Back on September 1st 2025. Wycombe Wanderers, under former manager Mike Dodds, were struggling in the league. A mixture of a lack of experience and lack of goals had caused Wycombe Wanderers to earn only two points in the first six fixtures in a season that was promised to be great. Wycombe Wanderers lack of firepower upfront was highlighted with top goalscorer Richard Kone inevitably leaving The Chairboys in the summer for Championship outfit QPR.
The Chairboys had been calling for more firepower up front, including us at the Quartermen, who had an article published theorising who should replace Richard Kone. None of us would guess the top pick would be 30-year-old striker Cauley Woodrow.
Understandably, the fan base was less than enthusiastic about this signing, away from the ethos promised to the fan base by Mike Dodds about limiting the amount of loanees to the club and with the striker only returning 6 goals in all competitions over 76 appearances spanning four years.
But when diving deeper into Cauley’s career, it is easy to see that he can be on a level above many strikers in the league. In a spell at Barnsley, Cauley Woodrow would manage to return over 12 goals in 21 games for Barnsley in League One before returning 10+ goals in three out of four seasons in the Championship.
An incredibly healthy return of goals, and this is without mentioning other attributes which he brings, most notably his incredible ability to hold up play, which allows other attackers to run freely. It’s also important to note he had played many games in these latter stages of a lack of return, only with Luton Town in the high-end Championship and in the Premier League, which would explain the drought.
In Mike Dodds’ penultimate game for Wycombe Wanderers, alongside new deadline day loanee Sam Bell. Cauley Woodrow massively impressed, showcasing his fantastic holdup play to allow other players to be at their creative best, battling in the air with Cauley winning 80% of the aerial duels he was faced with as well as keeping his cool on the spot and slotting away a penalty, ensuring Wycombe Wanderers would return with all three points for the first time this season.
However, following this performance. Cauley only managed to gain an average rating of 6.32 over his next six games, two of which would be from the bench. Shown from the stats, Cauley was averaging a higher amount of defensive contributions than players such as Jamie Mullins and Luke Leahy in the unfortunate loss against AFC Wimbledon.
Cauley was playing in a role which would see him roam into the midfield, but leaving himself light up top, not allowing him to reflect the part of his game which makes him so prolific. However, he was averaging an almost perfect pass completion rate.
The fans were feeling that they may have got this one right, and Cauley started to become overshadowed by players such as Donnell McNeilly and Sam Bell, who joined at the same time as Cauley but brought in a better return.
However, over the past week, Cauley Woodrow has now been named ‘Scorely’ Woodrow after a trio of fantastic performances in the league and cup competitions. The most notable part of his performances for me is that he is in top form, able to find himself in the box and produce goals in every situation imaginable.
His goal in the 3-0 dismantling against Huddersfield is the definition of ‘right place, right time’ as he charges down a looping header in the box to head in one of his own in the first half. He once again averaged over 92% of accurate passes within the game with 100% of long balls executed successfully, as well as maintaining high defensive contributions, once again highlighting his ability to be an all-around player.
On Tuesday night against Premier League outfit Fulham, also notably Cauley’s former club. He managed to find a goal out of nowhere outside of the box, dancing around a few defenders and striking the ball under pressure with enough venom to beat Lecomte in goal. Again, highlighting his ability to play 100% of his long balls successfully. Cauley was subbed off in the 68th minute, but it is plausible to consider that we may be in a different position had he continued the game.
And now we come to the FA Cup against strugglers Plymouth Argyle. Cauley didn’t have the strongest of first halves, but in the second half he managed to keep his cool once again netting his penalty and scoring on the second time of asking in the box from close range for his second following a corner in the box. he has averaged a match rating of 8.0 over these last three games returning 4 goals in 3 games. A return he has not seen since his earlier spells for Barnsley.
Despite having the tendency to roam into the midfield or wider areas, keeping us somewhat light upfront, Cauley seems to have won the fans over with this return and is becoming a staple of Michael Duff’s revitalised Wycombe Wanderers. being described by one of our own Adam Gipki as a ‘fox in the box’.
My only personal worry is that fellow League One members Luton Town, who in their own right have not hit the ground running, could see the form Cauley is in and come January recall him, leaving us once again light of a goalscorer up front, with Cauley not necessarily being used to his potential at Luton Town. Very reminiscent of Aaron Morley last season when he was recalled by Bolton in January.
All stats have been accumulated from Fotmob.
