Fleetwood Town were held to a 1-1 draw by Wycombe Wanderers at Highbury on Saturday afternoon.
With Wycombe taking the lead through a moment of brilliance from Anis Mehmeti, after Garath McCleary’s early red card, it was all to do for Scott Brown’s men. They worked numerous chances throughout the game, and it was debutant Admiral Muskwe who found the equaliser, netting from 12-yards.
A shock moment to all in the ground happened soon after as it saw the away team go down to 10 men after a mad decision from McCleary, who left an elbow in on young defender Drew Baker. The referee had an easy decision to make by sending him off.
Town then created multiple half-chances after the sending-off with Harvey Macadam trying his luck from 20-yards with an ambitious volley, which was deflected out for a corner. From the resulting set piece, Baker and Josh Earl rose highest but neither could convert at the back post.
A lively character for Wycombe was Jordan Obita as he created two decent chances on goal, with the first being a left-footed effort from inside the area, and the second being a free-kick on the right-hand side – Jay Lynch had to keep his wits about him for both as he made two brilliant saves.
In the 39th minute, the visitors took the lead through a moment of class from winger Mehmeti. He juked his way through the double block of Shaun Rooney and Baker, before calmly slotting the ball into the far bottom corner, past the diving Lynch.
Fleetwood were in the ascendancy in the second half, with Wycombe hardly creating any chances. In the 48th minute, Cian Hayes dribbled past his man on the right and found Muskwe in the centre, whose shot needed to be saved by Stryjek.
Soon after, Town’s new number nine was in the action again as Rooney’s deflected effort found its way of Muskwe, but the effort was stopped. He was there again, Muskwe, as Dan Batty played cross towards the head of the forward, but he couldn’t quite guide the ball goalward.
After a touching moment, a minute’s applause for the late Bill Turnbull, Town levelled the scoring up and it was Muskwe on his debut. It was a scramble in the box, which saw Joe Garner have his effort blocked and deflected into the path of the new signing, who smashed the ball home.
With just over 10 minutes to go, substitute Ali Al-Hamadi worked a chance for the Chairboys as he turned his marker and shot from 25-yards, but Lynch was there to make a relatively easy save.
Down the other end, it was another new signing for Fleetwood in Lewis Warrington who aimed an effort on goal from distance which looked to be nipping just inside the near post, but it flew just wide.
In the dying embers of normal time, Lewis Wing had to efforts on goal, which needed to be dealt with by Lynch and his defenders. The first was a strike from the edge, which was saved, and the second needed to be blocked by Josh Vela.
With seven minutes of added time shown at the end, substitute Promise Omochere’s eyes lit up as he picked the ball up inside the Wycombe box, but his right-footed effort went just over Stryjek’s crossbar.
Town XI: Lynch (GK), Andrew, Mendes Gomes (Omochere 87'), Vela (C), Muskwe, Lane (Hayes 42’), Batty (G.Garner 62’), Rooney, Macadam (Warrington 42’), Earl, Baker (J.Garner 62’).
Unused subs: Stolarczyk (GK), Johnston.
Wycombe XI: Stryjek (GK), Grimmer, Gape (C) (McCarthy 74’), Tafazolli, Wing, Mehmeti (Al-Hamadi 66’), McCleary, Mawson, Freeman, Obita (Jacobson 74’), Scowen.
Unused subs: Dickinson (GK), Vokes, Horgan, Pettenden.