Wycombe returned to winning ways with a gutsy performance which earned a 2-1 victory at Cambridge United on Tuesday night.
Goals from Ryan Tafazolli and David Wheeler opened up a two-goal lead in the first half, before Sam Smith set up a grandstand finale with his second-half strike.
Matt Bloomfield shuffled the pack with four changes to the side that started in the 1-0 defeat at Morecambe on Saturday, recalling Sam Vokes to the team after a six-week injury lay-off, while Ryan Tafazolli, Garath McCleary and Nick Freeman all came into the side as Brandon Hanlan, Jason McCarthy, Tjay De Barr and Chem Campbell dropped out.
Cambridge, meanwhile, named the same XI that saw off Peterborough in the local derby three days earlier.
The hosts started confidently, twice working the ball from right-back to left-wing to free Jack Lankester in attack, and they had the game’s first chances, with Harvey Knibbs smashing an effort straight at Max Stryjek before Liam Bennett fired over after the Blues failed to clear.
Wanderers’ first opportunity fell to Chris Forino, who powered a header on target from Joe Jacobson’s cross after a corner was played short, but the ball just needed to fly a yard either side of keeper Dimitar Mitov, who held.
Cambridge then saw Harvey Knibbs’ effort excellently tipped behind by Stryjek after the shot took a deflection, before Wycombe almost made the breakthrough when Sam Vokes’s header was pushed away by Mitov with David Wheeler unable to convert the loose ball.
Moments later, Vokes was in again, staying onside and superbly controlling a long diagonal pass, but he fired wide of the near post.
The U’s threatened on the half-hour mark when Sam Smith capitalised on a mistake but shot straight at Stryjek from a tight angle, before the deadlock was broken at the other end with a simple sidefooted finish from Ryan Tafazolli, who peeled away to meet Lewis Wing’s inviting free-kick.
Wanderers were well on top after going ahead, with Freeman having two shots repelled, before Jack Lankester shot inches wide of the Wycombe goal shortly before the interval.
It proved to be a pivotal miss, as the Blues went and doubled their lead, although Cambridge were bewildered at the decision not to raise an offside flag against David Wheeler when he converted from close range after Vokes’ shot deflected off the bar. The officials were correct, with replays proving Harrison Dunk to be playing him onside, and so Wycombe went in at half-time two goals to the good.
Cambridge came out fighting in the second half, and James Brophy’s bouncing effort could’ve snuck in through a crowd but Stryjek did well to push it to safety down to his right.
Stryjek again did well to deny Sam Smith, although the flag was up anyway for an offside, before Wycombe went close to a third when Vokes’s low cross was cleared to the edge of the box, where Forino fired goalwards but was denied by a block.
Then Cambridge pulled one back, with Knibbs coming off better in an aerial duel before squaring for Sam Smith to convert, with the referee playing an advantage as Knibbs appeared to have been fouled in the process.
Chris Forino was hurt in the process so Jordan Willis came off the bench to take his place, as the Amber Army cranked up the volume sensing a dramatic comeback.
U’s boss Mark Bonner made four changes soon after to inject new energy into his side, and Matt Bloomfield responded with two of his own, introducing Brandon Hanlan and Chem Campbell for Vokes and McCleary.
As the hosts threw men forward in search of an equaliser, Wanderers sniffed a third to kill the game, though the final ball was just lacking as space opened up.
Joe Ironside headed straight at Stryjek and Sam Smith flashed a header wide of the far post from a corner late on, but the Blues stood firm to remain in the play-off hunt ahead of the visit of Lincoln to Adams Park on Saturday.