Matt Bloomfield delighted as Wycombe find different ways to win

Posted Sunday, November 10, 2024 by PA

Matt Bloomfield believes Wycombe showed both sides of their promotion credentials this week by following up the 5-0 midweek romp at Stockport with a single-goal triumph at Sky Bet League One strugglers Wigan.

Joe Low’s 11th-minute header was the difference at the Brick Community Stadium as Wycombe cemented their position on top of the league with a seventh straight win in all competitions.

But after coasting to victory at Stockport, this time the Chairboys had to dig in and withstand a fierce second-half onslaught from the Latics to secure another three points.

“It was a very different game to Stockport in the week,” admitted Bloomfield. “I thought that was as good as we could possibly play both in and out of possession and we pressed high up the pitch.

“But the way Wigan dominated possession today, it was tough for us to do that and we’ll have to have a look at the game-plan, and whether we could have done anything differently.

“Full respect for the way Shaun (Maloney) has got his team going, I thought they were very, very good, we had to hold on for large parts of the game.

“I thought the desire of the defence not to concede, and a couple of great saves from Franco (Ravizzoli), were the reason we won the game.

“To go to Stockport and Wigan in the space of four days, I was a little bit fearful of how it would play out. But to come away with six points, we have to be very, very pleased.

“As well as we played in midweek, there was a lot of ‘old school Wycombe’ about this one – the spirit has remained, and the players are really running with it.”

For Wigan boss Maloney, it was another case of what might have been. Thelo Aasgaard could not take any of the three big chances that came his way while Dale Taylor fired over from close range and Jonny Smith also hit the bar.

“In terms of performance, I can’t ask any more in terms of what we did in the second half, apart from the most important part – we have to take our chances,” said Maloney.

“It’s not the first time I’ve sat here and said that. We created more than enough in that second half, the intent completely different from the first.

“My centre-backs have been fantastic for me this season and I just needed more from them in that first half, in terms of playing forward and being aggressive, when there was space to go forward.

“They did that in that second half, and I think that was a big part of why we were so good.

“In fairness, in that first half, they had a chance from a set-piece and they score, we had a set-piece and we didn’t… other than that it was a very even, slow-paced game from both sides.

“There was no real intent or aggression, which I didn’t like. The second half was much better and on another day we probably get something.

“What I will say is that whenever I’ve watched Wycombe, I’ve thought they looked dangerous against the best sides in the division.

“I never felt uncomfortable against them today… but to be fair, they probably didn’t feel uncomfortable playing against us in that first half.”