BLUES boss Gareth Ainsworth said he's still feeling the effects of the decision to scrap the Wanderers youth academy two years ago.

The much-vaunted youth setup, which has produced a string of players who have gone on to feature in the higher divisions, was closed as part of cost cutting measures following the purchase of the club by the Wycombe Wanderers Trust.

Ainsworth said the legacy of that is being left with empty places in the dugout rather than the luxury of being able to give a place on the bench to a youth product when squad numbers were low.

He was only able to name four substitutes on Monday night, one of whom was 45-year-old goalkeeping coach Barry Richardson.

Wanderers' squad includes just 20 outfield players, and Ainsworth said the chief reason behind numbers being so low was finance.

He said: "I had no money to get any more players in.

"We are right down amongst the bottom clubs money-wise. It's not like we've brought in Premier League players and blown all the money on them. There was no magic wand waved in the summer to give us pots of money. It's a financial thing rather than a decision thing.

"Other teams have youth teams to plug into. In League Two you'll see many teams will have youth players on their benches, and that's how they get their experience.

"Two years ago the decision was made to cut our youth team, and the impact that's having is still felt in the first team.

"In years gone by Matt Phillips, Kadeem Harris and Jordon Ibe have all been plucked from the youth team to be on the bench. I can't do that anymore. There's only the first team, and I have to deal with that."

Ainsworth added however: "I've found the smaller numbers easier to handle, so I don't complain too much about it."