Ainsworth warms up for return with a goal (From Bucks Free Press)

Ainsworth warms up for return with a goal

2:40pm Friday 12th March 2010 in

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GARETH Ainsworth warmed up for tomorrow’s relegation dogfight at Oldham with a goal for Wanderers' reserves on Monday.

He shook off the rustiness of his three-match ban by giving the Blues a 49th minute lead against Watford with a long range effort as he announced himself ready to walk back into the team.

Ainsworth has a 100 per cent record in Wycombe colours with three wins in his three appearances since November and he is expected to go straight into the starting line up after 70 minutes for the reserves.

It has been a stop-start five months for the 36-year-old who is now planning to finish on a high.

He started by guiding the Blues to back-to-back wins for the only time this season when he was on loan from QPR but his loan was cut short by a calf injury sustained on the training field.

He then joined Wanderers permanently but was sent off on his second Blues debut in the win against Millwall.

Boss Gary Waddock said: “I don’t think it is a coincidence that we have won all three games that Gareth has featured in.

“He is a winner and it tells you a lot about his enthusiasm and energy which rubs off on other people in whatever game he is playing in.

“It was the same in the reserves the other night. He is such a good player to have around.

“He gives you what you want and sometimes you need that spark from somebody like Gareth to get everybody going.”

Wanderers’ other scorer in the reserves’ win against a youthful Hornets was Dan Fitchett to notch a 2-0 win to end the resistance.