Wycombe Wanderers 4-0 Port Vale: FLW reports as Chairboys thump hapless Valiants | OneFootball

Play-off hopefuls Wycombe Wanderers hosted survival outsiders Port Vale at Adams Park.

Wycombe Wanderers thrashed a poor Port Vale side 4-0 at Adams Park to keep their play-off hopes alive heading into the final six games of the season.

Wycombe created a string of chances in the opening 20 minutes and found the opener not long after. Cauley Woodrow pounced after Joe Gauci and Cameron Humphreys tripped over each other inside their own box, netting his eighth league goal of the season.

Port Vale were in the ascendancy in the opening 15 minutes of the second half, until a Caolon Boyd-Munce corner landed at the feet of Woodrow, who steered it into the path of Connor Taylor for his first Wycombe goal.

Fred Onyedinma then chipped Gauci five minutes from the end, before Junior Quitirna then added the fourth with a brilliant low strike from the edge of the box in stoppage time to wrap up a stunning afternoon for Michael Duff's men.

Wycombe Wanderers 4—0 Port Vale

Wycombe started the game well, and had two great chances to open the scoring inside five minutes. First, Aaron Morley's cross to the back post drifted just wide, before Andre Vidigal headed just over the bar from inside the box.

Onyedinma then forced Gauci into a strong save low down to his left. The number 44 picked up the ball on the right flank and drove at goal before unleashing a powerful shot which was well saved by the Aston Villa loanee.

Woodrow was next to test the Port Vale keeper. Onyedinma and Niall Huggins linked up well on the right again, with the latter dinking in a cross that the Wycombe striker headed straight into the arms of Gauci.

Wanderers kept probing in the opening 20 minutes, with their right side causing the visitors the most issues. Woodrow's little lay-off allowed Onyedinma to have a crack at goal, which took a deflection on its way over the bar.

Their pressure paid dividends in the 24th minute. A mix-up between Gauci and Humphreys saw the ball fall kindly to Woodrow, and the striker made no mistake by slotting into an undefended net from eight yards out.

There was little else of note that happened in the first half, as Wycombe held onto their slender 1-0 lead at the break, and looked in good stead to go on and collect the three points.

Jon Brady shuffled his deck at half-time, which almost had an instant impact. Experienced striker Andre Gray put in a delightful cross with the outside of his boot that narrowly evaded the onrushing Ethon Archer.

Archer was involved again 10 minutes later, as he beat Connor Taylor for pace from a long punt forward by the Valiants, but smashed his effort well over Will Norris' bar.

Gray's introduction had really livened up his side's attack and provided them with that spark they'd been missing. The former Watford star dug out an excellent cross which was headed against the base of the Wycombe post by Jordan Lawrence-Gabriel.

Just when the game felt like it was coming to Port Vale, the Chairboys crushed their hopes with a killer second goal. Caolan Boyd-Munce's corner caused havoc in the box, and multiple deflections allowed Woodrow to find ex-Stoke City defender Taylor, who rolled it home.

Onyedinma wrapped up the points for the hosts five minutes from the end. A great pass from substitute Harris sent the Wanderers attacker one-on-one with Gauci. He chipped over the onrushing keeper to add his tenth of the season.

Quitirna got his side's fourth in stoppage time, dancing inside from the right flank before unleashing a brilliant low drive into Gauci's bottom left corner, which would bring the curtain down on a wonderful day to be a Wanderer.

Wycombe Wanderers player ratings

Port Vale player ratings

J. Gauci - 3

J. Lawrence-Gabriel - 5

D. John - 4 (A. Gray 46'(5))

C. Humphreys - 4

C. Hall - 4

J. Headley - 5 (E. Campbell 11'(4))

J. Shipley - 5 (R. Walters 46'(5))

F. Ojo - 4

B. Garrity - 4

E. Archer - 6 (O. Hernandez 70'(4))

G. Hall - 6 (M. Sherif 78'(5))

Unused substitute: B. Amos, T. Magloire

Michael Duff pleased with Wycombe Wanderers' response to Leyton Orient defeat in Port Vale thumping

Speaking to the press post-match, Wycombe boss Duff said: "I think we've been better in recent weeks. We got the result, thats the most important thing.

"I thought we started the game really really well, went 1-0 up and sort of came off script a little bit.

"We did what they wanted to do, rather than what we wanted to do.

"Ultimately, it's difficult, they've got nothing to lose, so they keep changing the shape and they change the personnel.

"I thought we were well deserving of the win, pleased with the clean sheet. Obviously, Will [Norris] made a mistake last week, Taylor Allen made a mistake last week and I thought the response was really good.

"I think it's really important that we're all together now. Supporters, players, board, and everyone pushing in the same direction is important."

Jon Brady fumes as Port Vale slump to heavy defeat at Wycombe

Speaking to the press post-match, Port Vale boss Brady said: ""We got outrun, outfought, outplayed.

"The way we tried to set up, I've got no consistency in the front line at the moment with what we've got.

"We've been really good defensively, but today we weren't. We've been, in my opinion, quite toothless up front.

"It's been inconsistent [the attack], and I tried to put Gaz [Andre Gray] up there and set the press right and work hard."

The Vale boss was also left disappointed with the effort his player put in during the first half, as he felt they didn't work hard enough for his liking.

"In the end, first-half, you don't want to run harder than the opposition, you don't want to trap their full-backs in with our wide players.

"You don't want to break down the line and run beyond them and work hard enough.

"Ultimately, we haven't got the quality to compete against these teams.

"They show week-in week-out, you've got to set up in a deep block most of the time to then try and break on teams and try to get them to play a bit more.

"Obviously, we don't have the quality."