unplayable – the same could also be said for dealing with their leading marksman of the last two seasons, Adebayo Akinfenwa. 

The Green Army – and a succession of Pilgrims’ defenders - will know all too well the pain has inflicted over the years, none more hurtful than the penalty for Wimbledon that finally extinguished our promotion dreams in 2016. 

Derek said: “He has done exceptionally well; he’s scored goals. He is a difficult player to play against because of his build. He played particularly well last year for them, scoring many goals. 

“They have [proven goalscorers] so we’ll have to watch them.”