Wanderers 1, Stockport 1.

STEPHEN Gleeson's equaliser seven minutes from time denied Wanderers a first leg advantage to take to Stockport in six days time.

The substitute bludgeoned a 25-yarder through the grasp of keeper Frank Fielding to give County an equaliser which stunned Adams Park into silence.

It means Wycombe will have to do it the hard way in the second leg at a ground where they were beaten 6-0 earlier in the season.

Gleeson's goal came just when it looked as though Delroy Facey's first half strike had given Wycombe the advantage.

The on-loan striker, who doesn't even know what club he will be playing for next season, made it advantage Blues in the race for Wembley when he capitalised on an error from County keeper John Ruddy to give Wycombe the lead in a full-blooded semi-final first leg clash where there was no love lost between the players and the rival dugouts.

The atmosphere had been cranked up well before the kick-off and with so much at stake it was always going to be tense.

But Wycombe adapted the better in the early phases and ripped into County from the off.

Paul Lambert's men began at 100 miles per hour and might have been two up through the unlikely source of Tommy Doherty inside the first seven minutes.

The Doc who hasn't scored all season almost had two before some of the fans had taken their seats.

He fizzed in a 100-miles per hour drive which keeper John Ruddy could only beat out and then he showed excellently trickery on the angle of the box, twisting past two players before curling in a delicate effort which went just over the bar.

In the sweltering conditions it was unreasonable to expect the Blues to maintain the pace and Stockport grabbed a foothold in the match.

County were stroking the ball about nicely and Wycombe were being forced to play route one on the break.

Only a fantastic save from Fielding, tipping Anthony Pilkington's header over the bar, kept it even as County grew in confidence.

Pilkington then outpaced Stefan Oakes on the other flank but could only lash the ball into the packed Hypnos Terrace.

But apart from those two scares Wycombe, kept their discipline, shape and composure and bided their time.

They stayed patient and when the chance came they took it.

County keeper John Ruddy won't want to be reminded of it though.

Under no pressure he made an awful hash of his clearance. Facey still had a lot to do though, bringing the ball down he muscled his way past two defenders before clipping the ball over Ruddy to give Wanderers a priceless led.

It was a classic finish from the big man and it raised the temperatures even higher.

Within two minutes the two benches were squaring up to each other after the County dugout's over-the-top appeals earned Doherty a booking with managers Paul Lambert and Jim Gannon getting involved.

The row continued as the teams disappeared down the tunnel at half time and nothing that was said in the interval took the sting out of the tie.

County continued to see plenty of the ball but Blues' attacks carried more danger.

And Scott McGleish, three times a play-off loser, must have thought he was on his way to Wembley when he rose to meet Oakes' pinpoint cross only for defender Michael Rose to come from nowhere to head the ball away.

From the resultant Russell Martin corner, Leon Johnson headed wide.

Wycombe knew a second goal would give them a huge advantage but they were reminded they couldn't go too gung-ho just after the hour mark, County top scorer Liam Dickinson brushed off Johnson in the box and cut the ball back across the six yard box for what looked like a simple tap-in for Tommy Rowe.

But Russell Martin had other ideas racing back and doing just enough to prevent the County man making contact.

Moments later Martin was instrumental at the other end, starting a move which Gary Holt had the chance to finish off. But instead of trying to take the leather off the ball he went for the curler and got his angles all wrong.

The game was open with Wycombe going for a second and County pushing for an equaliser.

Lambert changed things around taking off the booked Doherty and top scorer Scott McGleish and replacing them with 17-year-old Matty Phillips and Leon Knight.

The introduction of Phillips, whose only first team start came last week, was a particularly bold move but he was soon in the thick of things setting up Martin for a low cross the keeper fumbled at the feet of Facey.

It was edge of your seat stuff and Phillips' over enthusiasm to make up for an an error which saw Lambert hurl his water bottle into the dugout in frustration saw him produce an x-rated over the top foul on Gary Dicker for which he somehow went unpunished.

But the Blues who put so much into the game were punished late on as Gleeson found the back of their net to bring the tie level.

And it could have been even worse with Fielding having to produce a desparate late stop to deny Pilkington a winner.

County fans celebrated like they had won it but it is only half time and with away goals not counting double it is very much all to play for next week.

7:51pm Sunday 11th May 2008

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