GARETH Ainsworth said the optimism is back at Adams Park as Wanderers climbed to second in the table by stretching their unbeaten run.

Paul Hayes’ fifth goal of the season – and 100th of his professional career – gave Blues a sixth win from their first ten matches of the campaign and kept them inching ever further up the table as they saw off Cambridge United.

The mood around the club has been transformed since the end of the last - miserable before a euphoric end – season, with Wanderers going from second bottom to second from top in a matter of months.

Ainsworth is refusing to get carried away by his side’s more than encouraging start to the season – but he couldn’t hide his delight at the fact he’s sending fans home happy with smiles on their faces.

Adams Park wasn’t a happy hunting ground last season but the 1-0 win over Cambridge was Wanderers third already in front of their own fans as Hayes’ goal – combined with another rock solid defensive display against another team determined to bully the hosts into submission – edged them to another three points.

Ainsworth said: “At the moment the optimism around the place is great.

“You’re not going to like this, but it’s still points towards our survival total. Although we’re in the top two, things are just round the corner that could potentially hurt us.

“We’ve got to be realistic but I can’t deny it, the optimism around Wycombe Wanderers is just fantastic. It’s great to hear the fans singing us home and getting all three points.

“The two full backs look outstanding and the two, kids still, at centre back – they are solving problems in the 90 minutes.

“For five or ten minutes it was very tit for tat, long ball and they could have caused us problems, but Alfie and Aaron can work together and solve problems well.

“We go from strength to strength, the spine’s good – I’m really pleased.”

Wanderers’ lofty position in the table is no fluke either. None of their six vanquished opponents could justifiably say they had been the better team, with Blues deserving each of their half dozen victories.

They have the meanest defence in the division but also have players with the ability to unlock an opponent – attributes that were sorely lacking last year.

Ainsworth urged caution by reminding fans the unbeaten run – they haven’t tasted defeat in their last seven matches – will come to an end at some point.

He said: “There will be freak results. We’ll have 25 shots one game and lose 1-0. That’s the time when we are going to be mentally tough and pick up and take the consistency into the next game.”

Reflecting on the victory over Cambridge, the Blues boss said: “It’s the people who get the ball down and put their foot on the ball that started playing the quality passes that were going to win the game. It’s difficult not to get into a long ball, tit for tat game, but I thought we handled everything they threw at us well.

“Well deserved – I think it’s right to say that. Once we got through the first ten minutes we created the better chances. Half time came too soon for us – we were really in the ascendency then.

“I thought second half we kept our levels high. There was a bit of resistance from Cambridge, they’re a big, strong, direct team, very much like Mansfield [their last opponents at home]. It’s down your throat.”