WANDERERS boss John Gorman said there must have been some spirit guiding his team to victory as they beat Notts County on Saturday.

He kept the tragic accident which claimed the life of midfielder Mark Philo away from his team as he bravely carried out the family's wishes for the match to go on.

Only him, assistant Steve Brown and reserve team goalkeeper Steve Williams from the playing staff knew about the crash involving Philo whose life support machine was switched off during the second half.

Williams was the only player who knew. He knew because his father is a policeman but the keeper, who grew up in the same youth team as Philo, kept his emotions on hold and took his place on the substitute's bench.

Gorman spent the morning at the 21-year-old's bedside before coming back to the match and incredibly carrying out his duties masterminding a 2-0 win which he dedicated to Philo.

Then, just seconds after the team's 2-0 win, he gathered all the players together in a huddle on the pitch and told them he had something serious to tell them in the dressing room, where he was joined by chairman Ivor Beeks and managing director Steve Hayes, who along with secretary Keith Allen had also known.

Hayes said: "John stood in the middle of the dressing room, broke down and told the players.

"It was devastating. It was so desperate and to see the look of horror on the players' faces was so hard. Some of these people had grown up with him. They were his friends."

Hayes then paid tribute to Gorman for the way he had got through the afternoon.

He said: "John was immense. I don't know how he did it. Coming from the bedside of the boy like that and carrying it all afternoon without his players knowing."

Gorman in turn paid tribute to his right hand man Steve Brown, who helped him through it.

The scrappy match, won with two second half goals on a bog of a pitch, seemed totally irrelevant afterwards but it shouldn't be.

Philo's family wanted the game to go on and, should Wanderers go on and win promotion, they will dedicate their achievement to their former teammate.

Apart from when they conceded a flurry of first half corners, Wanderers never looked in any danger of losing.

But with striker Charlie Griffin stretchered off with an ankle ligament injury in the first half it took them 58 minutes to make the breakthrough with a debut goal from on-loan Ipswich Town teenager Aidan Collins.

The centre-half fired home the rebound after captain-for-the-day Tommy Mooney, wearing the armband because of Roger Johnson's suspension, saw his curling shot rebound off the foot of the post.

Having got their noses in front, the outcome never seemed in doubt as new on-loan keeper Matt Duke from Hull City was calm and assured in everything he did, spreading calm among his new defenders.

At the other end Collins, up from the back again, was denied a second goal by ex-Manchester United keeper Kevin Pilkington before Wycombe doubled their lead with a first-ever goal in English football from Sergio Torres.

The Argentinian made the most of a deliciously-weighted ball inside the full back from Joe Burnell to beat the keeper with a cool angled finish.

His celebrations were as wild as Collins' had been earlier as he celebrated his first goal in 17 league appearances following his unlikely arrival at Wycombe from Argentina via Basingstoke Town.

The players were still then totally unaware of the secret their manager had been carrying until the awful truth was relayed to them in the dressing room.

Wycombe: Duke, Senda, Williamson, Collins, Easton, Betsy, Torres, Oakes, Bloomfield, Mooney, Griffin (Burnell 39). Subs Not Used: Williams, Lee, Martin, Dixon.

Booked: Collins.

Goals: Collins 58, Torres 72.

Notts County: Pilkington, Pipe, Edwards, Palmer, Baudet, O'Callaghan (Tann 45), Crooks, Needham, McMahon (DeBolla 75), Sheridan, Wilson. Subs Not Used: Long, White, Marshall.

Booked: Pipe, Tann.

Attendance: 5,185 (Notts 373).