Wycombe Wanderers 2-1 Bristol City: Adebayo Akinfenwa keeps Chairboys safety hopes alive

Adebayo Akinfenwa scored for the first time since a League One win at Doncaster on 29 February 2020

Adebayo Akinfenwa's stoppage-time penalty gave Wycombe a lifeline in their bid for safety as they secured a dramatic win over Bristol City at Adams Park.

The Chairboys looked to be limping closer to relegation until Akinfenwa scored from the penalty spot after Kasey Palmer handled goalkeeper David Stockdale's shot - the 38-year-old's first-ever goal in the second tier.

The Robins led when Adam Nagy cut in and laid the ball into the path of Tyreeq Bakinson, who lashed a stunning first-time shot into the top-left corner from 25 yards.

Uche Ikpeazu outmuscled his marker to head in Anis Mehmeti's deep cross at the back post to level as Wycombe turned up the heat after the break.

The Chairboys' fourth win in eight matches moved them six points from safety with three games remaining, while the Robins, whose winless run stretched to seven, dropped to 16th.

Bakinson's superb opener was out of step with a quiet opening half low on quality as he smashed in his second goal in as many games and only City's third in seven games.

Wycombe went close to an instant reply when Jason McCarthy whipped in a cross to Admiral Muskwe, who volleyed into the side-netting from six yards.

Gareth Ainsworth's side grafted hard after the break and, having headed the equaliser, Ikpeazu hit an overhead kick straight at City goalkeeper Daniel Bentley.

Antoine Semenyo's close-range drive almost put the Robins back in front, but Stockdale's save would not be his last crucial moment.

Bentley denied Akinfenwa's fine turn and shot with a save at full stretch, but moments later the striker kept his cool to end a 14-month goal drought after Stockdale went up for a corner and smacked a shot which hit Palmer's arm.

Wycombe boss Gareth Ainsworth told BBC Three Counties Radio:

"What an end to it. I can just imagine what the fans would've been like at the terraced end there.

"It was just brilliant to see Bayo getting his first Championship goal. I was so proud of them - I'm always proud of them. We're a real force at the moment.

"I think we're probably mid-table form for the second half of the season. Whatever happens now I'm really excited for the future of this football club."

Bristol City manager Nigel Pearson told BBC Radio Bristol:

"I'm not happy with how we finished the game. In the first half that's as good a 45 minutes as we've played in a long, long time in terms of control and doing what we talk about doing.

"And then the second half we just had individuals going off on tangents and not showing the responsibility for the team.

"That's a problem for us. That's why we underachieve as a team and why we continue to frustrate everybody, including ourselves. Until players accept responsibility for their own performance we're going to continue to be an underachieving club."