Wycombe Wanderers boss Gareth Ainsworth has admitted that all the players available to him were present during their 2-0 away win at Bolton on January 11.
Stunning strikes from Brandon Hanlan and Jack Grimmer, which was the latter’s first for the club, has put Wanderers on 49 points for the season, as they sit third in the League One table.
And coupled with Sunderland’s 3-1 home loss against Lincoln City on the same night, the win against the Trotters means the Chairboys are now just one point off the automatic promotion places, which are currently occupied by the Black Cats and top-of-the table, Rotherham United, respectively.
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Happy returns to the North West for the gaffer.
— Wycombe Wanderers (@wwfcofficial) January 12, 2022
He shared his post-match views after a solid victory over Bolton.#BOLvWYC pic.twitter.com/yk3xPWAQQB
However, despite Wycombe’s unbeaten start to 2022, Wanderers’ bench at the University of Bolton Stadium consisted of three development players in Olly Pendlebury, Tjay De Barr, and Adams Leathers.
Between the three youngsters, the trio have played a total of 283 league minutes this season, whilst Leathers has yet to make his league debut for the club.
He did however play in the 5-0 home defeat against Burton Albion in November.
Chris Forino, Adebayo Akinfenwa, and Jason McCarthy were notable absentees from the win against Bolton, whilst the Chairboys are still without Nick Freeman and Dom Gape due to injury.
Speaking after the win, Ainsworth said: “We have no fit players at home.
Loves a battle!#BOLvWYC pic.twitter.com/0qsY7MP4a5
— Wycombe Wanderers (@wwfcofficial) January 11, 2022
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“We have brought absolutely everyone today [January 11].
"With the pandemic, Adams Leathers made the bench, and he is a young boy who has had no minutes under his belt this season, Olly Pendlebury has had limited time, Tjay De Barr in what was only his third game, Chris Forino picked up a knock, and we’ve got limited resources that’s why it’s a big result.”
On the match itself, which secured Wycombe’s fourth consecutive win and fourth straight clean sheet against Bolton in four matches, the boss added: “We’ve come up and got a result away at Bolton on a Tuesday night.
“These are the games that really mean a lot.
READ MORE: Wycombe defender Chris Forino wins the club's Player of the Month award for December
Good nights work boys 👊🏿💙 @wwfcofficial
— daRealAAkinfenwa (@daRealAkinfenwa) January 11, 2022
“It’s a big result for us and massive credit to the Wycombe fans who made the trip.
“I know there is chaos on the roads, but we needed them, and we needed to be sure that we were really professional in what we did.
“We knew what Bolton’s strengths were, we had to negate them and I thought the boys did that really well as we limited them to long balls to their right-winger, which we knew would be a target, and how we dealt with that was key to the game.”
Ainsworth did reveal that he hopes some of the players will be able to return for the home match against Oxford United on January 15.
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