Excellent display earns United the points ...
Carlisle defended expertly and took their chances as they picked up an excellent three points from tough opponents on Saturday afternoon.The home side won a corner early in the day when a high ball forward fell nicely for Cowan-Hall. He jinked his way into the area but a covering tackle from O'Sullivan forced it behind.
The Chairboys stayed forward and a clearance from the corner by Brisley was hooked back into the mix when Stewart latched onto it. Striker Adebayo Akinfenwa stayed alert and he glanced a neat header into the bottom corner to give his side the lead.
Carlisle didn't panic and they played their way into the game by closing down in the key midfield areas. Their determined appoach was rewarded when Adams touched a header on for Lambe to chase. He carried the ball forward and cut it back to find Proctor in space. The Carlisle forward set himself and left Blackman with no chance with a drilled finish into the back of the net.
The Chairboys suddenly looked nervous and Stewart had to step across to block a snapshot from Proctor as O’Sullivan picked him out with a clever cross. Wycombe got forward in numbers from the clearance and a foul on Akinfenwa gave Saunders the chance to go for goal with a 23-yard free kick. His effort hit the wall and spun over the bar.
It sparked a good spell for the hosts and O’Nien had a go from the edge of the box when Akinfenwa rolled the ball into his path. Gillespie dived low and made a two-handed save.
Balls into the box caused some problems as Wycombe flooded men forward but Brisley and Gillesphey cleared as the big men waited for a mistake. Having been thwarted with that appraoch Saunders took matters into his own hands when he controlled it on his chest just before the half hour. He spotted a gap but was disappointed to send his shot high into the sky.
Carlisle responded with a bit of like-for-like before the break when a huge ball forward was flicked on by Proctor. Reggie Lambe ran off his man and took Blackman completely by surprise as he got enough on it to give his side the lead.
Wycombe sent men forward from the restart and Saunders bent a beauty of a shot at the top corner as he once again found space. Gillespie somehow got there to palm it behind as it appeared to be heading in.
Saunders sent a right-footed curler wide as he continued with his own shooting practice session, but it was United who tested the target again when Raynes headed an Adams free kick back across the face of goal. Stewart had to clear before Proctor could finish it off.
The action swung from end to end after the break and it was Wycombe who went closest in a frantic opening spell when Blackman pumped the ball forward from a free kick. Akinfenwa got on the end of it but his header rattled the base of the post as he popped it past Gillespie. The red shirts were quickly onto the second ball to hook it away.
More good football from the hosts put Jakubiak into space and it needed another excellent and acrobatic save from Gillespie to stop the effort from going in. His parry was once more helped to safety by Raynes. Cowan-Hall was next to go close when he got onto a flick from Akinfenwa. He went for a volleyed lob but he put too much on it as he sent it wide.
United weathered the storm and caused problems of their own when Gillesphey floated a free kick into the mix. Blaclkman misjudged it but his defenders helped him out with a timely clearance.
Carlisle looked alive and crosses from Liddle and Devitt had to be dealt with, as they found a way round the back, and the keeper once more missed the flight of a corner with Raynes in attendance. A touch from Gape spared his blushes.
The Wanderers went close on 75 minutes when Saunders found an excellent free kick delivery. De Havilland jumped highest but he sent a close range header high over the bar.
Bloomfield thundered a shot from distance wide as the home pressure mounted, and Carlisle boss Keith Curle was sent to the stands as the temperature also rose in the technical areas.
But the manager was able to watch his side dig deep to claim yet another important victory as they saw the win out professionally despite a run og high balls into the area.
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Goals
Wycombe Wanderers - Akinfenwa (3)
Carlisle United - Proctor (9), Lambe (34)
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Bookings
Wycombe Wanderers - Saunders (76), Richardson (80)
Carlisle United - O'Sullivan (20), Liddle (79), Jones (82)
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Teams
Wycombe Wanderers - Blackman, Harriman, Jacobson, Stewart, De Havilland, Gape (Bloomfield 74), O'Nien, Saunders (Wood 85), Jakubiak, Akinfenwa, Cowan-Hall (Thompson 77). Subs - Richardson, Jombati, Bean, Muller.
Carlisle United - Gillespie, Liddle, Raynes, Brisley, Gillesphey, Lambe, Joyce, Jones, Adams (Ibehre 78), O'Sullivan (Devitt 59), Proctor (Waring 90). Subs - Bacon, Bailey, S Miller, McQueen.
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Referee - Mr Darren Drysdale
Attendance - 3,858 (354 away fans)
