LAWRIE Sanchez's cast-offs showed their character as they bounced back from being released to help the Blues to a 1-1 draw against bitter rivals Colchester United on Saturday.

Guy Whittingham and Roy Essandoh both got the nod to start the match in the same week that they were told they would not be required next season.

The bench included three more victims of Sanchez's summer clearout with Matt Brady, George Clegg and Mo Harkin all included in the party of 16.

But the leavers could not sign off with a win against Wycombe's fiercest rivals in a match which will be remembered longer for the behaviour of Colchester's unruly fans than it will be for its football.

Riot police needed their batons to quell the trouble among the visiting fans who ripped one of the ground's gates of its hinges at the end of a match in which Colchester started strongly before a leg weary Wycombe playing their 63rd game of the season came back into it late on.

Wanderers had looked as though they were going to finish the season on a low note until veteran Keith Ryan rescued a point for the Blues with a goal against the arch-enemy for the second year running.

He came up from the back to force Chris Vinnicombe's 70th minute free kick over the line with a combination of his head and shoulder.

Up until then Wanderers had been second best. They fell behind in the 52nd minute when keeper Martin Taylor who had earlier been presented with a clean sweep of player of the year awards was beaten by Scott McGleish.

The former Barnet striker headed in his fifth goal of the season, following his mid-season move from Underhill, after a cleared free kick from former Wanderer Steve McGavin was headed back into the danger area by substitute Dean Morgan.

But after Wycombe had fought back, both sides could have snatched victory in the final 12 minutes.

Colchester's Chris Keeble was clean through and odds-on to score from ten yards out when he suddenly pulled up lame and had to be substituted. At the other end of the field, Essandoh came close to signing off his short but eventful Wycombe career with a goal but he was denied by a well-timed sliding tackle from defender Ross Johnson just as he was about to pull the trigger.

In front of Wanderers' biggest crowd of the season, 7,516, Wanderers pushed for the winner.

And they thought they had got it when Jamie Bates fizzed in a free kick which keeper Andy Woodman was relieved to paw around the post.

Woodman's save meant Wycombe finished two points short of last season's 61-point total at the end of their longest campaign.