Tom Oldfield

Despite their best efforts to salvage a late equaliser, Wycombe fell to their first league defeat of the season earlier this month. Yes, that’s right, their first League Two loss came in the month of December. It has been quite a start for Peter Taylor’s side.

With a style of play built on a solid defence and a clinical attack, the Chairboys enjoyed the longest unbeaten stretch of any club in the football league – an incredible 18 games. Though the 3-2 defeat at Aldershot was a blow, Wycombe’s fine run has put them well on the way towards promotion. They currently have 41 points and sit six points clear at the top of the table.

Taylor is no stranger to the ups and downs of the football league and since his arrival in May he has overseen steady improvement. Adams Park has become a fortress, with Wycombe taking 22 points from a possible 30, and the home fans are dreaming of life in League One.

The goals have been shared around in the Chairboys’ stunning few months as opponents have been brushed aside. Matt Harrold has seven, Chris Zebroski has six and there have been 12 different scorers in total thus far, emphasising how well balanced the team is.

And defensively, Wycombe have been incredibly miserly. They have conceded just 11 goals in 20 league games, three of which came at Aldershot this month. Prior to that, they had let in only two goals in nine away fixtures.

But Taylor is refusing to let his players get ahead of themselves. There is, of course, still a very long way to go and Wycombe must continue to set a scorching pace at the top.

He told The Times: “It’s not like we’ve been Real Madrid up against Southend United. They’ve been tight games, sometimes a penalty going our way in the last minute, so the players won’t be getting too flash about it. They know they’ve got to be working their socks off for 90 minutes otherwise we’re going to get beat.”

They received a timely reality check in the FA Cup as unfancied Unibond League Premier Division outfit Eastwood Town turned the tables on the Chairboys, bagging a 2-0 victory. Perhaps the irresistible league form had gone to the players’ heads – if so, they had been duly punished.

But the sign of a good team is the way that they respond to setbacks and Wycombe wasted no time in making amends for the cup upset. Such a disappointment could have derailed their season but a comprehensive 4-0 victory against Macclesfield was a reminder that this group of players remained on course for promotion and Taylor was delighted with what he saw.

He told the club website: “We got beat on Saturday and it was a big shock so it meant there was more pressure on the players going into this game.” It was a performance that showed Wycombe were still a cut above anyone else in the league.

However, there are plenty of sides who will believe that a good run could push them further into the promotion picture. Things are extremely tight with three points separating second and ninth. Bury, on 35 points, are Wycombe’s closest challengers currently, followed by Shrewsbury, Brentford and Bradford on 34 points.

Meanwhile, Darlington, Exeter, Rochdale, Brentford and Gillingham are also within striking distance. Things could easily change in the next month or two, though. Wycombe’s next four league fixtures see them take on Shrewsbury, Exeter, Gillingham and Bury so Taylor’s side will need to be at their best to keep their noses in front.

The beauty of League Two is that anyone is capable of beating anyone and this fact is destined to keep the title race interesting. This weekend, Wycombe only managed a 0-0 draw with lowly Luton so surprise results do occur and Taylor will not feel safe until promotion is actually confirmed.

Taylor has had some spectacular successes in his managerial career to date and, with this current Wycombe side, he may well add another triumph to his CV. He understands what it takes to get over the line in a promotion race and possesses the quality in the squad to make it happen. The Christmas period will tell us more about the Chairboys’ character and resilience but the early signs are very promising – so far, so good.