Wycombe caretaker boss Gareth Ainsworth felt Jo Kuffour's sending-off was the turning point in his side's 4-1 loss at Port Vale on Saturday.
Wanderers were leading through Joel Grant's spot-kick in the League Two clash at Vale Park when Kuffour collected his second booking for a foul on Vale goalkeeper Chris Neal shortly before-half time.
Four second-half goals, including a brace from Tom Pope, saw Vale home in relative comfort.
Ainsworth said: "I felt we would have got something out of the game if we had kept 11 men on the pitch. The sending off looked like a soft one, but referees have a difficult job and he's made his decision.
"We stuck to our plan in the first-half and we frustrated Vale. I don't think many teams have come here and done as well as we did for 45 minutes.
"It was always going to be a tough ask with 10 men on a pitch as big as this. Vale have also got a striker (Pope) who is in prime form and he's got the goals for them."
Update:
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