Gareth Ainsworth says he wants to focus on his side’s positive display rather than the feisty atmosphere that marred much of Wycombe’s 1-0 win at Plymouth Argyle.

The Blues ran out 1-0 winners, thanks to an early goal from Gozie Ugwu, in a match that was also notable for Barry Richardson playing his first game since 2005 after he replaced an injured Alex Lynch.

The full-time whistle saw both managers, and various members of coaching and playing staff, involved in a melee on the touch line after a match that had threatened to boil over throughout.

However, Ainsworth was eager to deflect attention away from the tense atmosphere and towards the defensive performance that protected Wycombe’s lead.

“It was just passion you know, passion in everybody. The two managers, the staff and all the players got involved in the end,” Ainsworth said of the post-match incident.

“It is passion and I didn’t see any major incidents at the end there, there were no punches being thrown or kicks or anything like that. It was just heated words, but you get that all through football.

“Let’s talk about the headers that we won, the tackles we won and the grafting and runs that some of my boys were making today. We have to speak about the way we played and the sheer determination we showed.

“People will say we slowed the game down. If you’re winning 1-0, show me a team that doesn’t slow the game down. If you have a 46-year-old, keeper who wouldn’t try and slow the game down and protect him?”

With Wycombe leading and 14 minutes on the clock, Lynch picked up the hip injury that is expected to rule him out of the visit of Luton next Saturday and saw him stretchered from the field.

The departure of Matt Ingram last week has seen Richardson deputising for Lynch and the 46-year-old was sent on for his first appearance since a 3-2 defeat for Doncaster in November 2005.

Ainsworth praised Richardson, whose day job is as first team coach for the Chairboys, but also confirmed he would be looking to bring in another keeper on loan before next Saturday. “What an opportunity Barry has had today. When I played with him he was a great keeper at Lincoln City,” he said.

“He just became the oldest player for Wycombe Wanderers and is the first keeper to take a clean sheet form Home Park as well.

“He has taken a couple of accolades, and I am not sure he is going to be able to move tomorrow. We will patch him up but believe me I won’t be looking to start him next week.”

He added: “We have no youth or reserves as everyone knows, so I am going to have to get someone in this week because Lynchy is not going to be alright.”

The match also saw the Blues avoid a strong penalty appeal after Jason McCarthy had pulled down Ruben Reid and the centre-back was lucky not to concede a penalty and receive a red card.

The result sees Wycombe end a run of three league defeats in a row and move up to eighth in League Two, just one point outside the play-off places.