Despite falling to another defeat, Wycombe manager Gareth Ainsworth was full of praise for his side after the 3-1 loss against Barnsley.

Goals from Cauley Woodrow and a brace from Daryl Dike succumbed Wanderers to their 23rd league defeat in their 37th match.

The result now means Wycombe are 12 points away from safety with nine games to go.

The night was a bitter one to take for Wanderers, as Sheffield Wednesday and Birmingham also picked up points, whilst Rotherham have got three games in hand.

Ainsworth said: “At 2-1, they were worried about their lead but at 3-1, they’ve got the safety.

READ MORE: Scraps, red cards, and 'glass houses' - Ainsworth on Wycombe's battle against Barnsley

“We get the one goal back and we’re still in the game - it was the third goal I was really disappointed with.

“It was a long throw, we ran out too quickly, we were overloaded at the back stick for the second goal and the third goal…we get done too easily one v one for the cross, but that happens.

Cauley Woodrow scored Barnsleys first goal of the match against Wycombe on Wednesday night with a penalty (John Walton/PA)

Cauley Woodrow scored Barnsley's first goal of the match against Wycombe on Wednesday night with a penalty (John Walton/PA)

“They’re moments that I talk about in League One you get away with it and in League Two you definitely get away with it.

“In the Championship, wow, you get punished and we were punished for that but I couldn’t be prouder.

“I’m really proud of the boys as I thought they were outstanding.”

“I wake up every morning and feel fantastic because I’m so lucky to be manager and enjoy what I do every day.”

Wycombe’s last nine matches of the season are against teams they have already lost to this campaign, apart from one (Cardiff).

They begin the final stretch of the 2020/21 season away to Coventry on Saturday before taking on Ainsworth’s boyhood club, Blackburn Rovers, on April 2.

An away trip to relegation rivals Rotherham will take place three days later, which is followed by a home match against Luton Town.

READ MORE: 'It’s not a penalty at all' - Gareth Ainsworth on refereeing decisions as Wycombe lose to Barnsley

Three games against the River Severn sides in Swansea (away), Bristol City (home) and Cardiff (away) over the course of a week will see out April, before finishing the season at home to Bournemouth, and then an away trip to Middlesbrough.

Ainsworth continued: “The work-rate and the effort wasjust awesome and if we play like that we will stay up.

“If you keep playing like that, people won’t handle us because Barnsley are the form team in the league, and rightly so.

“I was very proud of them and unfortunately, we couldn’t get a couple more goals to make it a real cup tie.

There were several scraps in the match as both sets of players lost their cool at Adams Park, as Wycombe lost at home to Barnsley 3-1 on March 17, 2021 (John Walton/PA)

There were several scraps in the match as both sets of players lost their cool at Adams Park, as Wycombe lost at home to Barnsley 3-1 on March 17, 2021 (John Walton/PA)

“I still really want to get into Coventry, and then we’ve got the international break.

“There’s a lot of games coming up and we’ve got some players coming back to fitness.

READ MORE: FT at Adams Park: Wycombe Wanderers 1-3 Barnsley - Ikpeazu gets one back against the 10-men Tykes

“Ikpeazu again was fantastic with some fantastic wing play from McCleary and Akinfenwa made an appearance.

“We’ve got the players, we just need that little bit of luck and some decisions going our way.

“We might have got something Saturday and we definitely would’ve got something today [Wednesday].”