Wycombe Wanderers: Leaving "disappointing" Matt Bloomfield record behind feeds play-off dream - View | OneFootball

For the first time, Matt Bloomfield's Wycombe Wanderers won after trailing.

On Saturday, Matt Bloomfield finally overcame a hurdle he hadn't yet been able to clear during his 18 months as Wycombe Wanderers manager. It was the first team his side had trailed in a game and come back to win it.

The 40-year-old stated that it was "a disappointing start to have" but was proud of the character his side showed to claim the three points over Northampton Town. Sam Hoskins converted an early penalty before goals from Daniel Udoh and Richard Kone helped swing the contest in the Chairboys' favour.

This time last year, Bloomfield achieved his first win as Wycombe manager on a Saturday. With another concerning stat out of the way early-doors, this could bode well for the character and belief among the players – feeding their play-off hopes.

Wycombe used to be the comeback kings under former manager Gareth Ainsworth but times have changed and the Blues don't often find themselves coming from behind to win. The last time they did in league action was Boxing Day 2022, with a 2-1 victory over Bristol Rovers.

Whilst it might not be the be-all and end-all, having the character to come back from a deficit and win is an integral part of a successful squad. The Buckinghamshire outfit has won plenty of matches under Bloomfield but has yet to show the character required to come back from an early setback. This changed on Saturday though, as a fourth-minute penalty was swiftly cancelled out by Udoh's close-range finish. Lee Burge then fumbled a cross straight into the path of Kone, who couldn't miss.

Despite a late surge of Northampton pressure when Tyrique Fosu was introduced, the Blues showed great resilience to see out an excellent victory.

FLW asked Bloomfield following the final whistle about what his first comeback win meant to him, the ex-Colchester United manager stated: "It's a really disappointing start to have that we haven't done that already if I'm honest. To do it the way we did, coming back from 1-0 down and controlling the game was really, really pleasing."

Squad characters will be key for Wycombe in play-off charge

It's no secret that League One is extremely competitive this season, with plenty of teams gunning for at least a play-off spot. The Chairboys are no exception to this, as they aim to go better than last season's tenth-place finish by reaching the top six for the first time since 2022. A win after coming from behind will be a massive boost in confidence for the squad which they haven't felt before.

Back in the successful Ainsworth era, the club was built on not necessarily being the best footballing side but having the belief that Wycombe could beat anyone on their day. This was a massive part of the reason why the Adams Park outfit secured promotion to the Championship, which is ultimately the aim for his successor, Bloomfield.

If the man at the helm wants to replicate what his predecessor did with the Chairboys, the squad must have the character to overcome any challenge thrown their way. The fact they were unable to turn games around didn't bode well last season, but getting that issue out of the way early on is a huge boost. Ainsworth's Wycombe often found themselves with their backs to the wall in plenty of scenarios, but more often than not managed to work their way out of it. This was a key quality that could be an important difference between the old Wycombe and the new one.

However, to know that, unlike last season, they can come back and get three points after trailing will be a massive boost for the Chairboys. Wrexham away this season is a great example of when they could've used this boost, finding themselves 2-0 down inside half an hour. Eradicating or reducing the deficit early on, as they did on Saturday, is crucial to getting back into games. This was proven by the Blues when Udoh's quick equalizer spurred Wycombe on to dominate the game.

Having that belief among the squad with the evidence from Northampton will be a great help if they find themselves in a similar position again.

Benji Walker (@benjiwalkerphoto)

The 40-year-old was his own harshest critic, making it clear that he wasn't happy to have taken so long to get rid of his unwanted record. However, being a young coach who is in the early days of his managerial career, he will learn from this and develop his game management.

Bloomfield has done an exceptional job at Wycombe so far, as he has helped stabilize the club at League One level whilst building for the future. Now he has the first comeback win under his belt, the Wanderers' legend will feel a big weight off his shoulders.

Regardless of how long it takes, the Chairboys manager will only develop his skills further, and having the confidence that he can overturn a deficit will improve the mentality of both him and his team.

If Bloomfield wants to continue the success his predecessor brought to the club, he will need to develop a strong dressing room atmosphere and mentality. Small moments like this will only raise the belief in the group, which, as previously mentioned, could be the difference in such a competitive league.