It's Saint Warren to the rescue

WARREN Feeney was the Patron Saint of Dean Court as Cherries celebrated St George's Day with a crucial victory over Wycombe last night.

The red and white flags were flying high after the Irishman, one of Cherries' goal saviours against Peterborough on Saturday, broke the deadlock when he netted his fourth goal in three starts after 64 minutes.

And needing to win their last three games to stand a chance of clinching a play-off place, Cherries sealed their seventh win in eight thanks to Wade Elliott who struck a decisive second 20 minutes from time.

Goals from Fenney and Elliott spared the blushes of Cherries midfielder Richard Hughes who had seen his first-half penalty saved by Wycombe goal-keeper Martin Taylor.

Feeney, deputising for Jermain Defoe in the Cherries attack, was denied after five minutes when Jason Cousins made a timely tackle as he prepared to shoot.

Cherries then had a let-off when Karl Broadhurst appeared to nudge Steve Brown in the penalty area, but referee Phil Prosser did not point to the spot.

At the other end, Feeney appeared to be pulled back by Paul McCarthy as he headed towards goal, but again the official opted not to award a free-kick.

After 10 minutes, a free-kick from Claus Jorgensen fell to Hughes on the edge of the box, and, when his shot went through a crowded goalmouth, James Hayter got the final touch, but the ball looped over the bar.

Jorgensen then dispossessed Wycombe defender Chris Marsh, but fired his left-foot drive into the side netting.

Hughes, who looked lucky to escape a caution when he kicked out at Dannie Bulman, eventually had his name taken for a late foul on Steve Brown.

Feeney got in behind the Wycombe defence, but fired over from an acute angle before Elliott sent a dipping volley inches over the crossbar.

After 35 minutes, Cherries were awarded a penalty when Jorgensen had his legs taken from beneath him by Cousins.

But much to the dismay of an expectant home crowd, the Scotsman missed from the spot for the third time in his last four attempts.

Hughes struck his penalty firmly to Martin Taylor's left, but the Wycombe goal-keeper smothered his shot before the visiting defenders cleared their lines.

Just two minutes later, a superb run on the right by Elliott saw the ball eventually find its way into the penalty area where Carl Fletcher was beaten by a wicked bounce as he prepared to pull the trigger.

Cherries piled forward at the start of the second-half, but got little reward despite forcing a succession of corners.

Elliott was a constant menance to the Wycombe defence, while Feeney was also proving difficult to handle. The Irishman came within a whisker of opening the scoring after 63 minutes when he latched on to a pass from Hughes before seeing his fierce left-foot shot turned round the post by Taylor.

Just seconds later, Cherries made the breakthrough they had richly deserved and not surprisingly it was Fenney who hit the jackpot.

Jorgensen's poor corner was cleared only as far as Elliott who dinked the ball over the top where Feeney looked suspiciously offside.

But as the Wycombe defenders looked at the linesman, Feeney seized his chance, took one touch to control and finished with aplomb from close range.

It was his fourth goal since joining Cherries on loan from Leeds on transfer deadline day and it helped relieve the tension which was mounting among Cherries fans.

Then, the home side's joy doubled when Elliott capped a magnificent individual performance by killing off Wycombe with his eighth of the season.

The former Bashley star seized on a Steve Fletcher flick which Wycombe defender Cousins failed to cut out, allowing Elliott to nip in and poke the ball past Taylor.

Wycombe, who had spent most of the opening 70 minutes trying to preserve what would have been a priceless point in their battle against relegation, tried to break out, but Eddie Howe marshalled his troops superbly.

Howe, who was outstanding throughout, received solid support from Karl Broadhurst and Jason Tindall, while Cherries goalkeeper Gareth Stewart was rarely troubled as he kept his fifth clean sheet in the last eight games.

Bulman was booked for a revenge tackle on Hughes, while Cherries substitute Chukki Eribenne also received a yellow card for a late lunge on Chris Vinnicombe.

In the closing stages, Eribenne was denied after being teed up by Carl Fletcher, while Jamie Bates went close with a header for Wycombe.