Wycombe

Wycombe did the hard yards at Adams Park, and they did them well. Jayden Wareham's goal in the first half and Cauley Woodrow's header soon after the break beat Burton Albion 2-0, and Tom Hounsell, a former Burton caretaker manager, saw his side keep a clean sheet against his old club.

Wycombe started on the front foot. Woodrow and Malik Mothersille both went close in the fourth minute, Mothersille's shot only just missing the top corner. Connor Taylor then headed Caolan Boyd-Munce's cross towards goal and forced a save from Corey Addai. Burton's best early moment came from a corner, when Jason Sraha headed wide from close range.

A gift, gratefully taken

The breakthrough came on 21 minutes, and Burton gifted it. Jason Sraha passed back to Addai, and Wareham charged down the keeper's attempted clearance and into the net. It was his sixth goal in nine games since joining Wycombe. Wycombe's discipline wasn't quite so sharp: Daniel Harvie and Mothersille were both booked inside the first 23 minutes. Burton had their chances to hit back. Mark O'Mahony headed just over from another Charlie Webster corner, and Webster sent a free-kick over the bar.

Woodrow settles it

Gary Bowyer sent on Harvey Araujo at the break, and Burton looked brighter for it. Seconds after the restart Conor Hazard stopped Gbemi Arubi's goalbound shot with his legs, and Webster fired just over. But Wycombe struck again. Jack Grimmer tested Addai from distance, and then on 53 minutes Mothersille crossed from the left, Fred Onyedinma's header was blocked, and Woodrow followed up to head home from close range.

Arubi forced one more save from Hazard three minutes later, and that was more or less the end of Burton's threat. Hounsell made a triple change on 68 minutes, bringing on Danny Ings, Luke Leahy and Dan Casey. Burton used all five of their substitutes, but Hazard wasn't troubled again.

Wycombe finished with 13 shots to Burton's six and won 31 aerial duels to 14. It wasn't spectacular, but they controlled it, and that was what pleased Hounsell most.

"A really good, complete performance"

Just as pleasing was how we controlled the game for about 70 minutes. We made some changes and changed shape, but we managed the game really well. To get the clean sheet and ultimately the result is really pleasing. It shows a real difference in our performance and some really good game management.

Tom Hounsell, Wycombe Wanderers head coach

He had a word for Burton's main threat, too. "Charlie Webster is a good player who operates with a lot of freedom," he told the Bucks Free Press. "We knew we needed to stay compact in the middle of the pitch and, generally, I thought we did that really well."

It was only Wycombe's third clean sheet in eight games. They had drawn six of their 12 league games before today, and they were 23rd when Hounsell took over from Michael Duff in September. Since then they've lost once in nine league games, and they're four points off the play-offs.

"The gulf was massive"

Gary Bowyer saw the difference at the top end of the pitch.

Wycombe have got a striker they probably paid £2million for in the summer who I thought was terrific. He gave Curtis Tilt a hard time, even though Tilty had a right go at it. It just shows you the difference in strikers.

Gary Bowyer, Burton Albion boss (PA)

I've seen Wareham's goal back and there was a hand involved but I have to say we didn't get anything from the official today.

Gary Bowyer

First half we were miles off it, second best to everything. There was no shouting at half-time. I just said to them 'look, that's not us, let's get out there and have a go'.

Gary Bowyer