Wycombe Wanderers send Mansfield Town message to Birmingham City, Wrexham in promotion race | OneFootball

Wycombe Wanderers' win over Mansfield Town was a statement of intent towards Birmingham City and Wrexham.

Wycombe Wanderers sent a statement to their promotion rivals on the weekend, as the side who'd had their manager stolen from them showed incredible character to beat Mansfield Town.

Last week was a hectic week in the grand scheme of Wycombe's season, as their popular manager, Matt Bloomfield, was poached by Luton Town. This left the Chairboys without a manager heading into a crucial game against Mansfield on the weekend.

However, development manager Sam Grace stepped up to the plate and was the brains behind a remarkable 2-1 victory over the Stags. The 40-year-old has been at the club since 2020, following the establishment of the B-team. Having a familiar face in the dugout would've certainly helped the players on their way to the famous win.

Mansfield victory showed Wycombe's togetherness

In a week with such a popular figure departing the club, Chairboys fans would certainly forgive the players if their heads weren't fully in the game, but that wasn't the case in the most recent fixture. After Bloomfield's departure, many outsiders thought that would be the end of Wycombe's promotion bid. However, the Blues quickly silenced those doubters.

Wanderers headed to Field Mill under the stewardship of interim boss, Grace, who was taking charge of his first game in professional management. A much-loved figure at the club, the temporary manager had the backing of every single person associated with the Buckinghamshire side to go and get a result.

He did just that, with goals from Richard Kone and a late winner from Garath McCleary securing a 2-1 win. The scenes at full-time were emotional, as the players rushed over to the fans to celebrate. The squad had been desperate to get the victory in such a crucial match, and the outpouring of joy that followed showed just how much it meant to them.

The togetherness in the squad is the key factor in this Wycombe side's success. Despite Bloomfield being taken out of the equation, the squad stuck together, playing for the badge that they proudly adorned on their chests.

Even veteran McCleary was overcome with emotion at the end of the game. The 37-year-old, who has been at the club since 2020, said: "The togetherness within the squad, everyone has been pulling together, and we're relieved to get the win.

"The atmosphere within the squad is nothing that I've really had before. We've got a mixture of younger guys and older guys - it's a fantastic mixture."

Full-time scenes send statement to Birmingham City and Wrexham

Benji Walker (@benjiwalkerphoto)

As mentioned, the scenes at full-time were jubilant as the players had achieved a remarkable feat when you consider the week they'd had. We spoke to James Richings, the community content and sports reporter for the Bucks Free Press, who was watching from the stands on Saturday.

After seeing the unfolding scenes, Richings told us: "It was like a team that had already won promotion.

"Franco [Ravizzoli] got the ball in the last few seconds and then when the whistle went, everyone immediately ran over to him and hugged him. The bench even started running over to him.

"When a team wins a league or a cup, and they get a moment with the fans, it was pretty much like that. I've not seen anything like that in a long time, especially in the middle of January.

"It sends a huge statement out to Birmingham and Wrexham that Wycombe aren't here to make up the numbers, they really are here to stay and fight."

Under previous manager, Gareth Ainsworth, the Buckinghamshire side were well known for their fearlessness and togetherness, allowing them to continually defy the odds. Whilst there have been big changes on and off the field in recent years, the squad that has been assembled has clearly maintained this belief that has been so deeply rooted in Wycombe's culture over the last decade.

This sends a huge statement of intent to both of the aforementioned rivals. It takes serious character to go to a tough place like Mansfield after a hectic, disrupted, and emotional week and get a positive result, but Wycombe did just that. With the togetherness and the belief in the squad at an all-time high, those who doubted the Chairboys' credentials as promotion contenders may start seeing things in a different light now.