Birchall whose loan from Arsenal was extended for a final month, ahead of the clash with Mansfield Town, gave the Wanderers supporters something to cheer at last. He took his League Two tally to four goals, and two inside a week.
"I said when he came here that he’s the sort of player that can get you ten or fifteen goals in a season. He’s great to work with and he’s very intelligent," said Wycombe manager Tony Adams.
Strike partner Nathan Tyson’s long run without a Wycombe goal extended to eight games. A similar situation, in the Premiership saw Jacques Santini drop England striker Jermain Defoe to the substitute’s bench for Tottenham yesterday. Tony Adams decided to stick with Wycombe’s top scorer and drop Zema Abbey to the bench instead. After three games, including one appearance as substitute, Abbey hadn’t scored since his loan move from Norwich. That meant a return to the side for Ian Stonebridge in his accustomed attacking midfield role.
Birchall’s goal on the hour mark, after Mansfield had taken the lead a minute into the second half, couldn’t prevent Wycombe dropping a further two places in the table to twelfth, seven points behind Scunthorpe at the top.