Carabao Cup: Wycombe 1 Aston Villa 2 - Report
It might only have been Wycombe in the Carabao Cup but Emi Buendia will not care.
The Argentine’s first senior goal in 18 months largely lost to serious injury set Villa on their way to victory on their way to a third round victory over their League One hosts at Adams Park.
Jhon Duran then scored his fifth goal of the season from the penalty spot, before Richard Kone netted a late, late consolation for the Chairboys.
Buendia’s 55th minute opener was set up by 18-year-old Kadan Young, getting his first taste of senior football, on a night Emery’s selected a team made up of youngsters and first-team players getting much-needed minutes.
It was a gamble which paid off, eventually, though it required a stunning save from goalkeeper Joe Gauci, another player making his senior debut, to prevent Garath McCleary from equalising minutes before Duran grabbed Villa’s second.
This was Emery’s first Carabao Cup with Villa after two previous third round defeats and his pre-match admission the competition is some way down his list of priorities, at least for now, was confirmed by his team selection.
Amadou Onana was the only member of Saturday’s starting XI to keep his place with the 20-man squad half made up of academy players.
That included the youthful centre-back pairing of Lamare Bogarde and Sil Swinkels, the latter and winger Kadan Young making their full senior debuts.
Thierry Katsukunya was a late addition to the bench after Diego Carlos dropped out with injury following the warm-up.
Ollie Watkins, Ezri Konsa, Pau Torres, Morgan Rogers and Lucas Digne were given the night off completely.
Buendia, who scored twice for the under-21s earlier this month in a Football League Trophy tie at Fleetwood, captained the side.
Ian Maatsen and Ross Barkley also got their first starts of the season, as did Duran, who should have put the visitors in front inside the opening 40 seconds.
Leon Bailey’s through ball could not have been better placed or weighted but Duran, so deadly off the bench, placed his shot wide of the target with just Franco Ravizzoli to beat.
Villa wouldn’t create a better chance for the rest of the half.
Neither, in truth, did Wycombe, yet Beryly Lubala did at least cause Villa keeper Gauci some alarm with a shot on the turn. Kieran Sadlier also tested the Australian shot-stopper from an acute angle.
Duran remained Villa’s brightest outlet. One through ball from Swinkels saw the striker step around Ravizzoli but off balance, he was unable to turn his finish from a tight angle on target.
Otherwise, it was scrappy stuff. A rare neat passing move saw Kosta Nedeljkovic’s effort blocked on the edge of the box, while Duran hit a low effort just wide of the far post.
The second half, just like the first, began with a decent chance. This time it fell to Wycombe, Matt Butcher’s shot deflecting just wide with Gauci a spectator.
Swinkels hammered over from distance as Villa continued to be frustrated before their first effort on target of the night brought the opener.
Young finally found space to attack Jasper Pattenden down the left and when Joe Low tried to cut out his cross he only succeeded in deflecting it into the path of Buendia, who sent a looping header inside the far post.
Villa’s lead looked comfortable until the final 15 minutes when McCleary missed a golden chance at the far post and was then, moments later, denied by a flying Gauci save when it appeared for certain his header would creep inside the far post.
The visitors heeded the warning. Duran found Barkley with a lovely flick and then accepted the return pass before being bundled over as he looked to round Ravizzoli. The Colombia international got up to send the goalkeeper the wrong way from the spot.
Wycombe then missed several chances for a consolation before Kone finally thumped home with virtually the last kick.
Wycombe (3-4-3): Ravizzoli, Skura, Low, Hartridge, Pattenden, Scowen (Humphreys 63), Butcher (Leahy 75), Bakinson, Wheeler (Onyedinma 62), Lubala (Kone 63), Sadlier (McCleary 63) Subs not used: Grimmer, Harvie, McCarthy, George (gk).
Villa (4-2-3-1): Gauci, Nedeljkovic, Bogarde, Swinkels, Maatsen (Patterson 90), Onana (Ramsey 62), Barkley, Young (Broggio 86), Buendia (Jimoh-Aloba 90), Bailey (Borland 62), Duran Subs not used: Katsukunya, Rowe, Moore, Zych (gk).
