Wycombe Wanderers winning streak at Adams Park came to an end on Tuesday night as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Accrington Stanley.

Having surrendered top spot and their unbeaten record against Gillingham at the weekend, Gareth Ainsworth made five changes to his starting line-up but it had little initial impact during a first half which saw John Coleman’s men run rings around the disjointed and out of sort hosts.

Coleman brought in Seamus Conneely and Sean McConville in place of Lamine Kaba Sherif and Joe Pritchard following the 3-1 loss to Sunderland last Saturday and they started with a great sense of pace and purpose. Yet it was Wycombe who registered the first effort at goal after five minutes, when Scott Kashket curled an effort just over the bar. A minute later and Stanley were at sixes and sevens at the back as David Wheeler stole the ball in the area, but Wycombe were unable to force it home.

Accrington grew into the game from that point and Ryan Allsop was forced into a good stop from Jordan Clark after 13 minutes, before Clark again worked a good chance three minutes later, only to miscue his effort wide. Wycombe were failing to get hold of the ball and string more than a few passes together, struggling with Accrington’s energetic style. Yet for all their endeavour, possession and a string of corners, Stanley were not being clinical in the area with Wycombes somewhat desperate defending keeping them at bay. Clark was being a real handful, and was again denied by Allsop on 18 minutes, before a rare foray into opposition territory for Wanderers ended with Kashket shooting into the side netting.

This didn’t alter the run of the game and another scramble in the Wycombe box was cleared after 34 minutes. The inevitable breakthrough came just four minutes later though. A well-worked free-kick routine from Wycombe caused some panic in the Accrington box and it looked as though the half may end with some pressure from the home side, but after winning possession near their own area, the visitors worked the ball across the park well and that man Clark eventually crossed for Dion Charles to head home from close-range.

Wycombe did come close to an undeserved equaliser as the half drew to a close with Wheeler heading over a decent Jack Grimmer cross.

Accrington were good value for the half-time lead and made a mockery of the contrasting forms of the two sides. Wycombe’s dis-jointed showing may have been down, at least in part, to the multiple changes Gareth Ainsworth had made from Saturday. A squad with real depth is a luxury for Ainsworth but managing it is an art he arguably needs to learn.

A beautiful sunset engulfed Adams Park pre kick off (Photo credit – Nick Slevin)

Yet he is no novice to motivating players and the proverbial rocket he must surely have dished out to his team at the interval had the desired effect.

Eight minutes after the re-start another Grimmer cross was headed over by Wheeler before Fred Onyedinma went down in the area prior to Nick Freeman volleying just wide. Wycombe’s claims for a penalty fell on deaf ears.

On the hour mark, the small band of dedicated travelling fans hearts would have sunk when Adebayo Akinfenwa was introduced to the game in place of Onyedinma. Accrington are something of a bogey side for Wycombe having not tasted defeat in South Bucks for over ten years, but Akinfenwa has something of a habit of breaching the Stanley defence.

The visiting side were then fortunate not to be reduced to ten men on 65 when Jerome Opoku appeared to deliberately handle the ball, thus stopping Wheeler breaking behind the defence. Opoku had already been booked for a nasty challenge on Matt Bloomfield and although referee Brett Huxtable awarded a free-kick, the only card he branded was for Wheeler after his boisterous attempts to wrestle the ball back to re-start the game.

Yet four minutes later and Mr Huxtable did give a big decision Wycombe’s way when Kashket was upended in the area and the man in black pointed to the spot. With regular penalty taker Joe Jacobson rested, Nick Freeman stepped up. The midfielder has provided some impressive assists this season but hasn’t scored since February 2018 – not that you’d know it from the brilliantly struck effort which found the corner of the net with great power.

The equaliser was deserved and it felt as though Wycombe would go on to win the game from there, but they were caught off guard after 75 minutes as Sean McConville found space in the area but his shot spun just wide via a post when he really should have scored.

Akinfenwa then headed over before Allsop saved a drive from McConville as both sides went in search of a winner. Eight minutes of time were added on at the end but thanks largely to a whistle happy performance from Huxtable, the only chance of note during that time was another Akinfenwa header from a Grimmer cross, but it was straight at Stanley keeper Dimitar Evtimov.

The result leaves Wycombe third in the table, while Accrington are three points clear of the relegation zone in twentieth. Both sides will feel they could have won the game but will settle for a point as Wycombe’s vastly improved second half display stretched their unbeaten league run at home to seven matches.

Accrington face a tough match at home to Blackpool on Saturday while Wycombe welcome underperforming Portsmouth.

WYCOMBE WANDERERS 1 (Freeman 72pen)

ACCRINGTON STANLEY 1 (Charles 40)

ATT: 3,566

words Phil Slatter, D3D4 Wycombe Wanderers correspondent