Wycombe Wanderers must learn vital lessons ASAP to avoid Charlton Athletic repeat | OneFootball

Wycombe Wanderers must learn this vital lesson from their recent thrashing against Charlton Athletic, ahead of the play-off clash.

Wycombe Wanderers must learn a vital lesson from their 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Charlton Athletic on Easter Monday as they prepare to face the Addicks once again in the League One play-off semi-finals.

The Chairboys ended the season with a whimper as they were defeated in their final three matches of the campaign, which were all against teams who will be contesting Wycombe in the play-offs.

After losing what looked to be a dead-certain top four finish, and therefore not gaining home advantage in the second leg, the pressure on Mike Dodds and his players hit a peak in the wake of their latest defeat.

Sadly, despite the historical season on the pitch, the nature of its conclusion has left a rather sombre and disappointed feeling among supporters, who expected to finish higher than fifth.

However, the run of form to end the league season must be quickly forgotten, as Wycombe's season isn't over just yet. Whilst getting Charlton in the play-offs was a nightmare for most Wanderers fans, they can hope that their team has learned vital lessons from the last encounter with the Addicks.

The vital lesson Wycombe Wanderers must learn from Charlton Athletic thrashing

The last time these two sides faced off was one to forget for the Blue side of the contest.

Nathan Jones' side were rampant that day, and Wycombe had no answers to Charlton's defensive solidity and cut-throat attacking play.

The 4-0 scoreline came as quite a shock to both sets of supporters, as prior to this match, the hosts had conceded just one goal at home under Dodds, and were coming off the back of three consecutive wins and clean sheets.

The visitors were by no means deemed unlikely to leave Adams Park with a positive result, but the manner of their victory was staggering.

Frustratingly, it's hard to look at the goals that Charlton scored and not say that all four weren't avoidable from Wanderers' perspective.

Two from the second phase of set plays, a goalkeeping howler by Will Norris, and a routine ball into the box were all goals that the Chairboys hadn't allowed to happen under their new head coach until then.

It's clear that there are plenty of lessons for Wycombe to learn after this defeat, some of which they've failed to rectify in recent matches, but will need to ensure they do so in the upcoming play-off battle.

As mentioned, Charlton's first and second goals came in the second phase of set plays, which is something Wanderers have always defended stoutly. However, on that day, they found themselves second to every loose ball, which cost them big time.

Jones' side are very combative in the upper third of the pitch, putting their bodies on the line to win back loose balls in 50/50 challenges.

This is a vital lesson Dodds and his side can take from the recent fixture, which could help them gain a more positive result on Sunday if they integrate changes to nullify this threat.

Wycombe Wanderers are hoping for another magical evening at Adams Park - they need to take advantage to The Valley

Any Wycombe fan will tell you that there is nothing stronger than the power of belief and unity when it comes to their football club.

The incredible 10 years under the stewardship of legendary manager Gareth Ainsworth truly brought a special level of togetherness to Adams Park, and some memorable nights under the lights in HP12.

Whilst the disappointment and frustration are understandable to an extent, supporters must remember that there's still everything to play for, and that unity and belief that helped bring them success in recent years.

Despite poor form at the end of the season and different personnel in charge of the club now, Chairboys and Chairgirls must unite and create yet another magical atmosphere in the South Buckinghamshire sunset on Sunday.

Memories of the ground shaking as a packed-out Adams Park bounced with joy after Sam Vokes gave Wycombe a 2-0 lead against MK Dons in their last play-off campaign.

Creating an atmosphere that rivals that night could play as big of a part as any lesson learned from the last fixture with Charlton.

However, the team must also do their homework from the last match against the Addicks and ensure they carry their research onto the pitch on Sunday, translating it into a strong performance on home soil.