A late second-half penalty from Adebayo Akinfenwa at Adams Park was enough to continue Wycombe Wanderers fine start to the season all the while increasing the pressure on Portsmouth manager Kenny Jackett.

Predictions at the start of the season may well have foreseen this fixture as a promotion-chasing side coming up against one struggling at the wrong end of the table, yet none would have thought it would be the home team who were the ones sitting pretty.

Yet it could be argued that Portsmouth’s lowly league position is in some respects a misnomer – they have played fewer games than all other sides in the table and have endured some tough matches against the likes of Coventry, Sunderland and Blackpool. Yet they must start picking up results soon or the vocal calls for Jackett to go which reverberated around the closing stages of the game in South Bucks last Saturday will surely increase.

A rare first-half attack from Wycombe.

The first half was almost a non-event, a tight game in which both sides cancelled each other that. Wycombe created nothing of note and Pompey created next to that – Ellis Harrison shot into the side netting from a good break after thirteen minutes while the only attempt on target was a tame effort from Ronan Curtis. Wycombe were also forced into two substitutions as Matt Bloomfield took another whack to the head and had to make way for Nnamdi Ofoborh whilst Joe Jacobson hobbled off and was replaced by Jamie Mascoll.

The Pompey fans were in predictably good voice. The bell was predictably irritating.

The second half was an altogether different affair, as Wycombe upped the ante right from the kick-off. They forced their first corner of the match on 50 minutes although there were big shouts for a handball which were waved away by referee Sebastian Stockbridge.

Five minutes later and Mr Stockbridge had an altogether more straightforward decision to make when Ofoborh went in very hard and late on Tom Naylor and was shown Wycombe’s first red card of the season. The Bournemouth loanee left the field in tears, but he may have received a minor boost moments later. A scuffle had ensued following the challenge which first saw Akinfenwa pick up a booking, followed by one for Ellis. The Pompey man had already been carded in the first half and was given his marching orders. It was ten v ten now and offered the possibility of a tight game opening up. It duly did.

Portsmouth came close to breaking the deadlock just after the hour mark when Ryan Allsop saved from a Ronan Curtis cross-shot. Scott Kashket then mustered Wycombe’s first effort on target on 71 when his drive was well saved by MacGillivray which lead to a counter-attack in which Ben Close saw a long-range strike deflected just wide.

Nick Freeman then tried to score his second goal at Adams Park this week with a curling effort that was blocked before the eventual goal game after 81 minutes. It started when Brett Pitman was booked for a late challenge on Alex Pattison which saw Mascoll try a shot from the resulting free-kick. It may well have been going on to strike the post or spin just wide but Craig MacGillivray had to be sure and got a hand to it. And that’s exactly what Naylor did when Freeman’s resulting corner swung in, leaving the referee with little choice but to point to the spot. Just like on Tuesday, Wycombe had a penalty late on and just like on Tuesday, regular taker Jacobson was off the pitch. Freeman had been successful from twelve yards against Accrington but the fact that MacGillivray may have noted this could be what prompted Wycombe to change the taker. Akinfenwa took charge and just like on Tuesday, the ball flew into the bottom right-hand corner of the goal, despite the keeper going the right way.

The weather matched the mood at Wycombe at the moment (Photo credit – George Taylor)

The chants for Jackett to go started very shortly afterwards from the 2,125 travelling fans which would not have instilled much confidence in the players but at least drowned out the infuriating bell to the joy of all and sundry.

Pompey did look for an equaliser and came close when Pitman headed Brandon Haunstrup’s cross onto the top of the bar with three minutes of normal time to go.

Seven minutes of injury time were signalled but Wycombe saw the game out well. The time-wasting tactics for which they have become fairly or unfairly renowned were absent, as the ball was stroked around neatly, Akinfenwa turned a full-back, Kashket looked for a second killer goal and the visiting players appeared to eventually give up all hope.

The result leaves Wycombe, yes Wycombe, third in the League One table as their fine start and remarkable home form continues. It’s now five wins from six at Adams Park as the club continues to make strides both on and off the pitch ahead of a key ownership vote in the winter months. They travel to Rochdale next week hoping to pick up their first away win of the campaign and keep the pressure on the unbeaten top two.

For Portsmouth, only Bury’s expulsion keeps them out of the relegation zone, having won only one game out of seven this season. They host Bolton Wanderers at Fratton Park next week, and given the Pompey faithful’s reactions at full-time on social media, anything less than a win and the final bell will likely chime on Jackett’s reign.

WYCOMBE WANDERERS 1 (Akinfenwa 81pen)
PORTSMOUTH 0

Att: 7,688 (Away 2,125)

words Phil Slatter, D3D4 Wycombe Wanderers correspondent