After a crushing late defeat to Morecambe at Adams Park on Saturday afternoon looked to have ended Wanderers’ hopes of automatic promotion, manager Gareth Ainsworth insisted he won’t give up on a top three finish until the final whistle has been blown at Sixfields next weekend.

Blues went down to an 86th minute goal from Paul Mullin that dropped them to fifth in League Two – three points behind third place Southend ahead of the regular season finale against Northampton.

A Wycombe win coupled with Bury failing to get three points and a loss for Phil Brown’s Shrimpers would see Blues promoted to League One, and after the events of last season Ainsworth refused to give in on his quest for automatic promotion.

“We have to rely on two games on the last day of the season, away from home, and we’ve been there before I think,” he said.

“We’ll see what happens. I’ve just told the boys ‘look, no matter what happens next week it’s still in your hands because if we end up in the play-offs and we win three games you get promoted’.

“That’s what we’ll have to look at, but next week we’ll be going for the win because we need a win to get above the other two. We need favours from other teams, I’ll be hoping that happens and if it doesn’t we readdress where we are and go again.”

The Blues boss, as has been the case all season, was remarkably upbeat after the game and he was deadly serious with his response when asked if he might now use the final game of the season to rest players with the play-offs in mind.

Sam Saunders pulled out in the warm-up, having been named in the starting XI, and Ainsworth could only put three outfield players on the bench, but he insisted he will not field a weakened team against The Cobblers to allow his injured squad members more time to return to fitness.

The Wycombe manager said: “If Bury and Southend get beat I’ll never forgive myself if I try and play it cool and save players for the play-offs.

“It’s about winning the game next week, that’s what we’ve got to do and I think we’ve got a chance to do that. We’ll put out the strongest side we can, there will definitely be players back for next week and there will be players back for the play-offs – if we end up in the play-offs.

“I’m positive and I think we can do it next week. If not we’ve got a full back, but let’s concentrate on Northampton. I think I’ll be working on defending set plays for a couple of days this week and we’ll go again.”

While an automatic promotion spot now seems unlikely, no Wanderers fan would write it off given how they saw their team cling to their Football League status on the last day of last season with victory against Torquay.

Blues needed results elsewhere to go their way that day, and on Saturday they will once again need a favour from Saturday’s opponents Morecambe, who play Southend, and Tranmere, who host Bury having been relegated.

“I’d love to have a coach journey home with success from Northampton. It’s asking a bit much, two years running, but who knows,” said Ainsworth.

“Morecambe play well, they’re good at home, they’ve beaten some top teams and Tranmere have been relegated today so that’s the last game in the Football League and I’m sure they’ll want to perform in front of their home fans.

“We’ll have a look, see what happens and play our own game at Northampton. We’re not thinking about the play-offs but we know we have that cushion if we fail to go up automatically.”