Cheltenham Town 1, Wycombe Wanderers 4.

STEVEN Craig scored his first goal of the season as Wanderers bounced back to winning ways with victory over ten man Cheltenham.

The result, obtained from an extraordinary end-to-end battle, was just the tonic Blues needed after the disappointment of losing in front of the Sky TV cameras on Monday.

This was truly a game that had everything as Wanderers levelled following Steve Elliott’s opener within the opening five minutes, as Paris Cowan-Hall struck an impressive equaliser.

There was also the collector’s item of a missed Paul Hayes penalty, as Trevor Carson saved his tame spot kick, a red card for Cheltenham’s Lee Vaughan for a reckless tackle and a goal from Craig.

All that came within the opening quarter of the game, and Blues had to wait until late in the second half before wrapping the result up as Joe Jacobson netted with another long range screamer and substitute Matt McClure rolled home in the last minute to get Wanderers back on track.

It was a result made even more impressive by the fact injuries had shorn Gareth Ainsworth of four of the side that were beaten by Burton last time out, with lack of numbers necessitating Max Kretzschmar taking his place amongst the substitutes despite carrying a knock picked up on Monday night.

One of the quartet of new men drafted in, Craig, wasted a chance to put Wanderers ahead in the opening minute of the tie as he headed wide from a Hayes cross following good interplay from former Robin Sido Jombati and Peter Murphy.

It was the hosts who drew first blood with their opening attack however and it was another piece of poor defending at a corner that led to the concession of a careless goal, as giant defender Elliott was given far too much to power home a header.

No matter, as Wanderers restored parity barely a minute later. The wily Hayes used his experience to work himself a crossing opportunity from the right, and his ball in was on a plate for Cowan-Hall to hammer a shot home via the underside of the crossbar.

The lively start showed no sign of abating as Elliott lunged in unchallenged at the back post but ballooned it high and wide, before Cowan-Hall seized on a channel ball from Hayes and pulled his effort wide when he probably ought to have done better.

Byron Harrison, a hat trick scorer in Cheltenham’s last home game, almost latched onto a soft header back to Matt Ingram from Josh Scowen but Wanderers’ keeper was alert to the danger and saved at the striker’s feet. He then launched a quick counter attack and Cowan-Hall – given a role in a front three alongside Hayes and Craig – had an effort cannon behind for a corner.

Blues had the chance to go in front as Elliott was harshly adjudged to have pushed over Peter Murphy as the pair jumped for a header and referee Darren Sheldrake awarded a penalty. Hayes’ effort was saved by Carson however, as he leapt to his right to turn it away.

Murphy had a shot blocked as Wanderers continued to have the upper hand, and the midfielder was involved in the game’s next major talking point as Vaughan flew in with a reckless lunge a long time after the ball had gone and Sheldrake had no hesitation in reaching for his red card.

All this had come within the game’s opening quarter and there was no let up as Cheltenham debutant Kane Ferdinand’s shot was saved by Ingram and Joe Jacobson flung himself at Terry Gornell’s thundering drive following a lung busting run down the left from Craig Braham-Barrett.

Such was the relentless nature of the game another goal looked an inevitability and when one did it was from Wanderers. Jacobson, having just shown his defensive capabilities at one end, was the architect as he slid the ball down the line with perfect timing for Craig to run onto and crack a shot past Carson for his first goal of the season.

The Scotsman almost made it a double as he headed a cross straight at Carson, with the Town defence ragged and attackers queuing up to meet another delivery from Jacobson.

And Cowan-Hall brought down the curtain on a breathless first half of football as he swept clear of the flagging defence in stoppage time before clipping a lob narrowly over the bar.

Set piece specialist Matt Richards wasted an early second half chance to draw the hosts level as he hammered a free kick on the edge of the box way off target.

It was always going to be difficult to replicate the relentless nature of the opening period but Blues always looked the more dangerous as Elliott made a timely intervention with Cowan-Hall and Craig poised to score, before Murphy flicked a header inches over the bar following an inswinging corner from Jacobson.

Murphy had a shot blocked as the chances started to dry up, but Cheltenham made attacking changes as Omari Sterling-James and John Marquis both came on as they sensed they were still in the game for as long as there was only one goal in the game.

And they almost snuck level as Wanderers switched off at another corner, allowing Troy Brown the opportunity to steer a header into the side netting.

From there Blues went down the other end to open up that two goal lead they craved so much. Murphy and Jombati were patient in their build-up down the right, keeping possession well before teeing up Jacobson.

The Town defence continued to stand off and allowed the full back to shoot, and he duly obliged as he spanked one into the top corner from 25 yards as the power of the strike beat Carson, who got a hand to it.

Stuart Lewis came on as his first contribution was to play a defence splitting pass for Craig, whose low effort was blocked by Carson’s foot.

Substitute John Marquis shanked one wide and it was Wanderers’ replacement who had the last word as he robbed possession off a dithering home defender and calmly rolled the ball past a despondent Carson.

Wanderers: Ingram, Jombati, Pierre, Rowe (sub Lewis), Jacobson, Cowan-Hall, Murphy, Bloomfield, Scowen, Hayes (sub McClure), Craig. Substitutes not used: Richardson, Fletcher, Kretzschmar.

Attendance: 2,833 (496 from Wycombe)