AN injury time goal from Sean Devine gave Wycombe all three points, despite a somewhat prosaic performance.

The substitute added his second of the match in the dying moments as Vale searched for an equaliser. As Wycombe broke down the visitor's left, Devine cut in to fire his shot into the top right corner of Mark Goodlad's net.

It could all have been different, though, if the referee had taken a less lenient view of Andy Thomson's foul in the tenth minute. Vale's Stephen Brooker had broken through, when Thomson held him back. After consultation with his assistant, the referee awarded a free kick, only booking Thomson although as the last man, the ex-Bristol Rovers defender was fortunate to remain on the pitch.

The resultant free kick was flicked up by John Durnin who volleyed the ball over the wall, forcing Taylor to tip the ball over.

After 16 minutes, Brooker had another chance to score as he found himself in space at the back post, only to slip before taking his shot.

Wycombe were under considerable pressure and were fortunate again after 20 minutes to see Durnin's shot crash off the post with Taylor well beaten.

Wycombe's defence was in chaos and a minute later Billy Paynter was in acres of space but was unable to beat Taylor who went to his right to save comfortably.

Port Vale were in the ascendancy and Ian Armstrong and Mark Boyd both had further opportunities, but a combination of inept finishing and good goalkeeping kept the scores level.

It was somewhat of a surprise, therefore, when Wycombe took the lead after 39 minutes. Michael Simpson's corner was flicked on by Craig Faulconbridge and Thomson arrived to head the ball past Goodlad.

Armstrong came the closest for the visitors when his vicious shot from the edge of the area was brilliantly held by the on-form Taylor.

Vale seemed destined to score and when the goal eventually came three minutes after the break, it had a touch of farce about it. Armstrong turned Ryan and shot, only to see his effort deflect off Ryan's leg, over Taylor's head and into the Wycombe net.

From then on, the game saw few more chances, Danny Bulman shot just wide from the edge of the area and Andy Rammell headed Darren Currie's cross over the bar, but it was the introduction of Devine and Stuart Roberts after 68 minutes that eventually turned the match.

Roberts looked lively and won the penalty that decided the game on 73 minutes when his header was handled by Phil Charnock. Devine drove the resulting penalty past Goodlad to give Wycombe an advantage they never relinquished.

Afterwards, Paynter's parried effort was all that Vale could manage before Devine struck the final blow in injury time.

Wycombe: Taylor, Ryan, Thomson, Rogers, Anderson, Lee (Roberts 69), Bulman, Simpson, Currie, Faulconbridge (Devine 69), Rammell.

Port Vale: Goodlad, Rowland (McClare 75), Burns, Collins, Charnock, Cummins, Boyd, Durnin, Armstrong, Paynter, Brooker (Eldershaw 80).

Attendance: 5,229