Wycombe Wanderers carried on their golden run away from home with an excellent 2-1 win over Colchester United.

Craig Mackail-Smith got the winner on 66 minutes when he slammed home from close range after Dan Scarr’s header came back off the post from Joe Jacobson’s exquisite delivery.

Wanderers had gone ahead on 32 minutes when Nathan Tyson scored his first Chairboys goal for 12 years when he nodded in after the industrious Mackail-Smith saw his fierce shot well saved by Sam Walker.

Just before half-time the home side equalised thanks to Brandon Hanlan’s crashing effort in off the bar after Drey Wright squared it to the striker 12 yards out.

It was a fairly even start to the match, with most of the game confined to the middle and neither side really threatening in the opening 10 minutes.

However, the first opportunity came on 11 minutes when Sammie Szmodics was played through but he was denied by an excellent save from Scott Brown.

Szmodics’ chance was the only one of a slightly drab opening 20 minutes with Wycombe still firmly in the contest.

The home side had a sniff of goal on 23 minutes when Ryan Inniss met Doug Loft’s corner but Brown gathered it confidently.

Wanderers had a golden opportunity to take the lead on 27 minutes when Adebayo Akinfenwa got the ball six yards out and laid into off to Mackail-Smith, who dragged his shot inches wide.

Five minutes later, the Blues took the lead thanks to Tyson and then the home side came back strongly when Brown produced a superb save to deny Szmodics on 34 minutes, tipping over expertly from a thunderous effort by the Colchester number 10.

Unfortunately for the Chairboys, the U’s equalised on 43 minutes to make the scores level at the break.

Wanderers started the second half on the front foot and Ebere Eze took aim on 47 minutes from Luke O’Nien’s pass but he saw his shot blocked with the goal gaping.

Chances were at a premium on the whole but the Blues were just about edging proceedings in the second period.

Colchester had a superb effort of their own on the hour mark when Inniss’ header was destined for the corner before Joe Jacobson incredibly cleared off the line.

Wycombe weathered that storm and then retook the lead on 66 minutes thanks to Mackail-Smith’s first goal for the club.

The home side came back strongly three minutes later when Hanlan struck a firm effort from eight yards only to be denied by a wonderful save from Brown.

The excellent Brown came to Wanderers’ rescue again on 71 minutes when Wright hit a fierce shot from 20 yards but the keeper tipped it away with a strong arm.

It was beginning to get more open and Tyson raced down the lift with 15 minutes remaining and his pinpoint cross found Akinfenwa who saw his first-time strike saved brilliantly by Walker.

The Chairboys dealt with anything the home side threw at them in the final few minutes to make it 11 games unbeaten on the road.
 

WYCOMBE WANDERERS: Brown, Harriman, Scarr, Stewart, Jacobson, Bean, O’Nien, Eze (sub: Saunders, 73), Tyson, Mackail-Smith (sub: Freeman, 83), Akinfenwa. Subs: Richardson, Jombati, El-Abd, Southwell, Williams.

COLCHESTER UNITED: Walker, Jackson, Lapslie (sub: Murray, 83), Kent, Wright, Loft (sub: Kabamba, 80), Szmodics, Eastman (sub: Reid, 78), Hanlan, Vincent-Young, Inniss. Subs: Gilmartin, Comley, Odelusi, James.

REFEREE: Brett Huxtable

ATTENDANCE: 3,562 (Wycombe 537)