Centre-back Mike Williamson handed Wycombe a third straight win in League Two with a superb headed goal inside the first four minutes to see off Chesterfield at Saltergate.
It might not have been a classic encounter but Blues' fans would have quite happily swapped style for success ahead of kick-off, and a gutsy performance from Peter Taylor's side saw the visitors come away with a third successive clean sheet courtesy of a superb defensive display against the Spireites.
Wycombe made one change in personnel from last week's 1-0 victory over Lincoln City with Gary Holt replacing the injured Lewwis Spence, and the switch also meant a change in tactics as Taylor opted for a 4-3-3 formation with Holt, John Mousinho and the impeccable Tommy Doherty forming a central three in midfield.
It must have come as a boost to the Wanderers to see the names of Jack Lester and Robert Page missing from the teamsheet ahead of the game, with last season's top scorer and their former Welsh international defender missing through injury and compassionate leave respectively, but in Jamie Ward and Darren Currie, the home side still possessed enough talent to be able to trouble the visitors.
Chesterfield boss Lee Richardson spoke in the week of his worry of conceding early in fear of a backlash from the home support, so he must have been dismayed to see the Blues take the lead with the first chance of the game. A foul midway inside the Spireites' half allowed Tommy Doherty to float the ball towards the back post, and defender Williamson took advantage of slack marking to send a powerful header towards the top corner of Trevor Carson's goal.
The ball bounced down off the crossbar and over the line, and despite Scott McGleish's efforts to claim the goal after thundering the ball home, the linesman had already flagged to indicate that the goal had been awarded to Williamson, giving the 240 travelling fans a dream start to the League Two tie.
Just as Richardson had anticipated, the home fans began to voice their displeasure at the poor start, but this seemed to lift the Chesterfield players and only a timely intervention from David McCracken denied Derek Niven a chance to latch on to Jamie Ward's pass inside the area on five minutes.
The Spireites too were fielding a 4-3-3 set-up which often led to congestion in the midfield but allowed wide players Darren Currie and Alan Goodall a fair amount of time and space on the ball, but Wycombe dealt with everything the home side had to offer and Mike Williamson in particular was not in the mood to allow Chesterfield a way back into the game.
Derek Niven scored against Wycombe at the same ground last season but was unable to repeat the trick on 22 minutes, firing over the bar after pouncing on a clearance outside the box, and Alan Goodall wasn't any closer with his 25-yard drive six minutes later.
Both teams were showing strength in numbers at the back and Jamie Ward and Gary Holt both saw efforts blocked inside the crowded areas before Scott McGleish tested the reflexes of the home keeper, firing goalwards from 20 yards and bringing a smart stop from on-loan Sunderland man Trevor Carson.
Former Blue Darren Currie enjoyed plenty of time on the ball but struggled to replicate some of his finest moments in the quarters, often struggling to find a blue shirt with his corners and crosses, and it was the lively striker Jamie Ward who almost levelled the scores on the stroke of half-time, forcing a smart save from Scott Shearer low to his left from the edge of the box.
An increase in pressure from the home team in the second half was inevitable and Shearer needed to be alert to punch away a dangerous cross before Gavin Grant was inches away from converting Scott McGleish's cross from the left. The same pair swapped roles moments later but this time Grant's low cross was deflected away from McGleish and into the arms of the keeper.
A second goal would have as a killer blow to the home team but while the deficit was still slender, they fought to find an equaliser and Paul Harsley's low effort was blocked before Jamie Lowry headed straight at Shearer from ten yards.
Chesterfield continued to throw men forward and it was Kevin Austin who almost levelled matters on 54 minutes when Shearer missed Darren Currie's teasing cross from the left. Austin leapt for the ball with a Wanderers defender but, seemingly unaware that the goal was gaping, headed a yard wide much to the dismay of the home support.
Peter Taylor replaced Scott McGleish with Magno Silva Vieira on the hour mark after Mike Williamson had been booked for a foul, and Magno thought he'd bagged his first competitive goal for the club on 76 minutes before the linesman ruled that Gavin Grant's cross had gone out for a goal-kick.
Grant was then substituted to allow Simon Church to make his debut for the club after joining on loan from Reading on Friday, but it was the defence who were called into action in the closing stages as Jamie Ward volleyed wide twice within four minutes.
It wasn't quite the climatic ending that Spireites fans would have been hoping for as the visiting defence continued to hold firm, and Taylor was able to celebrate a third straight win which put the club joint top of the table on points after the referee brought an end to proceedings.
For all of the changes at the club over the summer, this win had all the makings of a Paul Lambert-style win, with the Blues taking their chance in front of goal and playing with discipline, determination and organisation to keep the lead intact, and Peter Taylor's side have already shown in the first month of the season that they can combine exciting attacking football with intelligent defensive play when the time is right.
No-one will be getting carried away just yet but the early signs are encouraging and Wanderers will be looking to make it four wins in a row next week at Rochdale.
Chesterfield: Carson, Downes (Picken 54), Hall, Austin, Goodall (Robertson 77), Niven, Harsley (Bowery 54), Kerry, Lowry, Ward, Currie.
Subs Not Used: Lee, Winter.
Booked: Kerry.
Wycombe: Shearer, McCracken, Johnson, Williamson, Woodman, Grant (Church 80), Holt, Doherty, Mousinho, Zebroski, McGleish (Vieira 62).
Subs Not Used: Young, Ashton, Crooks.
Booked: Williamson.
Goals: Williamson 4.
Att: 3,175
Ref: Craig Sarginson (Staffordshire).
