Gareth Ainsworth hails Wycombe’s display at Cheltenham

Posted Sunday, February 18, 2018 by PA

Manager Gareth Ainsworth described Wycombe’s 2-0 win at Cheltenham as a thoroughly professional performance.

First-half goals from Adebayo Akinfenwa and Paris Cowan-Hall were enough to make it seven wins out of eight for the Chairboys, who move up to second in the League Two table.

Wycombe leapfrogged Accrington and are now only five points off leaders Luton.

“We needed that and it was a very professional performance,” said Ainsworth, who was this week the subject of a rejected approach from an unnamed Championship club.

“We knew the pitch was lively from the warm-up and you aren’t going to be able to play a lot on it.

“We worked on things in the week and we knew they’d try to do a job on Akinfenwa.

“It worked well and there were some great individual performances, but it was a good team performance.

“It was also a clean sheet and this was the big one. Exeter, Swindon and Luton are the ones you get up for, but to come to Cheltenham after three results the levels still had to be high.

“The lads worked their socks off and got what they deserved and it’s been a fantastic start to the year for us.”

Cheltenham boss Gary Johnson admitted the two quick goals before the break ruined his side’s chances of causing an upset against the promotion chasers.

“The first goal was always going to be important,” he said.

“We were coping well with their strike-force and then they scored a couple and it’s very difficult against good teams to get the game back as they game manage.

“We didn’t do enough and we didn’t give ourselves a chance really because we didn’t create enough opportunities. We were beaten by a very good side, but we didn’t do enough.”