Wycombe Wanderers 1-0 Walsall

A sublime free-kick from Jason McCarthy earned Wycombe a vital three points in their survival bid and nudged his old club Walsall towards the drop.

McCarthy got the ball up and down from just outside the box to score the only goal of the match just before the hour mark.

Victory moves Wycombe four points above the relegation zone, with Walsall four adrift of safety with two games remaining.

The best chance of a goalless first half fell to Wycombe's Adebayo Akinfenwa, who controlled with his chest and outmuscled three defenders only to shoot straight at Walsall keeper Chris Dunn.

With the tension beginning to mount, Wycombe were awarded a free-kick on the edge of the area after Akinfenwa was brought down and McCarthy's strike left Dunn motionless.

Walsall threw on all three substitutes but even six minutes of stoppage time was not enough for them to come back as Wycombe held on for the victory.

Match report supplied by the Press Association.

• Line-ups
• Match Stats
• Live Text

Line-ups

Wycombe

• 1Allsop
• 26McCarthy
• 2Coelho Jombati
• 6El-Abd
• 16Harriman
• 18Thompson
• 4GapeSubstituted forBloomfieldat 61'minutesBooked at 70mins
• 22FreemanSubstituted forTysonat 60'minutes
• 11KashketSubstituted forCowan-Hallat 85'minutes
• 20Akinfenwa
• 25Samuel

Substitutes

• 3Jacobson
• 5Stewart
• 8Bean
• 10Bloomfield
• 12Cowan-Hall
• 23Tyson
• 30Ma-Kalambay

Walsall

• 13Dunn
• 6Devlin
• 20JohnsonBooked at 13mins
• 35Scarr
• 34LairdBooked at 90mins
• 28NormanSubstituted forIsmailat 70'minutes
• 2Edwards
• 30Osbourne
• 3LeahySubstituted forBlackett-Taylorat 73'minutes
• 29Gordon
• 36OtehSubstituted forCookat 62'minutes

Substitutes

• 1Roberts
• 4Dobson
• 5Guthrie
• 9Cook
• 10Ismail
• 15Kinsella
• 38Blackett-Taylor

Referee:

Charles Breakspear

Attendance:

5,595

Match Stats

Home TeamWycombeAway TeamWalsall

Possession

Home48%

Away52%

Shots

Home6

Away6

Shots on Target

Home3

Away2

Corners

Home2

Away3

Fouls

Home14

Away16

Live Text

Posted at

Match ends, Wycombe Wanderers 1, Walsall 0.

Full Time

Posted at 90'+7'

Second Half ends, Wycombe Wanderers 1, Walsall 0.

Booking

Posted at 90'+3'

Scott Laird (Walsall) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

Posted at 90'+3'

Alex Samuel (Wycombe Wanderers) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Posted at 90'+3'

Foul by Scott Laird (Walsall).

Posted at 90'+2'

Corner, Wycombe Wanderers. Conceded by Connor Johnson.

Posted at 90'+1'

Adam El-Abd (Wycombe Wanderers) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Posted at 90'+1'

Foul by Dan Scarr (Walsall).

Posted at 87'

Hand ball by Andy Cook (Walsall).

Posted at 87'

Foul by Paris Cowan-Hall (Wycombe Wanderers).

Posted at 87'

Connor Johnson (Walsall) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Posted at 85'

Foul by Matt Bloomfield (Wycombe Wanderers).

Posted at 85'

Joe Edwards (Walsall) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Substitution

Posted at 85'

Substitution, Wycombe Wanderers. Paris Cowan-Hall replaces Scott Kashket.

Posted at 84'

Curtis Thompson (Wycombe Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 84'

Foul by Corey Taylor (Walsall).

Posted at 83'

Scott Kashket (Wycombe Wanderers) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Posted at 83'

Foul by Corey Taylor (Walsall).

Posted at 81'

Corner, Walsall. Conceded by Jason McCarthy.

Posted at 81'

Attempt blocked. Josh Gordon (Walsall) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked.

Posted at 78'

Foul by Curtis Thompson (Wycombe Wanderers).

Posted at 78'

Isaiah Osbourne (Walsall) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Posted at 77'

Attempt saved. Josh Gordon (Walsall) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner.

Posted at 76'

Foul by Matt Bloomfield (Wycombe Wanderers).

Posted at 76'

Scott Laird (Walsall) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 76'

Delay over. They are ready to continue.

Posted at 74'

Delay in match Dan Scarr (Walsall) because of an injury.

Substitution

Posted at 73'

Substitution, Walsall. Corey Taylor replaces Luke Leahy.

Posted at 72'

Matt Bloomfield (Wycombe Wanderers) wins a free kick on the left wing.

Posted at 72'

Foul by Nicky Devlin (Walsall).

Substitution

Posted at 70'

Substitution, Walsall. Zeli Ismail replaces Cameron Norman.

Booking

Posted at 70'

Matt Bloomfield (Wycombe Wanderers) is shown the yellow card for hand ball.

Posted at 70'

Hand ball by Matt Bloomfield (Wycombe Wanderers).

Posted at 69'

Matt Bloomfield (Wycombe Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 69'

Foul by Dan Scarr (Walsall).

Posted at 64'

Josh Gordon (Walsall) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 64'

Foul by Adam El-Abd (Wycombe Wanderers).

Substitution

Posted at 62'

Substitution, Walsall. Andy Cook replaces Aramide Oteh.

Substitution

Posted at 61'

Substitution, Wycombe Wanderers. Matt Bloomfield replaces Dominic Gape.

Substitution

Posted at 60'

Substitution, Wycombe Wanderers. Nathan Tyson replaces Nick Freeman.

Show more updates