Gareth Ainsworth: Wycombe are still evolving

Posted Wednesday, October 23, 2019 by PA

Gareth Ainsworth believes Wycombe are still evolving as his promotion-chasing side missed the chance to go top of the table after being held to a 1-1 draw at Blackpool.

Scott Kashket gave Ainsworth’s side the perfect start with an eighth-minute opener, lobbing keeper Jak Alnwick as the visitors looked to end a record of 12 games without a win at Bloomfield Road.

But defender Ben Heneghan equalised for Simon Grayson’s battling Blackpool six minutes after the break.

Heneghan had the ball in the net five minutes later but his header was ruled out for a foul.

“We’re Wycombe Wanderers,” Ainsworth said. “To say we could go top with a win at Blackpool is a phenomenal statement for us.

“But I’ll take a point – and I would’ve taken a point before the game, although I always go out to win.

“I thought we dominated the first half and they equalised. It’s a fair result, but I’ve got to be the happier manger away from home.

“It’s a tough place to come, I think there’s going to be a few teams which come a cropper here.

“I’m really pleased with the way we played, but we’ve got some tough games coming up. We’ve had Sunderland, Blackpool and now Rotherham in one week, and we’ve got four points already.

“I’d probably say I’m happy with that but I wouldn’t mind seven. I have to give credit to the group though, we are evolving as a team.”

James Husband and Sullay Kaikai had fired wide for the hosts early on, but it was Heneghan who frustrated Wycombe with his first league goal for nearly nine months.

The defender timed his run to perfection to head a Kaikai cross over goalkeeper Ryan Allsop to secure a share of the spoils, which Blackpool boss Grayson felt was deserved.

“We were on the back foot with their early goal, but we tweaked things in the second half and we looked a different team,” said Grayson.

“Their goal knocked the wind out of our sails. Maybe on another day we might have nicked it but I think overall it was a fair result for both teams.

“We had to make sure we were more competitive on the front foot in the second half. We played a little bit narrower because of their outside players, who win a lot of second balls.

“We got the equaliser early in the second half which gave everybody a lift. We played with a desire and tried to pin them back.

“Our quality in the first half wasn’t good enough and our quality to the strikers and the midfielders wasn’t good enough.

“We know we can play better and we know we’ve got to have an edge to us, but we’ve got to make sure we show a bit more quality.”