The team was very much a mix of youth and experience with Cole in goal behind a back four of Ukah, Kanyuka, Shimmin and Johnson. Donnelly, Langley, Lomas and Brown were in midfield with Miller playing off of Sturridge up top.

The opening stages were nothing to write home about with neither side managing any fluent football. It seemed as though it was taking the R’s players a while to get to grips with the two new central midfielders and a lot of the good work Lomas was doing went begging thanks to the lack of movement from others.

Donnelly almost opened the scoring with a twenty yard speculator that was well saved by Steve Williams. At the other end Cole made the first of a string of excellent saves from Wycombe’s new Argentine signing. Sergio Torres. If you thought Gino had a rascal hair-do you should see this fella. He looks like an extra from a Jane Fonda video! The fact that he was still on the pitch to have the shot was a surprise as he had been on the end of a ferocious challenge from Shimmin. He won the ball and almost put Torres on the A40 in the process.

Miller failed to convert an excellent through ball from Langley midway through the half when Williams saved his low shot. Just before the break either side could have scored. Sturridge stole a march on the defence to glance a Brown freekick against the bar whilst at the other end Torres was once again denied by a spectacular save from Cole.

Sturridge came off at the break and Baidoo slotted into attack. Rangers had been tinkering with the formation all the way through the half and played both 4-4-2 and 4-3-3. Wycombe started the brighter after the break and sub Grier was the next to be thwarted by Cole. A good cross from the right found the Chairboys sub unmarked just outside the six yard box and his header seemed to be in before Cole somehow threw out a hand and flicked it onto the bar.

With the game seemingly petering out Rangers took the lead through young striker Baidoo. Adam Miller surged through midfield and crashed a shot goalward from twenty five yards that Williams saved but could not hold. Shabazz was on hand to hurtle into the six yard box and bundle the ball home. It was a sharp contrast to his last reserve team goal, a forty yard lob but it showed that he can execute many types of finishing.

The goal seemed to deflate Wycombe and space started to open up. This allowed Langley, quiet to this point, to get hold of the game. He was unlucky not to score when he worked some space on the edge of the box and shot goalward. Williams was well beaten but the ball hit the far upright and rebounded to safety. Soon after it was freekick time and this time he forced Williams into a sharp save.

Miller then tested the keeper from range before Cole at the other end produced another magnificent save to keep out a goal bound effort. When the whistle came Wycombe can feel hard done by not to have got a point as it was pretty much even stevens throughout. The real difference was Jake Cole.

The most striking thing other than the goalkeeping was how much of a leader Steve Lomas is. I have never heard an outfield player talk to and cajole his team mates like that and the first team can only benefit from this. There was encouragement and admonishment in equal measure but always delivered constructively. It was also funny hearing him call Scott Donnelly wee man every time he got the ball!

Langley showed some nice touches although he showed that he still has a habit of doing too much in the wrong areas at times. There was a definite sense of anticipation every time he got the ball though and that is something we have missed for a little while. Sturridge looked short of fitness in his 45 minute run out but that is to be expected having been out for the best part of a month.