D3D4 Wycombe Wanderers correspondent Phil Slatter is back with another Chairboys Review. Have Gareth Ainsworth’s men started to find their League One feet? Read on to find out more…

WYCOMBE’S STEADY PROGRESS

When Freddie Ladapo raced clear of the Wycombe defence to lob the ball into the net for Plymouth Argyle after just four minutes of the game on Tuesday 21^st August, Wanderers fans could be forgiven for thinking that promotion last season may not have been the best idea after all. Having picked up just one point and scored just one goal in their opening three games, the Chairboys had conceded inside five minutes for the second game in a row. Yet Gareth Ainsworth’s side is nothing if not resilient, and didn’t let their heads drop.

They fought back against the Pilgrims scoring a late yet deserved equaliser before being denied a winner by the width of a post and then an assistant’s flag. ‘You know what, we will be fine in this league’ the clubs official Twitter feed stated afterwards following the best performance of a still young season. The result left Wanderers second bottom of the table, yet Ainsworth was keen to point out that the league at such an early stage is little more than a rough form guide, and he wants to see his side grow into the division.

This brought to mind Wanderers last start in League One when they picked up five points from the opening nine and found themselves seventh, before losing the next five games in a row without scoring a goal. Find your feet, learn from your mistakes, it’s a marathon not a sprint.

And Wycombe built on that performance the following Saturday picking up their first win of the season with a 2-1 victory at Bradford.

And then Luton came to town. Ainsworth is always keen to point out that The Hatters are a big club and while it’s true that in terms of fanbase and financial clout they are slightly bigger than Wycombe, the two sides have been competing in the same leagues for similar goals quite a lot in recent seasons. Yet Town have never lost at Adams Park, ever, a remarkable run that stretched for 13 games. On a warm afternoon, Wycombe controlled the match for 65 minutes and lead through Joe Jacobson’s first-half penalty. When Wycombe were awarded a second spot-kick, Jacobson stepped up again and went the same way but saw his effort saved by visiting keeper James Shea. Should Jacobson have gone the other way? Shea had guessed correctly the first time and not been successful so it’s understandable as to why he repeated the feat. Should Wycombe have had a different taker? The last time Wycombe were awarded two penalties in a game, against York in 2013, Dean Morgan took and scored them both. Did the delay caused by referee Darren England talking to the fourth official and then Nathan Jones have an effect? Impossible to say. It’s easy to make these decisions in hindsight.

From that point on, Luton galvanised and with their first real opportunity, they equalised, capitalising on a mistake from Wycombe keeper Ryan Allsop. Allsop has his critics in some areas of the Wycombe faithful who want to see Yves Ma-Kalambay given a chance. Yet the same thing was said of Scott Brown a year ago and of Jamal Blackman the year before that. It’s perhaps no excuse for Allsop’s error, but the fact that he had been a virtual spectator up to that point may be a reason for his failure to claim the cross. The goalie more than made up for it though with three fine saves as the game became stretched, while at the other end Shea kept Akinfenwa, Stewart and Morris at bay. Wycombe ended up feeling it was a game they should have won, but could easily have lost.

So six points from six games but a marked improvement in performances has the Adams Park faithful feeling a good deal better about League One life. However, Wanderers will feel that they three draws could, maybe should, have been victories. Performances have improved vastly and the points tally has crept up, but perhaps not quite as much as it could have done.

Yet the belief is there that the wins will come. From one point, one goal and five conceded in the first three matches, it’s now five points, four scored and three conceded from the following three.

And the doubters that claimed Ainsworth hadn’t strengthened in the summer have been silenced with the additions of Jason McCarthy, Alex Samuels, Charlie Fox and Fred Onyedinma to the side. Wycombe’s squad is now the biggest it has been for a while, standing at 24. This means Wycombe can now arrange 11 v 11 games in training, injuries permitting and have strength in depth and can concentrate on more than one competition. For amidst the hustle and bustle of the league, Wycombe have made it to the Third Round of the League Cup for only the second time ever.

Ainsworth loves the cups being the first manager to take Wycombe into the F.A. Cup Third Round for three years running, not to mention the run to the Check-a-Trade semi-final in 2016-17. Being a man who is in tune with the club’s potential and limitations , he understands that cup success can generate prize money and publicity that in turn increase his budget and make his job easier. Wanderers face four cup ties over the next month and then the F.A. Cup will begin. Plenty of games, but a squad big enough to deal with it and a side that is finding its feet.