Town dropped to second in the League One table following a 1-0 defeat to Wycombe Wanderers at Adams Park, the Chairboys’ first ever victory over the Blues. Brandon Hanlon skipped his way into the area before slotting into the net five minutes before half-time with Town dominating the second half but rarely looking like finding an equaliser against a determined Wycombe side.
Boss Kieran McKenna made three changes from the team which beat Peterborough 2-1 at Portman Road a week ago, two of them enforced, with defenders Janoi Donacien, who rolled his ankle in last week’s 2-1 home victory over Peterborough, and Luke Woolfenden both absent.
Woolfenden, who missed out on a league start for only the third time since McKenna took charge a year and a day ago, picked up a minor knock last week but is expected to be back on Boxing Day. Kane Vincent-Young and Richard Keogh came into the XI.
Sone Aluko dropped to the bench having made his return from injury last week, with Freddie Ladapo coming into the side and Kayden Jackson moving to the left of a three behind the former Rotherham man with Conor Chaplin in the middle and Wes Burns on the right.
Among the subs, midfielder Lee Evans was back having been out of action with a knee injury since the Derby County match towards the end of October.
Forward Marcus Harness also warmed up with the squad before the game having recently undergone a minor knee operation and having returned to training this week.
For Wycombe, Jason McCarthy came into the starting XI on the right of the defence as captain with Ryan Tafazolli absent due to illness.
Town, wearing their red and black away kit and with more than 2,600 travelling supporters behind the goal and in an additional section on one side, struck the game’s first effort in the fourth minute.
Leif Davis crossed from the left and Chaplin turned a shot towards goal, which deflected behind off a defender and the Chairboys dealt with the set piece.
In the 10th minute, a Garath McCleary cross from the left was played behind everyone in the box and reached McCarthy breaking forward on the right but the Wycombe skipper’s shot was blocked by Cameron Burgess and a follow-up header looped into Christian Walton’s arms.
Wycombe were beginning to get on top, however, with the Blues struggling to pass their way out of their half with the ball lost cheaply on more than one occasion.
On 17, Jordan Obita’s low cross was stabbed goalwards by Hanlan at the near post but straight at Walton.
A minute later, Chaplin’s cutback was diverted behind and from the corner Burgess rose highest but his header looped well wide.
But the Blues were starting to gain control and in the 21st minute Vincent-Young made a pacy run forward on the right beating two players before playing inside to Ladapo on the edge of the box from where the striker shot just over the bar.
Town had got themselves on top and in the 26th minute Burns was played in on the right in an onside position but his cross was turned behind. Following the corner, a Sam Morsy shot from the edge of the box was blocked.
Two minutes later, Lewis Wing was shown the game’s first yellow card for a foul on Ladapo in the centre circle.
In the 34th minute, following a stoppage for an injury to Wycombe’s Josh Scowen, the Blues conjured the best chance of the match on the left, skipper Morsy teeing-up Chaplin on the edge of the area in space but the forward’s shot failed to trouble home keeper Max Stryjek.
Three minutes later, Davis sent Jackson away on the left and the striker burst away and reached the ball but sent it the wrong side of the post as Stryjek quickly advanced off his line.
Town had looked the most likely scorers for most of the half but in the 40th minute, the Chairboys took the lead.
Hanlan held off Cameron Humphreys as he brought the ball from just outside the area to the right into the box, feinted past Burgess and then slipped the ball beyond Walton as Keogh slid in. It was a poor goal to concede from a Town perspective.
The Blues went about looking to get back on terms and on 40 Chaplin saw first a cross and then a shot blocked from the right of the area.
In the final scheduled minute of the half, Humphreys sent Burns away down the middle as the Blues counter-attacked but Obita came across to dispossess the Welshman.
Moments later, Davis recovered an overhit cross from the right and sent the ball back in to the near post where Jackson headed to Stryjek under pressure from a defender.
That was the final chance of a first half in which the Blues had been on top for the most part and had had opportunities, however, without taking them.
Hanlan’s goal was the home side’s first chance since the early stages, giving the Chairboys something to hang onto in the second half.
Town swapped Keogh for George Edmundson at right centre-back and three minutes after the restart, Burns was fouled just outside the area to the right by Obita. Davis took the free-kick but hit effort was easy for Stryjek.
On 56, Humphreys did well to keep the ball in on the left and cut back to Ladapo, whose ball on towards teammates in front of goal was just intercepted.
Two minutes later, Edmundson headed just wide at the far post after a corner from the right had been returned from the left by Humphreys, Burns having initially sent a shot backwards.
The game was becoming more open, and the temperature even colder, and Town were starting to find openings. On the hour, Chaplin’s shot was held by Stryjek.
A minute later, Anis Mehmeti was booked for impeding Walton as the keeper looked to get play started again quickly and the game was then held up further after Stryjek took to the turf for treatment for no obvious reason other than to waste time.
Town made a triple moments later, Evans making his return and Aluko and Kyle Edwards also entering the fray, while Humphreys, Chaplin and Jackson made way.
The subs quickly made their presence felt and in the 69th minute Edwards hit a shot which was blocked after Ladapo had held the ball up and turned it into his path from a throw.
A minute later, Davis cut the ball back from the byline having been played in by Edwards but his cross was cut out.
McCleary was booked for time-wasting on 73, then a minute later shot powerfully over with the Blues leaving gaps at the back as they pushed for their equaliser.
Ladapo and the Town fans massed behind the goal were adamant the Blues should have been awarded a penalty in the 78th minute when the striker was upended as he tried to turn on the edge of the area but referee Ben Toner waved away the protests.
Wycombe swapped Mehmeti and goalscorer Hanlan for Dominic Gape and Sam Vokes in the 81st minute, Nick Freeman having earlier replaced Wing.
Town added another attacker a minute later when Gassan Ahadme took over from Vincent-Young.
On 85, Edwards tricked his way past a couple of defenders before scuffing a shot through to the keeper from the edge of the box. Moments later a Morsy effort from the edge of the box was blocked.
Three minutes later, after a free-kick had been awarded to Town, Wycombe’s Alfie Mawson was booked for dissent and continued berating the official after the card had been waved.
The fourth official indicated five additional minutes with the Blues camped inside the Wycombe half but with the home side having repelled everything thrown at them.
Ladapo almost levelled a couple of minutes into time added on when threaded in on the left of the box by Aluko. The striker’s shot looked to have taken a deflection but was still goalbound when Stryjek palmed it wide.
Burns hit a low shot from the right which Stryjek saved, then moments later referee Toner’s whistle confirmed Wycombe’s first ever win against Town and the Blues’ third in the league this season.
At the whistle, keeper Stryjek, Mawson and Scowen taunted the Blues crowd behind the goal with a plastic bottle returned in their direction.
Town had dominated possession in the second half and created opportunities - 19 shots over the 90 minutes, six on target - but aside from Ladapo's late effort didn't seriously test keeper Stryjek.
Having got their goal just before half-time, Wycombe defended resolutely after the break to see out the three points.
The defeat means the Blues drop to second in the table, Plymouth having won 2-1 at home to bottom side Morecambe, ending a run of four league games without a win, while Sheffield Wednesday in third drew 0-0 at home to Oxford, who Town face at Portman Road in their next fixture on Boxing Day.
Wycombe: Stryjek, Grimmer, Wheeler, Wing (Freeman 72), Mehmeti (Gape 80), McCleary, Hanlan (Vokes 80), Mawson, Obita, McCarthy (c), Scowen. Unused: Dickinson, Horgan, Wakely, Al-Hamadi.
Town: Walton, Vincent-Young (Ahadme 82), Keogh (Edmundson 46), Burgess, Burns, Morsy (c), Humphreys (Evans 62), Davis, Chaplin (Aluko 63), Jackson (Edwards 63), Ladapo. Unused: Hladky, Leigh. Referee: Ben Toner (Lancashire). Att: 7,602 (Town: 2,612).