Wanderers 2, Cheltenham Town 1,

Goals from both centre backs earned Wanderers victory, and got their promotion push moving again, against rock bottom Cheltenham at Adams Park on Saturday afternoon.

Aaron Pierre netted his fifth of the season in first half stoppage time to hand the hosts the lead at half-time.

The Robins equalised through Durrell Berry but were level for only two minutes before Alfie Mawson rose to head home the winner after 56 minutes.

Victory ended a run of two straight defeats for Wanderers and ensured they stay third in League Two, four points ahead of fourth place Bury.

Gareth Ainsworth spoke of “finishing the job” in his programme notes and urged the home support to get behind the side in the same vain as Blues fans who travelled to the Pirelli Stadium had done on Easter Monday.

The Blues boss also spoke about the desperation that the Robins would be feeling in their current plight and he named an attacking starting XI in a bid to take advantage of their situation, with Sam Saunders recovering from injury to take the place of the more defensive minded Marcus Bean.

Cheltenham arrived at Adams Park three points adrift of safety and they were under pressure early on as a rash tackle from Jack Deaman gave away a free-kick in a dangerous position on the left-hand side and earned him the first yellow card of the game after just five minutes.

From the resulting set-piece Saunders whipped a delicious, flat, inswinging cross to the six yard line where Aaron Holloway failed to make any contact with his header as the goal beckoned.

Wanderers had felt hard done by in their last two outings after decisions went against them in defeats to Oxford and Burton, and an early call went against them after ten minutes against the Robins.

Matt Bloomfield intercepted a throw-in, looked up and sent a chipped pass over Cheltenham’s high backline where Fred Onyedinma raced onto the loose ball and strode into the box.

The striker was just about to unleash an effort on goal before Troy Brown seemingly hauled him down on the six-yard line. There was hardly an appeal, surprisingly, and the referee waved play on.

There were bigger protestations from the crowd five minutes later when Pierre tumbled under another strong challenge from Brown but again Mr Harrington was adamant that no foul had occurred.

Mathieu Manset fired a warning shot at the hosts, which drifted wide of the goal, but Wanderers had controlled the opening quarter of the match and they would have gone in front had Trevor Carson’s first save of the match not been a spectacular one.

The ‘keeper showed lightning quick reflexes to stick up a hand and keep out Onyedinma’s blast from close range after the striker had collected Nico Yennaris’ long throw-in.

Cheltenham, in just their third match under the stewardship of Gary Johnson, had won just four times on the road this season and their chances of making it five were weakened when star man Wes Burns was unable to shake off an injury and made way for Danny Haynes after 27 minutes.

Yennaris is yet to find the net since signing on at Adams Park but he came agonisingly close to doing so with a thunderous effort.

The right-back stormed forward and after collecting a pass from Paul Hayes proceeded to charge infield before unleashing a rasping shot which struck the crossbar and bounced down onto the goalline.

With goal line technology yet to make its way to League Two we’ll never know whether the Yennaris’ shot had breached the goal, but the linesman was in the opinion that it hadn’t and the referee ignored vociferous pleas of all those of a Wycombe persuasion.

Those fans fell silent soon after when a bone shuddering collision with Jordan Wynter left Jacobson in a crumpled heap on the rock solid pitch.

The left-back had played every minute of every game but the tackle had taken its toll on the Welshman and he limped off after trying to play on to be replaced by Peter Murphy. Wynter followed him shortly after with Durrell Berry on in his place.

Their clash led to eight minutes of stoppage time being added on, while Sam Wood moved to the vacant full-back position and Murphy took up a position in centre midfield.

Spurred on by the added time Blues went in search of the opener and they duly found it thanks to a superb goal from Pierre following a corner from Saunders.

The centre-back had been denied a late equaliser against Burton last week by a fantastic save but there was nothing Carson could do to prevent the 22-year-old scoring his second in four matches as he gave Brown the slip before sending a powerful left-foot shot across a crowded penalty area and into the bottom corner.

Wanderers trooped back to the changing rooms in front at the break and they began the second half in a similarly attacking fashion as they had finished the first.

Yennaris under-lapped his opposite number and, after collecting a pass from Hayes, sent a curling effort towards the bottom corner which was only thwarted by a last ditch block from Deaman.

Matt Ingram had been mainly a spectator in the first 45 minutes and it wasn’t until the 53rd minute that he got his gloves dirty when making a routine save from Matt Richards’ free-kick.

Less than 60 seconds later though he was picking the ball out of his net as Cheltenham silenced the home fans with an equaliser.

Hayes was the man at fault as he attempted back heel clearance fell straight into the path of Berry and the substitute hammered the ball past Ingram into the bottom corner.

If Ainsworth had feared his side, whose struggles on home turf have been well documented, would struggle to muster a response then he needn’t have worried.

Less than two minutes after conceding the hosts were back in front as Mawson was perfectly placed to thump home a header from Saunders’ corner.

Adams Park was suddenly jubilant again and the three points should have been all but sealed when Onyedinma turned a header just wide of the goal when unmarked from close range.

Wanderers were in the driving seat and another great chance went begging as after a great lay-off from Holloway Saunders placed a left-foot effort just wide from the edge of the box as all those in the terrace were expecting the net to bulge.

The Wycombe technical area had been a place of anger, frustration and disbelief in recent weeks but Ainsworth looked to be back to his cool, calm and collected ways as tried to mastermind a return to winning ways.

Holloway, in his second successive start, had been forced off through fatigue against Burton on Easter Monday but the big man’s touch and composure was still intact as the game entered its final 15 minutes.

The striker was replaced to a standing ovation with just two minutes left with his team cruising towards the win.

Apart from their brief rally just after half-time the visitors showed very little attacking promise and Johnson has his work cut out to save the Robins in their final four games.

The fourth official’s board indicated six minutes of time would be added on, but even if he had held up 45 it’s unlikely Cheltenham would have been able to score again, such was their lack of a cutting edge up top.

Stoppage time had passed without incident until the final minute when excellent blocks from Murphy and Mawson were required, but Blues held on and secured a vital three points.

Wanderers: Ingram, Jacobson (Murphy), Yennaris, Mawson Pierre, Saunders, Bloomfield, Wood, Holloway (Craig), Hayes, Onyedinma
Substitutes not used: Lynch, Bean, Fletcher, McClure, Ephraim
Goals: Pierre 45+3, Mawson 56

Cheltenham: Carson, Vaughan, Braham-Barrett, Brown, Deaman (Taylor), McDonald, Sparrow, Richards, Wynter (Berry), Manset, Burns (Haynes)
Substitutes not used: Gould, Mills, Hanks, Harrad
Goals: Berry 54,

Attendance: 3,907 (273 Cheltenham)

Referee: T Harrington
Assistant referees: M D’Aguilar and M Wilkes
Fourth official: D Cheosiaua