Wycombe Wanderers 4-1 Preston North End: Chairboys cruise into FA Cup fourth round
- Published
FA Cup: Wycombe Wanderers 4-1 Preston North End highlights
Three early goals helped Championship strugglers Wycombe to a morale-boosting FA Cup third round win over Preston.
Fred Onyedinma put the Chairboys ahead after three minutes and a trip on Uche Ikpeazu allowed Joe Jacobson to add a penalty six minutes later.
Josh Knight's close-range strike made it three after 25 minutes before Emil Riis Jakobsen pulled a goal back with a spot-kick shortly before half-time.
But Preston could not recover and Alex Samuel settled matters late on.
Wycombe went into the game propping up the Championship table with just three league wins to their name but made a blistering start, going ahead inside three minutes against opponents who are 12th in the second tier.
Debutant Admiral Muskwe, who joined on loan from Leicester City in midweek, dug out a cross and Onyedinma rose highest to head past Connor Ripley.
It got better for Wanderers when Preston defender Joshua Earl ended Ikpeazu's driving run into the penalty area and Jacobson extended the lead from the spot.
A mix-up in the Wycombe defence saw Ryan Tafazolli head against his own bar - but it was soon 3-0 to the hosts as Jason McCarthy's cross was swept home by Knight.
With half-time looming, a long ball caught out Wycombe goalkeeper Ryan Allsop, who clipped the onrushing Jakobsen and the Dane picked himself up to reduce the arrears from 12 yards.
But a second-half Preston comeback failed to materialise as heavy fog descended on Adams Park and substitute Samuel finished off a slick move to put Wycombe into the fourth round for only the third time.
Wycombe manager Gareth Ainsworth told BBC Three Counties Radio:
"I'm really proud of the performance today, some of the boys who haven't been playing came in and showed me what they can do so it's a team selection headache for the next game and that's what I want as manager.
"I thought Admiral had a really assured performance today, his energy levels were brilliant, he's disappointed he hasn't scored but he's assisted one and been a constant threat.
"Performances have always been good barring two or three games but we haven't stuck the ball in the goal, today we took our chances. Hopefully we can have a cup run this season."
Preston boss Alex Neil:
"To be honest, the game was done after 30 minutes. We spoke about stopping crosses, we don't stop a cross in the first three minutes of the game.
"We spoke about not getting too tight to Ikpeazu, we knew what was coming, and after eight minutes we get too tight and he gets a penalty.
"The simple fact is we gave opportunities to players who haven't been playing of late, and people ask why they haven't been playing, and I think it was quite clear today. They shouldn't have any complaints if they're not in the team for a long time."
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