Stephen McGinn has admitted feeling nervous ahead of putting in his match winning performance against Exeter City on Saturday.

The Blues Midfielder made his first start since the 2-0 win over Crawley on Monday, 28 December and scored the winner with a superb long-range strike in the second half.

It was his first goal since joining the Adams Park club in August and was the ideal way to blow off the cobwebs which inevitably accumulate with a lack of game time.

“I am delighted. I have not played recently so I was actually really nervous before the game and thought I had to go out and play well, so to go on and score the winner was an amazing feeling,” McGinn explained.

“I wanted to prove to the manager that he can trust me. I am decent technically, and on the ball and I work really hard and want to be part of a hard working team.”

As well as being a personal landmark, the 27-year-old’s goal represented the first scored from open play at home by Wanderers in 2016.

The result also relieved some of the pressure built up from a failure to win at Adams Park since the turn of the year, a run which coincidentally stretches back to McGinn’s previous start.

While clearly enthused by his winner, McGinn understands that the road to regular first team football is paved with hard work rather than 30 yard wonder goals.

“I have been in the game long enough to know that a high like this doesn’t last long and you need to earn your spot in the team,” he explained.

“It has been a frustrating season for me personally and I have tried to work my hardest every day to try and get back in the team.

“I have spoken to the manager and he knows how much I want to play and help the team. He has given me his reasons why I have not been in the team and I just have to work hard.”

McGinn’s return to the side coincided with a change in formation which saw Wycombe play a diamond in midfield.

The Scot, who played played Championship football with Watford before a serious knee injury put a halt on his progress, was clearly well suited to the system and had an influence on proceedings throughout.

He reflects on the three year period at Vicarage Road as the best of his career and still holds ambitions of playing at a higher level than League Two.

McGinn said: “That was the best spell of my career and I was playing in a very, very good team. We went to teams like QPR and Norwich and turned them over, so to get the injury I got that season was devastating and took the momentum out of my career.

“I know I can still go up a few levels and play at that level again. I was out for 13 months with the injury, which is a long time.

“It is days like this which make the recovery work and the time in the gym worth it, because it was tough at times.”