YORK City lost their first league game on the road under Russ Wilcox with the Bootham Crescent chief admitting his side deserved to be beaten by leaders Wycombe.
On-loan Millwall striker Fred Onyedinma scored the only goal of the game after 47 minutes but, had it not been for a dazzling debut by goalkeeper Bobby Olejnik, the Minstermen would have suffered a heavier defeat.
Olejnik, recruited on loan from Peterborough until the end of the season, denied Onyedinma, three times, Marcus Bean and Aaron Pierre.
Wilcox said: “I have no qualms about saying the best team won.
“Bobby kept us in the game in the first half with some absolutely outstanding saves and, while we huffed and puffed a bit, we didn’t create too many opportunities.”
Olejnik denied Onyedinma after just six minutes and then smothered an eight-yard chance for Bean. He went on to keep out Aaron Pierre’s header and thwarted Onyedinma again with his legs on the stroke of half-time.
Onyedinma eventually made the breakthrough two minutes after the restart, heading past an exposed Olejnik from Sam Wood’s left-wing cross.
York’s best chances saw Keith Lowe volley over after Matt Ingram could not hold on to Michael Coulson’s corner and the home goalkeeper clawed away a deflected long-range strike by Marvin McCoy.
Onyedinma had further chances, being denied again by Olejnik’s feet and then shooting wide in stoppage time.
Wycombe: Ingram; Jombati, Mawson, Pierre, Jacobson; Scowen, Murphy, Bean; Wood, Holloway (Craig, 85), Onyedinma (McClure, 90). Unused substitutes: Richardson, Bloomfield, Fletcher, Rowe, Senior.
York City: Olejnik; McCoy, Lowe, McCombe, Ilesanmi; Coulson, Penn (Morris, 80), Summerfield, Carson (Meikle, 68); Hyde, Fletcher.Unused substitutes: Mooney, Montrose, Platt, Straker, Winfield.
Referee: O Langford (West Midlands).
Man of the match: Bobby Olejnik.