Accrington Stanley's optimism melted alongside the February snow as the Reds suffered their fourth straight league defeat.

Volunteers had been enlisted to clear the pitch at the Fraser Eagle Stadium to ensure that the game with Wycombe Wanderers went ahead, and they completed the job efficiently and quickly, hoping that the players would do the same.

John Coleman handed home debuts to defender Aswad Thomas and the versatile Mark King in a 4-4-2 system, while Paul Lambert started former Northern Ireland and Celtic Captain Neil Lennon for the first time in a three man central midfield.

It was the home side who started brightest, with Ian Craney flashing the ball across the face of goal after just two minutes before Leam Richardson caused panic in the box with a dipping cross and Craney fired a free kick over the crossbar.

But the Reds couldn't maintain their start, and within 14 minutes Wycombe had the lead. Midfielder Tommy Doherty threaded in Scott McGleish, and the Chairboy's top scorer needed no second invitation to outpace Graham Branch and fire past Ian Dunbavin for his 18th goal of the season.

It was another early goal conceded, and the Stanley players looked shell shocked as they prepared for the restart. And despite some decent possession Coleman's side failed to test Frank Fielding in the Wycombe goal, with the keeper only called into action to push a King corner over the bar and catch a long clearance from Dunbavin.

In truth, it could have been worse for the Reds. Eleven minutes from the break, the lively Sergio Torres went down easily under challenge from Andy Procter just inside the penalty area on the Stanley left. The Argentine ensured he was well in the box before going to ground, and referee David Foster gave him his reward by pointing to the spot.

Up stepped McGleish, powering his kick towards the bottom left corner only to see Dunbavin make a great save, and Richardson react quickest to clear the danger.

It should have been all Stanley needed to mount their recovery, but that comeback never really materialised. There were half-hearted appeals for a penalty when Paul Mullin was manhandled in the area by Leon Johnson before King curled a free kick wide of the right hand post on the stroke of half time.

At the break Coleman made a change, replacing Andy Todd with Shaun Whalley, who joined Mullin up front with Jay Harris switching to the right hand side of midfield.

In the early stages of the second half, Wycombe Captain David McCracken twice thwarted Stanley counter attacks which set Andy Procter away. At the other end, timely interceptions from left-back Phil Edwards denied McGleish the chance to pull the trigger inside the penalty area.

The main threat remained from the visitors, with the pony-tailed Torres pulling all the strings. Just past the hour mark it was he who fired one shot straight at Dunbavin from distance and then a second over the bar. Then it was the turn of McGleish again, who burst through the centre to race onto a through ball and get one on one with Dunbavin. But the striker's first touch took the ball much too far to his right and he went to ground, but for once Mr. Foster elected not to blow his whistle. It was the former Barnet striker's last meaningful contribution before he was replaced by Leon Knight.

At the other end, Fielding finally had a save to make when Thomas drove a 20-yard strike straight at him before Craney lashed an effort wide of the left hand post. But on 75 minutes the game was put beyond Stanley in disappointing fashion. Fielding's long kick bounced inside Reds territory and Dunbavin raced to the edge of the D to clear. But the keeper fired his kick off the helpless Branch to present Knight, who had been on the pitch for a matter of minutes, with a simple tap in.

Stanley did attempt to mount a comeback, with Harris firing over 12 minutes from the end and getting a second chance three minutes later which he guided into the arms of Fielding. But in the final third things just weren't happening, and the frustration showed on the faces of all those of a Red persuasion.

Dunbavin's afternoon of activity wasn't quite finished; he was called into action in the final minute to save John Sutton's header.

As the final whistle sounded and the Stanley fans trudged away, some would have been forgiven for wondering why they hadn't left their shovels at home