Wycombe Wanderers manager Matt Bloomfield has described his side’s 3-0 win at Stevenage as ‘professional’.

A first-half brace from Richard Kone and a second-half Beryly Lubala header secured the Chairboys’ 14th league win from their 21 matches played so far, as they also made it 19 fixtures without defeat in League One.

It is also the 21st time in 30 matches this season that Wanderers have scored two or more goals in a single game.

Despite this, Bloomfield, who said he was ‘full of pride’ after the victory at the Lamex, admitted that he wanted to keep the ‘realism’ for what the rest of the season lies ahead.

He said: “I thought it was a very professional performance from us – the boys were excellent.

“We gave them yesterday [Christmas Day] off, so they could spend it with their families as I thought it was the right thing to do, and I asked them to turn up today [December 26] and pick up from where we were.

“We played some very good stuff against Bolton and we wanted to do the same again today, and we were excellent.

“You can only go off the evidence presented to you and so far this season, the work the boys have put in, as well as the way they have gone about their work, gives me no choice but to trust them.

“They have my trust.

“The big characters in the squad were at it today as they drove everyone else on, and I thought we were professional.”

His comments in Hertfordshire come one year to the day that the club lost 1-0 away at Exeter City.

A Sonny Cox strike, compounded with a Luke Leahy missed penalty deep into injury-time, cemented Wanderers’ 11th straight league game without a win, as they fell from just outside the play-offs to near the relegation zone in two months.

Many supporters were calling for Bloomfield’s exit as manager after the difficult defeat in Devon, but 12 months on, he has won three Manager of the Month awards, has taken Wycombe to Wembley, as well as into the League One automatic places.

He previously described Boxing Day 2023 as ‘one of the lowest’ moments in the sport, but said he had ‘resilience’ to help him get through.

Speaking after the win against Stevenage, he added: “A bit of a difference from this time last year.

“Being a player is one thing, but being a manager is completely different.

“I never realised until I went to Colchester quite how much it would influence and inflict pain on your life, but the eutopia when you win.

“I never knew those feelings would be so far apart.

“One thing I learnt is that I truly believe in what I am trying to do, I’m hungry for success, and you never know how strong you are until you need to find out.

“That’s my character – I will keep driving and working to do what is best.”

When asked about the progress Wycombe have made in the last year, he continued: “I would be an absolute liar if I said I knew it was going to go this well.

“Of course not – we had lots of tough moments last season, but I think it was that deep resilience [which helped].

“Wigan away was tough, Exeter away was tough both personally and professionally, but the data and stats showed me that there were good times to come.

“We were well prepared for the January window as I thought the business we did was excellent, so I knew we were on for better things.

“But to stand here a year later [sitting second], is beyond my wildest dreams.

“We shouldn’t be where we are right now, as I want to keep that realism about us, but not to be defeatist.

“I believe we can carry on with what we are doing.

“The way the boys have gone about their work and have risen to the challenge needs to be applauded.”

Up next to Charlton Athletic away on December 29.