PROMOTION chasing pair Accrington Stanley and Wycombe Wanderers battled to a 1-1 draw at the Wham Stadium as neither side was able to take a big step forward in their push for League One.

A closely fought affair in blustery conditions ended with a point each that neither manager could have been too unhappy at taking.

It was a frantic game from minute one, with the visitors advancing down the right with their first attack and tossing the ball into the Stanley box.

Moments later Adam Buxton made Stanley’s first opportunity with a low shot, forcing a routine save from goalkeeper Ryan Alsop.

That set the tone for a first half which saw the two teams press and probe each other and few chances created.

Wycombe seemed keen to use the physical attributes of their players and with the wind in their favour were able to adopt a more direct approach than their hosts.

Gareth Ainsworth’s side created their two best openings of the first half within 10 minutes of each other. First a ball to the edge of the box caused some confusion, with goalkeeper Ross Etheridge and defender Tom Davies unable to clear and the keeper forced to block a shot on the edge of his box before a follow up was cleared by Mark Hughes.

Then Matt Bloomfield produced a fine volley from the edge of the area that had the home fans worried but flew wide.

It looked like a half-time stalemate but in first half stoppage time the Reds found a crucial breakthrough. First Piero Mingoia found Sean McConville on the left only for his shot to be held by Alsop.

But then they did get the goal; McCartan racing in one on one with the visiting defence calling for an offside and completing the job by coolly clipping his seventh goal of the season past the keeper and into the right corner of the net.

A half-time lead was a big boost for Stanley who came back for the second period with renewed impetus, forcing their visitors back.

A McConville corner looked headed for the net and had to be turned behind by Alsop before Jason McCarthy was forced to turn away a venomous Mingoia cross and Matty Pearson saw a shot saved.

But the visitors found a leveller when a through ball took a kindly deflection to Garry Thompson and the forward, like McCartan, kept his composure to drill beyond Etheridge into the net to level things up.

It may have been against the run of play but Stanley quickly looked to respond, with Wycombe thankful to Alsop for keeping them level. He made a brave save at point blank range from Mingoia at the far post when the midfielder drilled a McConville cross on target.

The frenetic tempo continued with Matt Bloomfield seeing a shot blocked at one end an Mingoia shooting in the side netting at the other before McConville placed an effort wide from a Kee knockdown.

It remained just as close through stoppage time but neither team could find the telling moment and both had to make do with a point that keeps them well and truly in the promotion hunt.

STANLEY: Etheridge, Pearson, Davies, Hughes, Buxton (Halliday 42), Conneely, McCartan, Mingoia, Brown (Procter 82), McConville (Shaw 83), Kee. Subs not used: Mooney, Barry, Carver, Boco