Wycombe Wanderers have produced a monumental achievement by effectively surviving in League One for another season, despite a narrow 2-1 defeat to AFC Wimbledon at Kingsmeadow.

Survival was all but sealed with the likes of Scunthorpe and Plymouth losing. Plymouth are three points behind but have a far inferior goal difference to Wanderers, with no chance realistically of them catching the Chairboys.

Goals from Joe Pigott and James Hanson got the three points for the Dons, sandwiched by Alex Samuel’s goal in a game which ebbed and flowed.

AFC Wimbledon made a bright start, pinning Wycombe back in their own half early on.

The Dons had the first half chance on seven minutes when Anthony Wordsworth’s corner found Hanson but he headed well over under pressure from Anthony Stewart.

Wimbledon’s early pressure soon told when Ryan Allsop was slow off his line and felled Hanson in the box on nine minutes.

However, Allsop guessed the right way to magnificently tip away Pigott’s spot kick.

Allsop’s superb stop galvanised Wycombe and they had their first real attack on 19 minutes when Adebayo Akinfenwa set Nick Freeman through.

Freeman laid the ball right to Jason McCarthy, who found Freeman again. He crossed but his teasing delivery just evaded Adebayo Akinfenwa.

Wycombe came so close to taking the lead on 24 minutes when McCarthy’s corner found Adam El-Abd but his header appeared to be cleared off the line.

The Chairboys were beginning to get on top and McCarthy and Kashket, in particular, were causing Wimbledon problems.

McCarthy, who scored a sparking free kick against Walsall on Monday, had another free kick in his sights on 28 minutes but Aaron Ramsdale tipped his 25-yard effort over.

Kashket had an opportunity on the half-hour mark when he met Michael Harriman’s cross on the volley but his effort from 12 yards went well over.

Wimbledon were trying to work a way back into the contest and Pigott’s cross on 33 minutes found Hanson but he was denied by good defending from El-Abd.

The game ebbed and flowed. Wordsworth’s free kick on 38 minutes found Pigott but his effort was excellently tipped wide by Allsop.

However, from the resulting corner, Pigott nodded home from four yards out from another superb Wordsworth delivery.

Two minutes later, a mistake by El-Abd allowed Hanson to go through but Allsop produced a fantastic stop to deny him.

Wycombe came back when Freeman stood up a ball to Akinfenwa in the box on 44 minutes but the big forward headed it just wide.

Wanderers made a blistering start to the second half and on 49 minutes, McCarthy’s wicked cross was turned home at the near post by Samuel.

Just two minutes later, Samuel came so close to making it 2-1 when he met Kashket’s vicious ball in and saw his header cannon off the crossbar.

However, on 52 minutes, Hanson scrambled the ball home from Wimbledon’s first real attack of the half after Wycombe failed to clear their lines.

The game was being played at a ferocious tempo with it being end-to-end and Freeman saw his rocket parried away athletically by Ramsdale on the hour.

Wycombe were beginning to get a grip on the game with the front trio looking threatening. On 68 minutes, Curtis Thompson had a crack from long-range but his effort was well held by Ramsdale.

The Blues were racking up the shots and Samuel had a go on 70 minutes from 20 yards but Ramsdale was again up to the task.

Wycombe still edged proceedings but Wimbledon were gradually growing in confidence in defence.

The Chairboys, however, can pretty much celebrate their survival with goal difference saving them as they head into their final game against Fleetwood.

WYCOMBE WANDERERS: Allsop, McCarthy, El-Abd, Stewart, Harriman, Gape (sub: Cowan-Hall, 89), Thompson, Freeman (sub: Bloomfield, 86), Samuel, Akinfenwa, Kashket (sub: Tyson, 69). Subs: Ma-Kalambay, Jacobson, Bean, Frempah.

AFC WIMBLEDON: Ramsadle, Kalambayi (sub: Watson, 79), Nightingale, Thomas, Sibbick, Hartigan (sub: Soares, 86), Wordsworth, McLoughlin, Seddon, Hanson, Pigott (sub: Connolly, 79). Subs: McDonnell, Appiah, Pinnock, Folivi.

REFEREE: Andy Davies