Both sides had a man sent off as Paris Cowan-Hall’s header secured a 2-1 win for Wycombe Wanderers against Dagenham &Redbridge.

Cowan-Hall’s strike was his first since re-joining the club in January and came minutes after Luke Guttridge’s effort had cancelled out Paul Hayes’ first half opener.

The home side’s Josh Passley sent off in the first half while Garry Thompson received a straight red card in the second. The win sees the Blues move up to sixth in League Two ahead of the visit of Exeter City on Saturday.

Wycombe had a chance inside the opening minute as Hayes got on the end of a Sam Wood corner as it dropped in the six yard box.

The veteran forward could not control the high bouncing ball however, and his effort sailed wide of the mark.

With just over 15 minutes played, and little to choose between the two sides, Luke O’Nien almost opened the scoring in spectacular style.

The midfielder arrived at the edge of the box and struck a sweet left-footed volley a couple yards over the bar after the Daggers had only partially cleared Ryan Allsop’s punt forward.

The home side hit back seven minutes later, and Allsop had to be at his best as he got down well to palm away Jodi Jones’ free kick, which had been struck with power from just outside the right corner of the box.

The Blues were handed a big advantage in the 29th minute as Passley was shown a straight red card for bringing down Thompson, after the Wycombe man had latched onto Hayes’ clever flick on.

The Redbridge right-back was last man and appeared to clip the heels of Thompson as he bore down on goal, leaving the referee with no alternative but to send him off.

Wycombe made their numerical advantage count with the last meaningful kick of the half as Hayes poked home from a close-range.

The goal came after a superb racking pass from Sam Wood, which picked out Michael Harriman who had made up great ground from right-back to arrive unmarked in the box.

The former QPR man stretched to turn across goal and present the Wanderers captain with an unmissable chance to score his first goal since Boxing Day.

With the second half passing by with little incident, a rash challenge from Thompson saw the home side gifted with a lifeline just after the hour as the Wycombe forward was sent off.

Thompson could have no complaints about the straight red card as he caught Joss Labadie high up the leg with an ugly two footed challenge.

While both sides were now playing with 10 men, the Thompson dismissal had clearly buoyed the home side and they levelled in the 72nd minute.

A finely worked move culminated in Luke Guttridge getting on the end of a flicked cross and nodding in from point blank range.

However, the setback seemed to stir Wycombe back into life and they were ahead again within three minutes as Cowan-Hall looped a header beyond Mark Cousins from Wood’s pinpoint cross.

By now it was a blow for blow and Dagenham were inches from equalising moments later as Christian Doidge’s towering header cannoned back off the post.

Gozie Ugwu went close to sealing the game after an elusive run, but the one goal lead was ultimately enough for Wanderers, thanks in no small part to Allsop.

The January signing produced a top class fingertip save to turn a goal bound effort wide late in injury time to secure Wycombe’s second win of 2016.

Dagenham & Redbridge: Cousins; Passley, Worrall, Hyam, Widdowson, Labadie (c), Muldoon (Hoyte 33), Jones (Hawkins 45), Guttridge, Hemmings (45 Raymond), Doidge

Subs not used: O'Brien, Cureton, Dikamona, Chambers

Wycombe Wanderers: Allsop; Harriman, McCarthy, Pierre, Jombati, Cowan-Hall, Bloomfield (McGinn 90), O'Nien, Wood, Thompson, Hayes (c) (Ugwu 75)

Subs not used: Richardson; Stewart, Bean, Kretzschmar, Amadi-Holloway

Cards: Red Josh Passley (29 loast man foul on Thompson), Red Thompson (61 high foul on Labadie), Yellow Bloomfield (handball), Yellow Hawkins (simulation 80)

Referee: Keith Stroud