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Wycombe scored three essential points in his attempt to survive the championship with a 1-0 victory over Preston.
In windy conditions, Ryan Tafazolli’s header proved the difference for a Chairboys team that controlled the process to secure their sixth win of the season, while Preston’s poor run now stands at one in seven.
Both teams have made two changes from their last outings, with Wycombe considering a second victory over Preston in the space of three months after their 4-1 FA Cup victory earlier this year.
The opening exchanges were up to the hosts and Tafazolli showed a glimpse of what was to come as he rose to meet two corners of Joe Jacobson. After planting the first wide effort, his second was on target and needed a hand from Daniel Iversen to touch him over the bar.
Anis Mehmeti and Uche Ikpeazu then moved closer to Wycombe, Ikpeazu clinging to a looped Curtis Thompson head to see his shot repelled by Iversen.
From the resulting turn, Tafazolli got lucky for the third time, as he climbed the highest again to send a firm header through the goal and into the net to break the deadlock just before the half. -hour.
The goal saw Wycombe gain confidence and Garath McCleary’s shot from outside the box was blocked by Iversen as they looked to stretch their lead.
At the other end, Preston struggled to carve out a clear chance, their biggest opportunity coming after David Stockdale beat into a Preston corner before the ball was cleared.
After a first half in which his side collected just one shot on target, Preston manager Alex Neil opted for a triple substitution at half-time.
And with the wind behind them in the second half, the changes saw Preston show more offensive intent and Ched Evans completed a shot just ahead of the hour.
Wycombe continued to create his own chances and when Dominic Gape found a space on the right his ball on goal had to be dealt by Sepp Van Den Berg to avoid a tap-in for Ikpeazu.
Preston was starting to find his rhythm and approaching an equalizer as two substitutes combined, Brad Potts trailing a shot into the side net after a clear brace with Anthony Gordon.
The playoffs were frantic and from start to finish, Wycombe substitute Nnamdi Ofoborh dispossessing Preston captain Alan Browne to shoot Iversen straight from the edge of the zone.
There was time for another chance in Preston, but Potts could only explode from an Evans head, and the Chairboys held on for a victory that continued their dreams of a great escape.
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