13 February 2021

Wycombe boost survival hopes with brilliant comeback win at Huddersfield

13 February 2021

Wycombe gave their Championship survival hopes a welcome boost after fighting back from 2-0 down to beat fellow strugglers Huddersfield 3-2 at the John Smith’s Stadium.

Goals from Juninho Bacuna and Isaac Mbenza handed the Terriers a healthy advantage heading into half-time.

But Anis Mehmeti pulled a goal back in the third minute of first-half injury-time and skipper Joe Jacobson levelled from the penalty spot  midway through the second half after Jonathan Hogg bundled over Uche Ikpeazu in his own box.

However, the best was yet to come for the visitors when Leicester loanee Josh Knight smashed home with three minutes remaining to secure a stunning comeback victory and the Chairboys’ first away league win for three months.

Knight also rattled the crossbar in the first half while Ikpeazu had a shot cleared of the line by Huddersfield defender Naby Sarr.

Duane Holmes poked wide after just four minutes as the Terriers dominated possession in the early exhanges.

And in the 18th minute some poor defending allowed an unmarked Bacuna to head home for what could be the easiest goal he scores all season.

Fraizer Campbell crossed first time and Bacuna nodded home at the back post for a welcome lead.

The hosts kept up the pressure and were denied a second goal when Wycombe goalkeeper Ryan Allsop denied Holmes with a smart save at his near post.

A minute later Bacuna teed up Pipa, but after turning his defender the right-back rifled a left-foot shot straight at Allsop.

Wycombe should have been level shortly after the half-hour mark but striker Ikpeazu badly scuffed his left-foot shot at the back post and Sarr hooked the ball clear off his own goalline.

And that miss proved costly as Huddersfield doubled their lead four minutes before the break.

Mbenza cut inside his marker and found the bottom-right corner with a sweet left-foot strike.

Knight came within a whisker of pulling a goal back in the second minute of stoppage-time when he rattled the crossbar with a powerful effort.

But it mattered not as Mehmeti fired into the bottom corner a minute later to hand the visitors a welcome lifeline.

Despite that setback, the Terriers started brightly after the break and came within a whisker of extending their lead when Pipa cut inside and curled a left-foot shot agonisingly wide of the left post.

Wycombe forward Daryl Horgan then shot inches wide with a warning shot before the visitors levelled from the spot.

Huddersfield skipper Hogg felled Ikpeazu with a clumsy challenge and Jacobson, restored to the starting line-up, smashed home to restore parity.

And it was Wycombe who twice went close to taking the lead for the first time.

Garath McCleary picked out Horgan with a delightful cross, but the midfielder saw his bullet header superbly tipped over the bar by an alert Ryan Schofield.

Then McCleary lashed a shot just over as Huddersfield really found themselves under the cosh.

But Knight won it at the death with his first league goal for a year as Wycombe also ended a run of five games without a win in the league.

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