Wycombe 1 Shrewsbury 0 - Report and pictures

The 1-0 reverse made it 13 league trips without a win at Adams Park for Shrewsbury as Sam Ricketts’ side paid for not taking advantage of a good early spell.

A disappointing day for Town was made worse by the late red card for defender Ro-Shaun Williams, shown a late second yellow card amid a scuffle.

Wycombe, who extended their unbeaten home record, climbed above Ipswich to top spot as Town failed to find an equaliser to the hosts’ 58th-minute goal.

Shrews were much the better side before the break but found no way through and the in-form Chairboys upped the ante after half-time and were rewarded with the breakthrough via a set-piece.

Clear-cut chances were few and far between for Town in the final half hour. Ollie Norburn had the best for Shrewsbury, who were unbeaten in October, but headed a good chance poorly wide from close range in the final few minutes.

Town remained 12th with just their fourth league defeat from 15 games but, despite their hosts going top of the division, the disappointment was tangible as Ricketts’ side were far and away the better side at the halfway point.

It is impossible not to notice the similarities between Wycombe’s superb campaign and Town under Paul Hurst a couple of seasons ago.

Most had the Chairboys among a cluster of clubs to be battling the drop this season but Gareth Ainsworth - now the longest serving boss in the Football League after Jim Bentley left Morecambe - has made a mockery of those expectations.

They had lost just once ahead of kick-off and boasted an unblemished league record at Adams Park.

Confidence was sky-high with the momentum Ainsworth’s side had built. Shrewsbury’s historical record was also against them in leafy Wycombe - where a stunning backdrop of nature oversees the stadium.

It had been a significant week for Wycombe Wanderers and new owner and chairman, American Rob Couhig, enthusiastically addressed the home fans in the heaving rain ahead of kick-off.

Town had won just two of 24 league outings against the Chairboys since they first became a league club in 1993.

In fact, Shrews’ only ever victory at Adams Park was that remarkable evening where Grant Holt smashed in five of the seven in Salop’s 7-0 EFL Trophy romp.

Ricketts’ men began the day in 12th, 10 places below their hosts, but in decent form having not lost in four league trips on the road and only once in nine in all competitions.

Despite suggesting the horses for courses approach to his team selection meant it may not necessarily be the same XI that shocked Sunderland at home last weekend, Ricketts opted for an unchanged line-up.

Town squad’s one change was the return of defender Ethan Ebanks-Landell from a hamstring injury to make the bench. The ex-Wolves man had spent three weeks on the sidelines.

Ainsworth’s hosts were fielded in their familiar 4-3-3, led by talismanic 37-year-old striker Adebayo Akinfenwa. Town knew the hosts, who had familiar faces of Joe Jacobson and Jack Grimmer at full-back, would be full of energy and enthusiasm amid their incredible run of form.

Conditions were awful in Wycombe. The high winds felt up and down the country were met with relentless rain in what was a cold day for the purists.

It was clear from the early stages that players would have to keep their concentration, especially in critical moments, to keep their feet on the soggy, slippery surface.

Ricketts got exactly the sort of start he would have wanted from his side.

Wycombe could not get a foothold in what was a surprisingly quiet atmosphere from the supporters of the in-form hosts.

Donald Love, playing on the right side of a midfield four in Ricketts’ 3-4-3, was receiving a growing fanfare from the enthusiastic travelling Shrewsbury fans behind the goal Salop were defending.

The former Sunderland man whistled a right-footed strike inches wide of Ryan Allsop’s post from 25 yards for the game’s first attempt as the visitors started on the front foot.

Town were much the better side early on. Much went through Jason Cummings and Shaun Whalley in forward positions. Cummings was seen out by a defender on one occasion, dragged just wide across the goal on a second before being denied in unorthodox style by Allsop in a third chance before 20 minutes.

Shrewsbury were first to second balls and much more convincing in possession than their hosts. Love was catching the eye and Scott Golbourne was equally adventurous down the left.

Ollie Norburn was busy in the centre of the park while former Chairboy Aaron Pierre was winning his mammoth battle against big man Akinfenwa.

Wycombe had very little to show for their opening half hour in the torrential conditions.

In-form winger Scott Kashket shot limply at Max O’Leary from the edge of the box after an unfortunate ricochet off Josh Laurent.

Town’s eye-catching half hour turned down a notch and the hosts profited from some soft fouls committed. But, to their credit, Ricketts’ men dealt tremendously with the gifted Jacobson’s deliveries throughout the first half.

Those of a Shrewsbury persuasion would have expected a rally from the home side after the break and the Chairboys had their best moment of the contest so far as, from a Grimmer cross, Rolando Aarons was crowded out before Dominic Gape drove wide from distance.

Town weren’t without their moments and Whalley put in an accurate deep cross for Golbourne, steaming in at the back post, but the left-sided Shrews man could only guide a diving header a few feet over.

There was a noticeable increase in tempo, energy and drive from the home side and it told 12 minutes after the break.

The conceding of another foul cost Ricketts’ side. Jacobson’s deep free-kick was well won by big centre-half Darius Charles for Aarons who had snuck in undetected to the middle of the goal and swept in a volleyed side-foot finish beyond O’Leary.

Wycombe fans enjoyed their lead as Adams Park came alive. Home supporters chanted about going top of League One in the continuously driving rain.

The hosts sniffed blood and Akinfenwa’s goalbound header was well blocked, Wycombe thought by an arm, but referee Brett Huxtable played on.

Shrewsbury struggled in their response in a broken up second half. Town were patient in possession but not threatening the Chairboys rearguard.

With options including Fejiri Okenabirhie, Louis Thompson and Sean Goss warming up Ricketts opted to send on the latter for Laurent, who had been cautioned.

Norburn dragged wide from the edge of the box after a nice passing move down Shrews’ right. The visitors were trying to force their way through neat interchanges but had the door shut in their face.

Ricketts sent on Okenabirhie with 15 minutes left as a presence alongside Cummings. Shrews saw presentable set-pieces come and go and could only test Allsop in goal through a 30-yard Cummings strike.

Town failed to build up a sufficient head of steam late on. Their clearest chance by some distance fell to skipper Norburn but he showed no conviction in the header as it dropped wide at the far post.

A bad day was condemned with Williams’ second yellow card, both cautions collected in the closing stages, for arguing as part of a frustrated group of Shrewsbury players as 420 drowned travelling fans watched on with glum faces.

Wycombe Wanderers (4-3-3):

Allsop; Grimmer, Stewart, Charles, Jacobson; Bloomfield © (Pattison, 80), Gape, Thompson; Kashket, Aarons (Wheeler, 80), Akinfenwa.

Subs not used: Yates (gk), Phillips, Freeman, Parker, Ofoborh.

Shrewsbury Town (3-4-3):

O’Leary; Williams, Pierre, Beckles; Love (Thompson, 88), Norburn ©, Laurent (Goss, 68), Golbourne; Whalley, Edwards (Okenabirhie, 75), Cummings.

Subs not used: Murphy (gk), Ebanks-Landell, Walker, McCormick.

Referee: Brett Huxtable

Attendance: 4,826 (420 Shrewsbury fans)