Wycombe boss Gareth Ainsworth believes Stevenage ‘will do well’ following their second round Carabao Cup tie on Tuesday night.
After Adebayo Akinfenwa gave Wanderers a first-half lead, Elliott List and Jamie Reid got the goals in the second period to put Boro 2-1 up.
The latter 45 minute display from the Chairboys was a complete shadow from the first, with the League Two outfit thoroughly deserving their lead.
It could have been a lot more but thanks to the heroic performance of Adam Przybek on his Chairboys debut in the Wanderers goal, Wycombe remained in the game.
READ MORE: Gareth Ainsworth on Tjay De Barr after youngster's impressive debut against Stevenage
Gareth Ainsworth has credited Stevenage for the way they played and admitted Wycombe ‘weren’t great in the second half’.
— James Richings | Bucks Free Press (@James_BFP) August 24, 2021
And those chances would come back to bite Stevenage as in stoppage-time, fellow debutant Tjay De Barr bagged his first goal for the club with a brilliant header to make it 2-2 in the final stages.
In the resulting penalty shootout, the Gibraltar international scored the winning spot-kick to send Wycombe through.
Despite this, Ainsworth sympathised with Stevenage manager Alex Revell, and believes the League Two side will compete this season.
He said: “I have to say, Stevenage were better than us in the second half, and I may have got a change wrong in taking Bayo off when Max cramped up as Saturday is very important to me, and getting no injuries tonight was really important.
“I thought we were better in the first half, and Stevenage were better in the second half as they really tested us.
“Alex [Revell] has done a great job here, but we’ll take the win, even if it’s on penalties.
“Stevenage will do well and I credit them so much.
READ MORE: Former Wycombe goalkeeper Cameron Yates signs for Dundalk
“I think Stevenage have got someone that they need to keep [Revell] and breed his style of football because I was very impressed with them.
“It was nice to get though and rest some of the others.”
Full-time: Stevenage 2-2 Wycombe.
— James Richings | Bucks Free Press (@James_BFP) August 24, 2021
Wycombe were woeful in the second half, but de Barr’s injury time header rescues it. It’s now going to go to a penalty shoot out #Chairboys #CarabaoCup
On who Wycombe get in the next round, he continued: “I’ve still not won a League Cup tie in 90 minutes in 10 years of being manager of this club, but we are in the third round and that’s very pleasing, but, we need to be better than what we were in the second half.
“A home draw will be great, an away draw at somewhere like Man United would be absolutely fantastic, but we have to wait and see.
“I’m proud of the boys and I feel for Stevenage as I have been on the end of that before, but someone had to win and I’m glad it was us.”
The draw will take place on Wednesday evening.
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