SOUTHERN Counties North title favourites Windsor were stunned by High Wycombe for the second time this season as they slipped to a shock 14-12 defeat on Saturday.
Despite sitting 11 points clear at the top and having lost just three games all season, two of those have now been to the relegation-threatened hosts, albeit Wycombe had been inconvenienced by a 15-point penalty which saw them plummet from mid-table security.
Windsor started brightly and earned an early opportunity when they kicked a penalty to the corner. However, in taking the line-out and forming the maul, they knocked on, allowing the hosts the opportunity to clear.
Wycombe failed to do so, though, and were made to pay after again infringing in front of their posts, this time Jack Gaylor knocking the penalty over to move into a 3-0 lead.
The hosts responded well, however, pinning Windsor inside their own 22 with a clever Harry Tanner kick, only for a loose ball to be scooped up by visiting wing Jack Bingham.
He looked set to race clear for his side's opening try, only to be brilliantly hauled down 10 metres short of the line by James Outten.
Windsor continued to have most of the possession, but Wycombe’s defence was able to repel everything the away team threw at them and the hosts were looking dangerous when they got into the opposition’s half.
High Wycombe were able to capitalise when a precise kick from Matt Wardle pinned Windsor full-back James Cullen close to the touchline.
With no angle to work with he decided to put in a chip kick which was well gathered by Outten, and this put the home team on the front foot.
Some strong carries from both forwards and backs took play into the 22, where the ball was fed out to fly-half Wardle.
He spotted a gap and a solid hand-off enabled him to get in behind the defence, and although he was stopped short of the line, he off-loaded to the supporting Tanner to score under the posts. Wardle's conversion put his side 7-3 up, although a second Gaylor penalty cut the deficit to a solitary point at the interval.
Yet it was Wycombe who made the perfect start to the second period, an interception inside the 22 by man-of-the-match No. 8 Craig Murray led to him sprinting over the line for a crucial score.
With Wardle converting, the home side led 14-6.
Windsor were soon back on the front foot, but some tenacious defence and a lack of their usual clinical edge continued to frustrate Anthony Andrews' side.
Time and again the High Wycombe defence repelled their opponents, although a Gaylor penalty put his side back within range of a try to level matters.
Another penalty arrived for an illegal tackle inside the 22 which allowed Gaylor to slot over his fourth successful kick of the after noon and reduce the gap to just two points.
With the home side tiring, another penalty arrived just three minutes from the end, but with it just out of Gaylor's range, the visitors kicked to the corner.
They won the line-out efficiently and set-up a driving maul which began to rumble towards the Wycombe line, only for a heroic piece of play from home second row Laurence Webster leading to him snaffling the ball.
Wycombe were awarded the scrum which Wardle cleared to touch, and while Windsor launched one last attack, a knock-on led to a famous backs-to-the-wall for the home side.
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