Gareth Ainsworth hails goalkeeping coach after shoot-out win over Forest Green

Posted Wednesday, August 29, 2018 by PA

Wycombe manager Gareth Ainsworth praised his goalkeeping coach after his team progressed 4-3 on penalties in the Carabao Cup against Forest Green, following a 2-2 draw.

Goalkeeper Ryan Allsop kept out two of the visitors’ spot-kicks, as the Chairboys won a shoot-out for the second tie running this season to reach the third round of the competition for only the second time.

Ainsworth said: “It’s not a given that you just beat a League Two side, so they’ve given us a good game.

“Their second goal was really sloppy, their set-play, we had a chance to win it but to go through on penalties is one way to go through.

“It’s good for me, it’s good for the fans and I have to credit my goalkeeping coach, Andy Fairman, who has really come into his own in the last two cup games.

“I won’t tell you his secrets, but his attention to detail is very good, so Andy definitely deserves some credit for the shoot-outs.

“I’ll be looking at the goals and looking at how we can get better, but it was a good performance again.

“We’re getting used to a new way of playing as well, we’re proving we can do it with whoever is in the team and there were some good individual performances tonight.”

Wycombe first led when Scott Kashket took a one-on-one chance confidently, but Dayle Grubb quickly levelled for Forest Green.

Anthony Stewart gave the Chairboys the lead again after Sam Saunders struck a post, only for Carl Winchester to force penalties by bundling in Joseph Mills’ free kick.

After Christian Doidge was denied early on, Saunders had a chance to seal it for Wycombe but was kept out by James Montgomery and Allsop’s save from Paul Digby sent the hosts through after all.

Forest Green manager Mark Cooper said: “We played really well and had a lot of possession, but we didn’t make the most of it again in the final third.

“We had opportunities to really stick the knife in, in the first half, and we’ve picked the wrong option or put too much weight on the pass when it’s a clear one v one with the goalkeeper.

“When you do that and you don’t take the lead, you give Wycombe a chance to do what they do really well – get the ball to Akinfenwa – and if you don’t defend it properly you can come unstuck.

“I’m really pleased with the performance, I thought we played some lovely football at times and we probably deserved more.

“Penalties are what they are – I’m not sure you can practice them, I’m not sure you can recreate the pressure of that.

“With the possession we had, we should have produced more goals.”