WYCOMBE REACHED the FA Cup fourth round for only the third time in their history thanks to a dominant 4-1 win over Preston.
The game saw Ireland international Jayson Molumby make his debut for Alex Neil’s side.
The midfielder, who has five caps for his country, joined the club on loan recently, after finding first-team opportunities limited at parent club Brighton.
The 21-year-old Waterford native was one of several Irish players on display.
Ex-Ireland underage international Joe Rafferty started for Alex Neil’s side, while Sean Maguire and Alan Browne both came off the bench. Meanwhile, former Dundalk winger Daryl Horgan made a substitute appearance for the hosts.
Goals from Fred Onyedinma, Joe Jacobson and Josh Knight had the Chairboys 3-0 up after just 25 minutes, before Emil Riis pulled one back from the penalty spot just short of half-time.
But Preston never looked like mounting a comeback, and Alex Samuel put the tie to bed with a cool finish late on to earn Wycombe their first ever home win over Preston.
The home side took control from the first whistle and were ahead after three minutes. Admiral Muskwe, making his debut after joining on loan from Leicester this week, got the ball rolling, darting down the right-hand side of the penalty area and floating a cross to the back post, where Onyedinma got up highest to head back across goal and into the bottom corner.
Just six minutes later the hosts doubled their lead, once again the danger coming from the right, where Uche Ikpeazu received a throw-in, turned his man and barrelled into the box. Once inside the area he was pulled to the ground by Josh Earl, a clear foul that gave Jacobson the chance to fire home from the spot.
Preston’s first opportunity of note came from a set-piece, when Wycombe keeper Ryan Allsop and Ryan Tafazolli got into a mess, but Allsop was able to scramble back to tip Andrew Hughes’ header away.
Aside from that it was all going the home side’s way, and it was no surprise when Wycombe got their third.
Again, the goal came from the right-hand side – Jason McCarthy, a threat throughout, got on the end of Jacobson’s clever free-kick and the right-back’s low cross was steered home by Knight – his first goal for the club.
Moments later Jacobson thought he had a fourth, this time directly from a corner, but the officials determined that Connor Ripley had clawed the ball away before it crossed the line.
Preston were gifted a way back into the game two minutes before half-time, when Riis burst in behind the Wycombe defence and was clattered by the onrushing Allsop – the Dane picking himself up to roll the penalty into the bottom corner.
But the second-half onslaught never really materialised as a freezing fog descended on Adams Park. Allsop made two saves to deny Jayden Stockley, but that was all Preston created in terms of clear-cut chances in a drab second half.
Wycombe could have put the tie beyond doubt more than once, but Muskwe and Samuel both spurned good chances, before Samuel finally made sure of the result with eight minutes remaining, latching on to Horgan’s through ball and slotting through Ripley’s legs.
Additional reporting by Paul Fennessy
