Oxford United bounced back from successive defeats with a win over league leaders Wycombe.
James Henry netted the games only goal midway through the first half, taking his tally to 11 goals for the season, before Adebayo Akinfenwa was dismissed for the visitors.
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Karl Robinson made four changes from the side that were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Manchester City. Chris Cadden, John Mousinho, Henry and Jamie Mackie all came into the side.
Jordan Archer remained in goal, with Josh Ruffels on the left and Cadden on the right while Mousinho partnered Rob Dickie in the centre.
Alex Rodriguez Gorrin sat in midfield alongside Cameron Brannagan and Shandon Baptiste, with Tariqe Fosu and Henry as the wingers while Mackie led the line.
The U’s started brightly and it was the reliable partnership of Cadden and Henry down the U’s right causing problems.
After ten minutes, Brannagan found space his shot was blocked before a Ruffels’ cross was cleared for a corner. Dickie won the header from the set-piece but his effort struck a defender.
The U’s continued to move the ball around superbly and soon forced another corner, but the delivery from Baptiste was headed away.
Eventually, the pressure paid off and the U’s found the breakthrough courtesy of Henry. Brannagan saw his effort parried by the Chairboys goalkeeper but Henry was on hand to tuck home his 11th goal of the season.
Having conceded their first goal in 512 League One minutes, Wycombe looked rattled and it got worse moments later. Akinfenwa, who had been booked earlier in the half, was shown a red card for a shove on Mousinho following Gorrin’s initial challenged which sparked a melee between both sides. Gorrin and Mousinho were also cautioned, but the U’s had a man advantage for over an hour.
Gorrin then fired over from 25-yards, before the U’s won two quick corners. The second came out to Fosu who also saw his 20-yard effort sail wide of the mark.
For Oxford, the threat continued from the right and Cadden was in fine form, pinging plenty of decent crosses into the Wycombe box.
Five minutes before the break, Fosu jinked inside the defender before firing another effort at goal but he was denied. From the resulting corner, Dickie struck his effort, via a deflection, onto the bar.
At the break, Mark Sykes replaced the yellow-carded Gorrin, and the Northern Irishman almost found Brannagan inside the opening minute of the second half.
The tempo seemed to slightly dip after the restart but Fosu, who was determined to end his recent goal drought, saw another effort fly just wide.
Cadden saw a cross blocked which led to yet another corner, and again it was Dickie that met the delivery, but it was blocked by a defender.
Despite the man advantage and dominance from the home side, Wycombe squandered a good opportunity midway through the half but Curtis Thompson sliced his effort wide.
David Wheeler saw an effort saved by Archer before Jacobson’s free-kick was headed away as the visitors began to search for a way back into the game.
But Brannagan saw a long-range effort sail just over before Fosu tested the Chairboys keeper again as the U’s looked to put the game to bed.
It didn’t matter. The U’s held on but it was a resilient second-half from the ten men opposition who remain top despite the result. The attendance was another impressive 10,123, and Robinson’s side move back into the playoffs, three points behind in 2nd.
