Wycombe 4 Albion 4

WHAT a difference a week makes, or does it?

Liam Dickinson scored against Hartlepool for Russell Slade, now Glenn Murray is scoring for Martin Hinshelwood.

The strikers have changed, the managers have changed, but the performance was very similar. Albion were exciting again going forward, awful again at the back.

The biggest plus for the Seagulls from a crazy FA Cup tie was Murray’s display.

He looked hungry and unusually workmanlike, he scored twice and, most significantly of all, completed 90 minutes for only the second time since Boxing Day.

The enigmatic marksman’s previous appearance, at Tranmere, also included a penalty but was followed by a stupid red card.

After two double hernia operations and two transfer requests, could this be a fresh start for the talented but laid-back Murray?

“I suppose in a way it is,” he said. “The most important thing for me personally is getting over the injuries.

“I’ve had a lot of operations in the last eight months and there is a lot of scar tissue, so it’s going to be sore, but I have got to get on with it.

“Towards 75 minutes I did tire but I did some good things after that.

“It was absolutely brilliant. I enjoyed every minute of it. It’s quite a long time since I have been out there for that long.

“It was quite a special game. I thought we were the more likely to go on to win it.”

Murray is about to play under his fourth permanent manager in less than two years at the club.

“It’s just something we have got to get on with,” he said. “It’s happened not only to me but the 25 other lads.

“I never expected it (Slade’s sacking), especially after scoring three goals at home.

“All the lads have throughly enjoyed it with Hinsh, Browny (Steve Brown) and Charlie (Oatway).”

Murray is now in pole position to partner Nicky Forster once the new manager is in place, leaving Dickinson to reflect on the folly of a late night out and sickness absence from training hours later.

He is not the only one regretting his actions. Gavin Hoyte may not play for Albion again following his 33rd-minute red card, the seventh in 15 matches.

The teenage Arsenal defender’s resulting suspension coincides with the conclusion of his loan, although Slade was planning to extend his stay.

Hoyte was silly to have a little kick at Jon-Paul Pittman after nibbling away as the former Crawley striker shielded the ball and won a free-kick.

The Seagulls had already suffered a setback by then. They started very positively, the ever-impressive Elliott Bennett running through from Murray’s clever pass to slot them into an early lead, but were then pegged back by a soft penalty.

Referee Simon Hooper made the worst of several baffling decisions against both teams by harshly penalising recalled captain Adam Virgo for a nudge on Matt Harrold when the Wycombe centre-forward had his back to goal.

Harrold scored from the spot and on-loan Reading midfielder Scott Davies sweetly half-volleyed Wanderers ahead against the ten men from a Kevin Betsy cross.

They were complaining themselves on the stroke of half-time, left-back Craig Woodman seeing red for dragging Murray down inside the area from Virgo’s scuffed shot.

Forster converted to reach double figures 13 weeks into the season, a fine effort, and when Murray’s effort looped into the net off the blocking Lewis Hunt six minutes into the restart, Albion were back in the ascendency.

Not for long. Pittman latched onto Harrold’s header down to lift the ball over Graeme Smith from close range, then Harrold escaped from Tommy Elphick to sweep in another Betsy cross.

Wycombe’s second win of the season was snatched away when sub Matt Bloomfield handled a Craig Davies cross and Murray tucked away the third penalty of an extraordinary match.

Hinshelwood, still unbeaten in a trio of one-game caretaker stints, said: “The players’ attitude and commitment was first class.

“We are disappointed with the goals we conceded. If you score four away from home you expect to win but they kept going and deserved a draw.

“It was a fair result in the end. The referee made a few decisions which were unpopular with both camps.”

To put the result into context, Wycombe are bottom of League One and Albion have scored seven goals in two games without winning, food for thought for the new manager.

Albion (4-4-2): Smith; Hoyte, Elphick, Virgo, El-Abd; Bennett, Dicker, Crofts, Cox; Murray, Forster (C. Davies 73).

Subs not used: Kuipers, Navarro, McLeod, Tunnicliffe, Livermore, Barker.

Goals: Bennett (3), Forster (45) pen, Murray (51) and (83) penalty.

Red card: Hoyte (33) violent conduct.

Yellow cards: Forster 45 (over-celebrating), Virgo (48) foul, Bennett (90) foul.

Wycombe (4-4-2): Shearer; Hunt, Duberry, Johnson, Woodman; Betsy, Doherty, S. Davies, Phillips (Bloomfield 63); Pittman (Zebroski 81), Harrold.

Subs not used: Young, Green, Mousinho, Westwood, Harris.

Goals: Harrold (18) pen and (70), Davies (38), Pittman (61).

Red card: Woodman (45) foul.

Yellow cards: Johnson (80) foul, Shearer (83) unsporting behaviour.