For the first time for a very long time that I can remember (probably since Dicky Dosh was here), we did to another team what they tend to do to us – make a tactical switch at half time and changed the game.

The first half performance was complete dross, and we could easily have been more than 0 – 2 down. Hutchings then made the switch of bringing on Jones (inexplicably left out for the incompetant Till – it seems Hutchings works on the Janet and John book of football management and won’t make changes not forced on him), we moved to a 4 3 1 2, Jones havng the free role, and suddenly everyone looked happier. The result? a 3 – 2 win!

Priestley Saddler sums up the game:

The start of the game was pretty even, despite it being obvious that the midfield was struggling. Then Ince had an Ince moment, where for a free kick 35 yards out Clayton decided to stand on the penalty spot ready to catch the cross….only for the player to have the vision and ability to loft it straight in, I don’t think it was a fluke for a second. After that it was as though the heads went down, and for the rest of the first half we were really really crud. There 2nd was a good finish, although had anyone bothered to close him down and try and block the shot then it may have been different. There ginger striker (who clearly isn’t as good as ours ) missed a good chance to make it 3 and then Hughes cleared one off the line. Hutch brought Jones on for Till just before 40 minutes but he didn’t really have time to influence the match before half time.

However, after the break it was a different game. We started to at least look competitive which is something we hadn’t been all first half. Taundry got injured, Nicholls replaced him and we finally had the midfield that should have started the match. We scored almost immediately, Jones finishing coolly from a 1 on 1. Again though they wasted chances and should have put the game to bed. The great save the BBC reported was Ince getting down low to save a shot relatively close to him. Jones had another screamer from about 25 yards that their keeper touched over for a corner, his only save of the game. We scored from the resulting corner, and it reminded me of the incident in the first half where Hughes cleared off the line with our keeper nowhere. This time though Hughes was involved again and smashed one into the top corner. Wycombe’s heads dropped and for the first time you felt we could win it. They’re useless ginger striker skyed once from six yards out and then Nicholls slid one in minutes later from a Jones through ball. Then we managed to run down the clock, although once we were in the lead you never felt Wycombe had it in them to come back.

So it was a good comeback but we can’t hide from the fact that we should never have been in that position in the first place. All the midfield four that started the game were rubbish and this is a real concern. Bradley and Richards will probably get most of the stick, but Taundry and Till were equally rubbish. You can’t really afford to carry one player in a midfield four but we were carrying four. Weston was slaughtered first half but looked a threat going forward after the break. The two centre halves played well considering they had no protection at all. Ince never really got chance to attone for his error as his only real save you’d expect him to make anyway.

MOTM was Byfield by virtue of the fact he played the whole match. Best player on the pitch though was Jones by an absolute country mile and he really should be first name on the team sheet.

Despite the win, if we play how we did in the first half next week then Stourbridge WILL beat us.

Bristol fan also credits the chnage of formation:

My first away game of the season, but little point saying much because Priestley’s already said it!

Inexplicable team selection and inexcusable performance in the first half, from possibly the worst midfield I’ve ever seen for us (Richards playing as usual like a second left-back, Bradley chasing shadows, Taundry occasionally winning the ball and invariably giving it away straight away, Till looking as usual like he would struggle to get on the bench for a low-level pub team).

Fortunately Wycombe are clearly awful at putting the ball in the net (they had 16 shots in the game to our 5) – they could and should have had us completely dead and buried by half time.

At least in the second half we put them under some pressure (playing a Merson-style 4-3-1-2 formation, with Jones terrific in the hole behind the strikers) – understandably Wycombe still had a number of opportunities since we were pushing forward so often, but their finishing again let them down. We were massively fortunate that Taundry got injured since Nicholls coming on gave us additional forward impetus. And Bradley playing in the middle of 3 brought out the best in him – he seems so much more comfortable in that role.