Carlisle 2, Wanderers 3

Wanderers survived a frantic finale to get their promotion push back on track with another superb away display which keeps them in the top three in League Two.

Aaron Pierre deservedly handed Wycombe the lead in the first half before strikes from Fred Onyedinma and Matt McClure put Blues three up.

Just as they looked to be home and hosed, Kyle Dempsey and a penalty from Danny Grainger set-up a grandstand finish which saw Mark Beck red carded for a two-footed lunge less than a minute after coming on as a substitute.

Wycombe held on to secure their first win in three games although it should have been a much more comfortable afternoon for the 186 travelling Blues fans.

Carlisle, belying the side’s respective league positions, burst out of the blocks and looked to take the game to the team with the best away record in the division with Derek Asamoah their main threat.

The home fans were imploring referee Darren Handley to award a spot-kick as the ball struck Alfie Mawson in the midriff from Asamoah’s ambitious overhead kick.

With eight minutes on the clock Wycombe should have gone ahead as McClure spread the ball out to the left where Sam Wood delivered a superb floated cross into the path of the on-rushing McClure who powered a header over the bar from seven yards.

That let-off inspired the hosts who sprang straight back onto the attack immediately with Charlie Wyke forcing Matt Ingram into his first save of the afternoon as he shot straight at the keeper after Blues failed to clear a long ball.

And a minute later the Wycombe stopper had to be on his toes again to keep out the lively Asamoah who collected a pass from Brad Potts before leathering a shot straight into the gloves of Ingram.

McClure spurned another glorious chance to put the visitors ahead after 15 minutes when, after Mawson had controlled Joe Jacobson’s free-kick, he fired a left-foot shot well over the bar from inside the penalty box.

Talismanic captain Paul Hayes returned to the starting XI alongside Matt Bloomfield in place of Steven Craig and Peter Murphy, and the striker’s importance to Wycombe’s attacking play was clear throughout the half as he played a key part in the away side’s best moves of the match.

But it was his strike partner, McClure, who continued to miss chances though as from a quickly taken free-kick by Hayes he placed a first time shot over the bar from inside the area.

Blues were becoming increasingly dominant and they had the goal their play deserved when Pierre did what he did in the reverse fixture in August by scoring the opening goal after 27 minutes.

Ingram hoisted a free-kick from inside his own half into the Carlisle penalty area where McClure headed the ball down for Pierre, who reached the ball before debutant keeper Raphael Spiegel and nodded the ball into an empty net.

All Blues’ hard work to take the lead was almost undone immediately as a loose ball in Wycombe’s box found its way to Asamoah, who was ready to wheel away in celebration until Mawson lunged across to block his goalbound effort.

Clearly underwhelmed by his side’s display in the first half hour, Keith Curle withdrew Courtney Meppen-Walter and threw on David Amoo.

His tactical tinkering did little to alter the flow of the match, however, as Blues had several good chances to extend their lead before the end of the first half.

Onyedinma, the smallest player on the park, sauntered into the six-yard box unmarked and met McClure’s right wing cross but his header found Spiegel who saved well at his feet.

It was then the turn of Hayes to test the on loan West Ham stopper as he belted a shot toward the near post where the Switzerland under-21 international was ready and waiting to beat the ball away.

With the home fans growing ever more frustrated with what they were seeing, Wood came close to compounding those frustrations but he kicked air instead of ball when he had only Spiegel to beat as the first 45 minutes drew to a close.

A crunching tackle by Patrick Brough with less than five minutes played in the second half earned him a yellow card and left Bloomfield in a crumpled heap in the centre circle, the midfielder received treatment before eventually playing on.

Carlisle had the first meaningful effort of the second 45 when Potts collected Antony Sweeney’s pass on the half turn, drove at the Wycombe defence and fired an effort wide of Ingram’s goal.

As the game ticked past the hour mark a moment of magic from Onyedinma doubled the lead as his fifth goal for Wanderers arrived in magnificent style.

The forward picked the ball up on the left-hand touchline before driving at Matt Young and leaving the full-back for dead before he danced into the box and curled a superb right-foot shot into the top corner of the net.

Carlisle looked deflated and they were still feeling sorry for themselves two minutes later when McClure raced onto Paul Hayes’ knockdown and arrowed a powerful left-foot shot past the helpless Spiegel.

Just as Gareth Ainsworth and co were getting ready to light the cigars, back came the hosts with Kyle Dempsey putting them on the scoreboard with a deflected shot which looped over Ingram two minutes after the game looked to be all over.

McClure, looking like a man transformed after his goal, almost doubled his tally with a wonderful dipping effort which forced Spiegel into a superb one-hand save to tip the ball over the bar.

If Blues fans hoped they would return to winning ways without late drama they were wrong, referee Handley played the part of pantomime villain as he adjudged Mawson to have bundled over Wyke.

Wycombe were incensed by the decision but were left facing a tense finale as Grainger stepped up and sent Ingram the wrong way with ten minutes left to play.

The home fans sensed a comeback was on the cards and their vociferous support saw Carlisle players snapping into every tackle with added vigour.

One such tackle bought a straight red card for Beck, who had only been on the pitch for around a minute, after he crunched Sido Jombati with a two-footed tackle that left the Portuguese writhing on the turf in agony.

The fourth official held up six minutes on his electronic board, to the travelling fan’s despair, and just as the clock ticked into the first of those Wyke thought he’d equalised only to find out play had been bought back for a foul on Jacobson as the left-back stretched to clear the ball.

The final few minutes passed without further danger to the away goal as Wycombe held on to extend their superb away record.