Northampton Town Vs Wycombe Wanderers
Sixfields Stadium, Saturday 28th August, 3pm
Wanderers make the trip to Northampton on Saturday as Gary Waddock's men look to extend their unbeaten start to the season.
The Blues have yet to concede a goal in the league, a feat matched only by Torquay and Accrington Stanley. It is at the other end, however, where the Chairboys need to find some more luck. After netting a barrage of goals in pre-season, Wanderers have not scored in their last two league outings, something Gary Waddock will be keen for his strikers to put right at the weekend.
Wycombe will be buoyed by the news that Stuart Beavon is back and scoring goals for the reserves; the Blues forward is capable of unlocking any defence and will give the squad another attacking option.
Northampton Town are still without a league win this season, although they have seen off Brighton and Reading in the Carling Cup, the latter in a dramatic penalty shoot out on Tuesday night.
This will be the Cobblers' second consecutive season in the fourth tier of English football, having been relegated in 2009. The Northamptonshire side finished 11
th last season, missing out on the playoffs by just five points - a cause not helped by Town's home record: they drew as many games at the Sixfields Stadium as they won.
It is four years since the Blues have faced the Cobblers in the league, but they did meet in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy last season at Adams Park: Northampton winning on penalties after the game had finished level at 2-2.
The last league meeting at the Sixfields was in January 2006 and ended in a goalless draw, but Chairboys fans will have fond memories of the encounter in 2003 when Wanderers smashed the Cobblers 5-0.
The Blues will be hoping their strikers can replicate that kind of form on Saturday and end their current barren spell, but Gary Waddock believes there is no cause for concern:
"We've got a lot of firepower in the side and players who can score goals, so that will come," he told Chairboys Player.
"It will be another tough game, they will have gained some confidence from their victory against Reading, but it's about what we do and how we go about it."
Ticket News
The clash at Sixfields is an all-ticket affair, so Blues supporters must buy in advance - click
here for details.
Opposition View
Northampton Town boss Ian Sampson talking to Cobblers Player:
"Wycombe will try and play the game in the right way, so it will be a good game of football. We need to start getting some points on the board and try and push up the league."
Team News
Wycombe: Alan Bennett faces at least three weeks on the sidelines after sustaining a hamstring injury against Oxford, which means Leon Johnson is likely to partner Dave Winfield at the back. Stuart Beavon will be hoping to make his first league appearance of the season after scoring for the reserves in mid-week.
Northampton: Ian Sampson will be without Craig Hinton (tendonitis), Chris Dunn and Liam Davis (both ankle). Ryan Gilligan is a slight doubt after picking up a knock in the 1-1 draw against Bury last week, but there could be a recall for defender John Johnson who has recovered from a groin injury.
Officials
Referee: Mr C BOYESON
Assistant: Mr M A SUTTON
Assistant: Mr T WOOD
Fourth Official: Mr M D STEWART
Wycombe have won just one of their last six games that Carl Boyeson has officiated in. He was also in charge when the Blues drew 1-1 at the Cobblers in August 2004.
Listen at Home Chairboys Player will, as always, be providing live commentary from the clash with Ben Campbell and Matt Cecil reporting from Sixfields throughout the game. To sign up click
here.You can also receive text updates straight to your mobile phone by sending CLUB WYCW GOLD to 88442 and you'll receive team news, goal updates and scores around the division at a cost of 25p per message. To cancel the service at any time, just send STOP to the same number.
BBC Three Counties Radio (98FM) will be providing a pre-match, half-time and full-time report from the game and finally, don't forget to check
wwfc.com after the game for a full report and reaction from the Wycombe camp.
By Ben Edwards
