Striker Keith Searle decided that destiny still needed to be written and when he received the ball from a throw-in he turned and smashed in a shot from the corner of the penalty area. The ball flew into the top far corner of the net and the terrace behind the goal at the Gasworks End erupted in ecstasy. Wycombe held on to win 1–0 and retained the title with a superior goal difference of 0.1. There was some controversy in the Berks & Bucks Senior Cup when after a 4–0 extra time victory over Thatcham Town at the Meadow, Chesham, the side refused to collect their winners medal and cup in protest at the Berks & Bucks F.A's refusal to allow the club to compete in the London Senior Cup. The summer of 1975 saw the side begin to break-up. The abolition of amateur football saw other top non-league clubs pay players more than Wycombe could reasonably afford. Alan Phillips, Gary Hand, Steve Perrin and Keith Searle all left the club. Searle's loss was particularly galling as he joined rivals Enfield and they finished five points ahead in the league as the Wanderers finished the 1975–76 season as runners-up. They did reach the second round of the FA Cup after another marathon tie against Bedford Town, eventually winning the second replay 2–1. They were rewarded with a trip to Ninian Park to play Cardiff City and lost 1–0. There was an enjoyable two-legged final tie in the Anglo-Italian Trophy, and after a 1–0 defeat by AC Monza in Italy, the return leg saw goals from John Delaney and Dylan Evans seal a 2–1 aggregate win. In November 1975 Brian Lee announced he was to resign as manager at the end of the season. It marked the end of an era. Lee recommended former player Ted Powell as his replacement but he left in March 1977 after accepting a coaching job in Malawi. The 1976–77 season saw the side finish as runners-up to Enfield again. Much of the side's goals were provided by Ian Pearson who plundered 29 goals before leaving to join Millwall at the end of the campaign. The team also made the second round of the FA Cup again, and faced local rivals Reading at a frosty Loakes Park. Reading icon Robin Friday scored as the Royals took a 2–0 goal lead and Pearson nearly secured a replay after scoring a consolation goal before hitting a post. John Reardon took over from Powell as manager and continued for the following season.