Wycombe Wanderers will learn from the defensive errors they made against Portsmouth according to manager Gareth Ainsworth.

The Blues led 2-0 before a poorly executed offside trap and slack defending from a corner allowed Pompey to snatch two points from Saturday’s match. Ainsworth was disappointed with the manner of the goals but insisted his team will learn from the mistakes and move on quickly.

“The first goal for me is the sloppiest after a clearance where we haven’t come out together. You have got to get your units close together before you push out and we were too far apart,” he said.

“I’m not too concerned on the set piece because there was a reason for it and we have spoken about it after the game. We will obviously be talking about it and learning from the video.”

Ainsworth attributed some of the blame for the first goal to overzealous refereeing that prevented his defenders from getting touch tight on corners.

It was a defence formed off 20-year-old Jason McCarthy at right back and a centre-back partnership of Aaron Pierre, 22, and Anthony Stewart, 23.

Such a youthful defence brings with it an inevitable learning curve and Ainsworth accepts that mistakes are bound to take place.

“They [Pierre and Stewart] are two young kids, three if you count Jason McCarthy at right-back, and mistakes are few and far between which is fantastic,” Ainsworth said.

“There are not too many youngsters in the country who don’t make mistakes and they really limit theirs so I am proud of them all, they are fully committed and a great bunch to work with.”

Joe Jacobson’s continued absence due to a back injury has seen McCarthy shift to right-back with Pierre and Stewart being reinstated as the centre-back pairing.

McCarthy had developed a strong relationship with Pierre in the heart of the defence and the disruption to the back four will surely have had an effect on the players. However, Ainsworth denied that these enforced changes had played any role in the goals and was strident is his belief that the players are comfortable in their current roles.

He instead suggested that the errors stemmed from tiredness and lapses in concentration that the players must eradicate if they are to progress to a higher standard later in their careers.

He said: “They know their positions so the mistakes are about a lack of concentration, and tiredness can seep in with the fixture build up and cancellations. We have to make sure we are fresh not just in the body but mentally as well.

“The best players in the world concentrate for 90 minutes and I mean really concentrate, that is not just a throw away comment.

“You should be mentally shattered by the end of the game and we will be teaching the players that.”

Ainsworth will hope the mental fortitude he is speaking of can be fostered quickly as the Blues look to make the most of the crucial Christmas fixture schedule.