WANDERERS boss John Gorman praised his side's team spirit as they twice came from behind to maintain their unbeaten league record in a six-goal thriller.

The Blues were knocked out of their stride by an ultra-physical Chester side that began the day in third place just one rung below.

And the visitors would have leapfrogged them if the woodwork hadn't twice come to Wanderers' rescue.

Gorman said: "They wouldn't let us play our normal game but while our football wasn't what it usually is our character showed through."

Chester came to do a job on Wycombe and the three bookings they picked up in the first half showed they did not mind sailing close to the wind with the officials to do it.

Centre half Luke Dimech showed his intentions with some crunching challenges on Wycombe's master marksman Nathan Tyson and when Dimech wasn't there to do it, David Arttell and Michael Branch were more than willing to dish it out.

City boss Keith Curle had wound his side up before the game by bragging that they were better than Wycombe.

He said: "Chester have got more strengths than Wycombe. On paper I think we're a better team than them. Right from the goalkeeper to the centre forward, I think we can maintain it a lot longer than Wycombe can."

And City midfielder Ben Davies stirred it up even more.

He told his local paper that he hoped Dimech would give Tyson a good kick early doors.' Those comments should have riled Wycombe and encouraged them to fight fire with fire but they were strangely subdued as Chester came out with all-guns blazing and with adrenaline pumping through their veins.

The visitors were first to the fifty-fifty challenges and never gave Wycombe time to get their slick passing game going.

Wycombe were still trying to work out what had hit them by the time City took the lead with a ferocious Stuart Drummond shot which cannoned in off the underside of the bar after just ten minutes.

Ryan Lowe then slammed into the side netting as the visitors threatened to add a second.

Wycombe were struggling to get their football together but when they did it resulted in a superb equaliser from Tommy Mooney. He smashed in a 24th minute left foot volley after Sergio Torres' cross had picked him out lurking on the back of the six-yard area.

Mooney had been a doubt to play right up to kick-off but there was nothing wrong with his finish.

He had failed to even complete the pre-match warm up because of a dead leg.

Instead he went back to the dressing room and a last-minute massage did the trick.

Wanderers almost got their noses in front when Tyson headed on for Matt Bloomfield but the midfielder was foiled by a brave save from City keeper Chris Mackenzie.

Wycombe continued to press and it was from a Torres attack, which was broken up on the edge of their own box, that Chester scored their second.

When the colourful Argentinian was tackled, Chester streaked downfield and when Carl Regan centred Michael Branch was on hand to stick the ball into Frank Talia's net.

Chester's tails were up and they almost had a third when Talia slipped as he tried to deal with Branch's shot on the turn which thumped against the post.

City's keeper Mackenzie then suffered a similar fate. He lost his footing as he tried to scramble across his goal to keep out Roger Johnson's header from a 44th minute Stefan Oakes free kick which sent the sides in level at the break.

The injured Tyson (knee) failed to materialise in the second half so Kevin Betsy was shoved up front in his place with substitute Joe Burnell coming on to add some much needed bite in midfield.

Betsy took just five minutes to prove his worth in his new advanced role. He rode the tackles inside the box before feeding Mooney who needed no second invitation to poach his second goal of the afternoon to put Blues in front for the first time.

The lead lasted just 11 minutes though. Wycombe failed to deal with a long throw from the Chester right which was flicked on to Branch who crashed in his second.

From then on City looked the most likely winners. Marcus Richardson climbed above Mike Williamson to head just over and Mooney had to clear off his own line as Chester hunted a winner.

A splendid flying save to his right from Talia denied Richardson again and the visitors went closer still in the final minute when Branch's speculative effort from wide on the right shook the Wycombe crossbar.

Afterwards Blues boss Gorman admitted: "Chester caused us problems and deserved their point. There were a few tackles going on and I think the referee was a bit lenient.

"They set about us. They know we can play football and they didn't want us to play.

"We did play at times, but we have to give them credit and say they did a good job.

"They unsettled us. There were a lot of niggly things and it did stop our flow.

"I was a bit surprised at Keith Curle's comments because I would never criticise anyone before a game.

"But he's young and I don't hold that against him."

And Gorman added that, after seeing Curle's team play at first hand, he now expects Chester to join Wanderers in the battle for promotion places this season.

Wycombe: Talia, Senda, Easton, Johnson, Williamson, Betsy, Bloomfield (Stonebridge 77), Torres (Dixon 67), Oakes, Tyson (Burnell 45), Mooney. Subs not used: Williams, Martin.

Booked: Burnell.

Goals: Mooney 24 & 50 Johnson 44 Chester: MacKenzie, McNiven, Regan, Dimech, Artell, Lowe (Blundell 63), Drummond, Curtis, Davies, Branch, Richardson (Walker 84).

Subs Not Used: Vaughan, El Kholti, Bertos.

Booked: Lowe, Branch, Artell.

Goals: Drummond 10, Branch 36, 60.

Attendance: 5,145 (Chester 352) Referee: K Wright (Cambridgeshire).