WANDERERS set a new club record of 14 matches unbeaten but manager John Gorman could not hide his disappointment as the Blues missed out on a return to the top of the table as they were frustrated by lowly Rushden and Diamonds.

He said: "I don't feel like going out and celebrating. We're still unbeaten but we feel we should have won every game.

"It was one of those days when we didn't play well. If we had scored early I think we would have won the game quite comfortably.

"But we were lacklustre and didn't pass the ball anything like as well as we can.

"We had too many individuals who did not play to their potential.

"We had 80 per cent of the possession but our final ball wasn't right."

It should have been a home banker as second-from-top Wycombe faced up to the second-from-bottom side.

But after a bright opening 20 minutes, Wycombe struggled to play with any of the fluency which has taken them to the top of the table.

And in the end they needed a fabulous save from on loan Preston keeper Andrew Lonergan to deny 16-year-old Lee Tomlin a winning goal he would never forget and were grateful to Chris O'Grady's astonishing miss from inside the six yard box as the lowly Diamonds threatened an upset as they came on strong in the last ten minutes.

Wycombe's intent to win the game was clear from the outset.

Nathan Tyson was restored to the line-up following his injury lay off and with Tommy Mooney and Kevin Betsy also in the side Wycombe should have had way too much firepower for a Diamonds defence.

But Tyson kept drifting far too far to the left and the quality of crossing from Betsy and Senda on the right was nowhere near the standard it has been as Wycombe huffed and puffed.

After a bright opening 25 minutes, in which Stefan Oakes and Tommy Mooney fizzed volleys wide and Betsy had a header blocked and a right foot shot just wide, Wanderers ran out of ideas.

Not even the half time introduction of their Argentinian box of tricks Sergio Torres could lift them as Rushden defended doggedly in front of veteran keeper Andy Woodman who was treated to a surprisingly easy afternoon.

Wanderers managed just three attempts on target in the first half and none in the second half as they failed to turn possession into worthwhile attempts on goal.

Senda created the best chance of the second period with an inviting cross but Joe Burnell who has yet to score for Wycombe got his bearings wrong as he tried to head the ball into the net and failed to direct it goalwards.

Whenever else Wycombe did get a sight on goal they found a determined defender in their way as Mooney discovered when he tried to drill home from 12 yards only to find Peter Hawkins' boot in the way.

Wycombe's crowd did their best to inspire the Blues. They turned up the volume when Wycombe needed them most, but as the game went on it was Rushden who grew in confidence.

The visitors had two good chances to win it in the last ten minutes.

Sixteen year-old substitute Tomlin twisted inside Mike Williamson and then with his left foot shot fired goalwards only to be thwarted by Lonergan.

But after saving Wycombe, Lonergan was in no-man's land as he missed the resultant corner. John Dempster returned it and from six yards out O'Grady scooped the ball over the bar to ensure that disappointed Blues at least still had the comfort of claiming a new club record.

Wycombe: Lonergan, Senda, Easton, Johnson, Williamson, Betsy, Bloomfield (Torres 45), Oakes (Dixon 73), Burnell (Lee 88), Tyson, Mooney. Not Used: Talia, Stonebridge.

Rushden & Diamonds: Woodman, Gier, Hawkins, Gulliver, Dempster, Pearson (Grainger 65), Savage, McCafferty, Kelly, Broughton (Tomlin 74), O'Grady. Not Used: Young, Nicholls, Okuonghae.

Booked: McCafferty.

Attendance: 5,231 (Rushden 245).

Referee: Ray Olivier