When the final whistle blew at a near deserted Adams Park, Wycombe Wanderers had made club history, but the man who did more than anyone else to make it possible was not even there to witness it.

Manager Gareth Ainsworth, architect of the Chairboys meteoric rise to the Championship, lay in a hospital bed as his players celebrated their first ever win in the second tier of English football.

Ainsworth was missing from his familiar spot on the touchline after having an operation on a back injury, but this famous victory over Sheffield Wednesday was just the tonic he needed.

In Ainsworth’s absence, his assistant Richard Dobson guided the team to a hard-fought win against the only team below them in the league table (Wednesday started the season on -12 points after being found guilty of financial irregularities).

Dobson’s calm demeanour in the technical area was in sharp contrast to Ainsworth’s habit of trying to kick and head every ball himself, but his players still responded with their usual wholehearted enthusiasm.

Wanderers dominated the opening stages and strikers Bayo Akinfenwa and Scott Kashket both missed glorious opportunities to give them the lead. However, they were put under real pressure as the first half progressed and Blues fans were desperate to hear the half time whistle.

After referee Keith Stroud signalled two minutes of stoppage time, a superb Wycombe move led to a corner when Wednesday goalkeeper Joe Wildsmith saved from Daryl Horgan.

Set piece specialist Joe Jacobson delivered with trademark accuracy, and David Wheeler rose majestically to head the ball into the net. There was not even time for the game to restart as the referee blew for half time.

Wycombe deserved their lead, but they had to dig deep to protect it in a second half dominated by the visitors. Wanderers defended brilliantly with Anthony Stewart once again a colossus as Wednesday poured forward in wave after wave of attacks.

For all their possession, they rarely troubled the Wycombe goal and when they did, they found Ryan Allsop in excellent form.

In front of him, there were superb performances by every Wanderers player with Stewart and Curtis Thompson the pick of the bunch.

After earning their first point of the season against Watford in their previous game, this much needed result rounded off a memorable few days for Wycombe who have now achieved their first win and first clean sheet.