Gareth Ainsworth says Wycombe Wanderers is a “great place to be and a great place to work” after watching his side roll their sleeves up to battle to a 2-1 victory over Hartlepool United this afternoon.

Blues beating Hartlepool is nothing new – this was the eighth consecutive time it’s happened – but Ainsworth was quick to downplay the significance of past results and admitted he was worried beforehand as he was forced into fielding yet another new-look backline.

The Wycombe boss fielded his seventh different centre-half pairing in as many matches this season, with Danny Rowe coming in to partner Sido Jombati, while Janoi Donacien started at right-back, but once again his charges rose to the challenge.

The Blues boss said: “History can do one because that was a tough game, it was really a tough game. There was no right to win that at all just because of previous years. They really are a tough side and Ronnie Moore has done a fantastic job, changing that team from where they were last season. A team in a little bit of disarray I thought last season but a solid outfit this year. They will beat teams, they’ve got some really good attacking options and I was worried, believe me. I had three players playing out of position in the back four which is tough but I felt the boys adapted really well today and justified a couple of the changes that I made and, again, Garry Thompson led the line fantastically well and set the scene for everyone today and I thought a deserved three points.”

The victory made it six league games unbeaten for Wycombe and lifted them to within a point of top spot and Ainsworth said: “We just carry this attitude we have, this culture at the club we’ve created at the club. It’s almost like you don’t want to look at the league table this year, you just want to continue what we’ve done from the start of last season. Continue that never give up attitude, never leave anything out on the pitch attitude and players who have come this season will slowly get to that. They’re still not right. Some of the players who have come in are still not Wycombe-ised if it were. There’s a few that are, there’s a few that need to learn it and I think we’ll only got better but it was fantastic to see everybody pulling in the same direction.”

He continued: “That first 25 minutes we really ran the game. Michael Harriman could have had four or five today, not just two. I thought he took up some great positions. Tommo led the line really well, he’s going to cause problems. He’s above this level and that’s why we signed him. And Jason (Banton) coming in as well. Once he gets up to speed with everything he’s going to be a good talent.

“Hayesy (Paul Hayes) played through the pain barrier as well. He’s got this Achilles problem and I thought he’s gone beyond the call of duty today to come in and saw Aaron Holloway was struggling. Fantastic, that’s what we are and from the captain to the youngest, it’s a great place to be and a great place to work.”