The Wanderers team of last season accepted defeat too easily, according to manager Gareth Ainsworth who is certain the same cannot be said of his current crop.

An amazing turnaround in fortunes from a team on the verge of relegation to the Conference last season to a team fighting for promotion from League Two this campaign has seen the plaudits flooding Blues’ way.

Despite having one of the smallest squads in the division Wycombe have defied the odds and still have a chance to achieve automatic promotion if they beat Northampton on Saturday and results elsewhere go in their favour.

When asked what the current team have that last year’s didn’t, Ainsworth said: “Character, without a doubt.

“The mental strength of some of the boys, the willingness to work for each other and just a real good respect around the place. They have a willingness to do what we’ve asked them to do.

“They’re getting tired now but everyone would do after such a tight and exciting season. The mental strength and togetherness of this group is something that I thought we had good last year and the year before, but this is definitely the best yet.

“It’s a real close knit group, good experience in there and some fighters that don’t know when they’re beat. Last year maybe we knew when we were beat sometimes and accepted it too easily.”

Wanderers had their fate in their own hands up until last weekend when a Paul Mullin goal four minutes from time left Blues contemplating a play-off campaign unless Southend and Bury slip-up tomorrow.

Ainsworth was defiant when confronted with suggestions that people outside of the club may have seen Wycombe’s recent results as ‘bottling it’ when they had a chance to secure automatic promotion.

“I pity those people who make those throw away comments,” he said. “Have a deeper look into the club and then make your suggestions, which the majority of our fans have done this year.

“I think if you look back through the record books and see how many people with been able to put on the bench as times I think you’ll see it’s a crazy statement to make. People get up in the morning to criticise and people get up in the morning to achieve and I know which person I am.”

No matter what happens on Saturday or in the play-offs, this season has been labelled “fantastic” by the Blues boss, a statement which is tough to argue with given the team was earmarked for another relegation scrap by the bookies.

Ainsworth didn’t share the pessimism of the bookmakers though, although he admitted the team’s achievements have been beyond his expectations when he got the squad together in pre-season.

He said: “I had an inkling that we would be ok this season and that was because of last season and what we went through, so I had an inkling we’d be ok.

“I didn’t think we’d be this ok, and that’s being honest. I’ve always said I’ll be honest and it’s tough at times to be honest as a manager because you get people giving little comments here and there, you get people who have no ideas of the inside runnings of a football club who have their own opinions.

“It is tough sometimes but I also have dignity and integrity that I want to keep. I didn’t think we’d be as good as we have been and that’s all credit to the boys, who’ve been fantastic.”