Mark Hughes’ scrambled effort proved to be the difference at Adams Park as Wycombe Wanderers suffered a 1-0 defeat against promotion chasing Accrington Stanley.

The visitors had the better of a game of few chances and were good value for their win as debutant Benjamin Siegrist was tested a number of times in the Wycombe goal.

Stanley’s winner, which condemns Wycombe to a seventh game in a row without a win, came in the 78th minute and keeps them in second place heading into the final week of the season.

Wycombe by contrast will go to Oxford next Saturday knowing the best they can do is spoil a potential promotion party for their local rivals.

Accrington came into the match looking for a win to boost their hopes of gaining automatic promotion to League One.

A lofted pass into the box allowed Aaron Pierre to control inside the Stanley box after just four minutes before lashing over from close-range.

The centre-back was under pressure from Tom Davies but should have done better with what was a presentable chance to find and early breakthrough.

Siegrist made his first appearance for the Chairboys as Gareth Ainsworth opted to give the Aston Villa loanee a run out before the season ends.

He almost had a start to forget as a long pass over the top trickled harmlessly towards his box. The 24-year-old Swiss advanced to control and lost his footing, but managed to recover and scoop clear from a prone position to avoid further embarrassment.

Garry Thompson’s return up front was the only other change from the side which lost 2-1 at Portsmouth last week.

The visitors should have had a penalty after less than 10 minutes as Adam Buxton stole in ahead of Michael Harriman.

With Harriman committed to his challenge the Accrington man went flying over his outstretched leg just inside the area for what appeared to be a clear penalty.

Referee Michael Bull was well positioned to see the incident, but opted to wave away the vocal Stanley appeals.

With Wycombe’s hopes of a play-off place extinguished, Ainsworth had sent his players out to deliver an entertaining display in their final home game of the season.

It was a demand which they attempted to live up to early on, and but for a slip Harriman may have given them the lead as he latched onto a low cross from the left but shot wide at the back post.

The visitors were perhaps inhibited by the added pressure of their promotion push and took 20 minutes to register their first effort on goal.

The opening came through the individual excellence of Josh Windass as he turned Sido Jombati inside out on the right wing and drove a low shot across Siegrist.

The Wycombe keeper was equal to the effort and got down well to turn the ball to safety. Siegrist was similarly diligent moments later as he tipped Tarique Fosu’s shot from distance over the bar.

He could do nothing about Accrington’s next chance which really should have resulted in John Coleman’s side taking the lead 10 minutes before the interval.

A sweeping counter attack saw Fosu bring the ball forward unchallenged and thread a delicate pass inside for Brad Halliday.

The Midfielder got to the ball ahead of Siegrist but squandered the best chance of the half as he prodded wide from eight yards out.

The half-time break seemed to revitalise Wycombe as they took the game to Stanley early in the second half.

A smart exchange between Paul Hayes and Harriman allowed the former QPR man to race away down the right and send a dangerous ball across the six yard box.

Garry Thompson could not stretch enough to connect with the fizzed cross as Wanderers’ early pressure produced no reward.

Accrington were soon back in the ascendency and wasted another fine chance to take the lead in the 56th minute.

A clumsy Jason McCarthy challenge offered Buxton the chance to swing a threatening free kick towards the back post from wide on the left.

Matty Pearson got free in the six yard box and inexplicably sent a diving header just wide of Wycombe’s left upright.

It was the sort of chance Accrington had struggled to create against League Two’s tightest defence all game, and they were toiling to find a way through.

Indeed, the Chairboys almost hit them with a sucker punch as a deep cross found Harriman in space on the right hand side of the box.

The winger’s touch took him inside his marker but he couldn’t quite stretch to poke a shot past the onrushing Ross Etheridge who bravely collected the loose ball.

The chance signalled the start of Wycombe’s best period of the game as they controlled possession for the following 10 minutes.

For all their territory they created little though as their ineffective run in front of goal went on.

They would be punished for their failure to capitalise as Accrington took the lead in the 78th minute. It would take a moment of individual brilliance for them to do so as Windass lined up a free kick some 30 yards from goal.

The striker’s effort was heading for the bottom right corner before Siegrist got a telling touch to turn the ball onto the post with a superb save.

His quality would go unrewarded, however, as the loose ball fell to Hughes who turned home from six yards via a touch from a despairing McCarthy.

The goal was just reward for Accrington who despite not dominating the match had provided the greater attacking threat and were good value for the win.

Ainsworth’s men, try as they might, could not muster a serious fight back and will have to up their game seriously if they are to give Oxford a bloody nose on the final day.

Wycombe Wanderers:  Siegrist; McCarthy, Stewart, Pierre, Jombati, Rowe, Bean, Harriman (Kretzschmar 87), Sellars (Sellers 87), Thompson (Ugwu 71), Hayes (C)

Subs not used: Allsop; McGinn, Liburd

Accrington Stanley: Etheridge; Pearson, Davies, Hughes, Buxton, Mingoia (McCartan 77), Halliday, Connelly (C), Fosu, Windass, Kee

Subs not used: Mooney; Winnard, Gornell, McConville, Brown, Boco

Referee: Michael Bull

Bookings: Pearson (foul on Sellars 30), Pierre (foul on Windass 44)

Attendance: 4,041 (away 584)