Wanderers began their season just like they began the last, with a 1-1 draw against Wrexham at Adams Park.

An early goal from Tommy Mooney exploded the Blues into life in the first half but an unfortunate blunder from debutant 'keeper Ricardo Batista on the half hour presented Mark Jones with the chance to equalise, and that he did in exquisite fashion.

Paul Lambert employed four of his new signings in his first competitive game for the club with Chris Palmer and Anthony Grant in particular proving what worthwhile additions they could be to the squad this term.

Grant got stuck in from the off and Palmer's attacking prowess on the left hand side of midfield gave the Blues an option they lacked last season. In fact it was his forceful run inside the first ten minutes that set up the opening goal.

After Russell Martin had fed him the ball on the half way line, the former Notts County ace squirmed his way through three Wrexham defenders before cutting a cross to Mooney.

Named as the new team captain before kick off, Mooney swiveled to deliver a shot that crept under the body of Michael Ingham and provided yet another goalkeeping calamity in this fixture.

Just last season it was youngster Michael Jones, on the bench for this game, that misjudged a bounce to allow Nathan Tyson to slot into an empty net. That error was the catalyst for the Blues to run riot in a 4-1 triumph but on this occasion there was no such outcome.

Had chances worked out it could have been though. A well worked free kick saw Mooney's shot deflected and from the loose ball Will Antwi's attempted scissor kick fizzed wide when it may have been better positioned Kevin Betsy to strike.

Palmer then dragged his effort wide after cleverly beating Simon Spender following a sweeping move from one flank to the other involving Betsy and Jermaine Easter.

With Wycombe on the front foot, it was from their own corner that the home side allowed the Red Dragons back into the game. After the Wrexham defence had hacked the ball to safety Martin supplied Batista with a weak back pass that the Fulham stopper failed to deal with.

The 19 year old had two attempts to clear the danger but when the second fell to highly rated youngster Jones just inside the Wanderers half, there was no doubting his ability at lofting his shot into an empty net from range.

Wanderers almost responded instantly through Grant following another superb corner from Palmer but the man on loan from Chelsea lashed his half volley wide through a crowd of Wrexham bodies.

The second half failed to produce the same excitement of the first and after a half chance from Easter drifted over the bar shortly after restart fans had to wait until the 62nd minute for the next real moment of action. 

And it fell to Wrexham in a ten minute period when the away side could have taken the lead. First Neil Roberts headed over from Spender's deep cross and then Chris Llewellyn struck a post after Roberts had escaped the attention of Stockley to loop his delivery to the far post.

Stefan Oakes and Jonny Dixon were introduced to the action soon after and the latter almost won the game for the Blues five minutes from time. However, with perhaps a little more time than he realised and with the ball bouncing unkindly on his weaker foot Dixon swiped his chance into the Wanderers crowd.

Mooney had earlier rounded Ingham but was at too tight an angle to punish the keeper before Steve Evans recovered in time to prevent his cross from reaching Bloomfield.

As the final whistle approached it was Wrexham who nearly stole the points and had it not been for a miraculous goal-line block from Martin they would have done.

The 20 year old, who signed a two year contract at Adams Park last week, made amends for his earlier misdemeanour but throwing himself at Robert's effort after Batista had parried Matty Done's centre.

Paul Lambert told wwfc.com. "It was tough. You couldn't get a bet on the heat being the way it was. The players were terrific in their effort and they tried to win the game the best they could.

"Three mistakes in one move cost us but if you had asked me whether I'd take a point at beginning of the game I would have said 'yes'. We had a great start and sometimes there is a tendency once you've got that early goal that people think you'll get two or three.

"It doesn't always work that way even though we did have chances. Fair play to Wrexham, they hung in there and we got punished."

Click here for Team Line Ups and Match Stats.