Wycombe Wanderers 1, Cambridge United 0.

PAUL Hayes netted the 100th professional goal of his career as Wanderers extended their unbeaten League Two run to seven games.

The Blues skipper scrambled home after Paris Cowan-Hall’s header had been saved as his side made it back-to-back wins on home soil.

As they had last time out at Adams Park against Mansfield, Wanderers had had to weather some heavy early pressure from their visitors as Cambridge came charging out the traps.

They clung on in there – scrappily at times – with some diligent defending before finding another gear, meaning their first ten games of the season have now yielded an impressive 21 points.

It’s certainly a promising start and once more raises the question of just what exactly this side could be capable of come the end of the season.

This was a win sustained despite some heavy early pressure; Cambridge issued a statement of intent by producing the game’s first shot inside four seconds as Kwesi Appiah strode forward straight from the kick off before pulling his shot disappointingly wide.

Robbie Simpson, normally a striker but on this occasion being deployed in midfield, showed he retained his attacking instincts from his deeper than usual position as first Alfie Mawson and then Josh Scowen threw themselves in the way as he twice attempted shots from the edge of the area.

The opening stages had the feel of the final ten minutes with the away side a goal down and fighting to get back into the game as the U’s threw everything forward, with Tom Elliott being just unable to get enough on his flick forward to cause Matt Ingram too much concern.

It was Wanderers who managed the first on-target attempt of the contest with quarter of an hour gone but Matt McClure’s header from a Sido Jombati cross was tame and directed straight at visiting goalkeeper Chris Dunn.

But Cambridge looked the more dangerous going forward despite not being able to translate that into clear goalscoring chances, as Joe Jacobson recovered to block an Appiah cross-shot after the striker had been afforded the freedom of the entire right flank.

Elliott then muscled Jacobson off the ball and pulled it back for former Burnham striker Ryan Bird, whose effort was blocked by Mawson, while Peter Murphy flung himself at Harrison Dunk’s attempt on the follow-up.

Murphy’s goals from midfield have been a welcome feature of Blues’ play this season but his radar was off as he scooped a shot straight at Dunn after striker Hayes had intelligently laid the ball into his path with his chest from Sam Wood’s lofted pass.

Former Cambridge loanee Aaron Pierre was inches away from scoring against his old club as he headed over after ghosting in unmarked at the far post from a corner, much to the annoyance of Dunn.

Scowen then flashed a fiercely-hit effort just wide as Wanderers finally started to get a foothold in the game, before Murphy was just unable to guide another fine Jombati delivery into Wood’s path.

Having been under the cosh early on Blues finished the half strongly as McClure poked wide under pressure from two defenders trying to put home the rebound after Scowen had been stopped in his tracks, and they missed a golden chance to go in front as Hayes and McClure combined to open up the defence but Wood’s touch deserted him and he could only touch the ball into Dunn’s grateful grasp.

Elliott curled over after taking too long to think about what he was going to do and Scowen was victim to another block as the signs of who might edge their way in front failed to materialise.

Dunk, who in the first half was booked for diving, was agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock as his angled shot across the face of goal missed the target by a whisker, with the winger having been set up by Appiah’s backheel when Pierre struggled to get the ball away.

But Blues came even closer to going in front as a flying header from McClure came back into play after pinging off the angle of post and crossbar while Dunn could only look on, rooted to the spot.

Finally they managed to force their way in front as a Cowan-Hall header from a left wing cross caused panic in the visiting defence and Hayes reacted first to Dunn’s save to bundle home from close range and net his fifth goal of the campaign.

United responded but again failed to worry Ingram as Simpson headed over and Scowen made a tremendous sliding challenge to take the ball away from Bird as he shaped to shoot following good work by Elliott to escape clear of the defence and hold the ball up for his partner.

McClure’s first time header from a Hayes cross flashed over the bar and substitute Liam Hurst fired wide from 20 yards as the game remained on a knife-edge despite Wanderers having nosed their way into the lead.

Bird wasted another chance to bring United level as he robbed Pierre of possession when the defender got his feet in a tangle, but his shot matched the quality of the defending that preceded it as he scuffed it tamely at Ingram.

Simpson wasted a free kick and Cambridge couldn’t take advantage of the five additional minutes - during which Ingram gifted the visitors a corner as he slipped when dealing with a routine backpass - as Wanderers recorded their sixth win of the campaign.

Wanderers: Ingram, Jombati, Pierre, Mawson, Jacobson, Cowan-Hall (sub Bloomfield), Scowen, Murphy, Wood, Hayes (sub Holloway), McClure (sub Craig). Substitutes: Richardson, Walker, Lewis, Kretzschmar.

Attendance: 3,610 (418 from Cambridge)