United made it two wins from two games as they put the Daggers to the sword tonight. Reduced to ten men when Barry Quinn was sent off in the first half United battled for seventy minutes a man short and came up winners when Yemi Odubade scored his first of the season.

For the second game in a row, United boss Jim Smith named an unchanged team. After the win against Halifax on Saturday, it was important that United started the game well but perhaps not surprisingly, it was the home side that started the better of the two sides.United were being pushed back by the home side and in the 5^th minute, Cliff Akurang saw his header land on the roof of the net as the Daggers looked for the early breakthrough.

It almost came in the 9^th minute when Scott Griffiths saw his cross/shot fly over the bar past a back-peddling Billy Turley as the home side continued to enjoy the majority of the possession and with 15 minutes gone, it was difficult to remember a decent Oxford passing move. Like Halifax on Saturday, Dagenham looked a well organized outfit and were using their wingers to peg back the attacking threat of United's two wing-backs. In fact it was one of the Dagenham's wingers that almost opened the scoring when Griffiths saw his 19^th effort pushed over the bar by Turley.

Oxford needed to settle down and take a grip on the match.However, in the 21^st minute the game took a turn for the worse when Barry Quinn was sent off.The home side worked the ball across the midfield, Paul Benson ran past a static U's defence onto a good Dave Rainford through ball and Quinn, the last man, pulled down the striker a yard outside the box.No arguments from us, it was a clear red card and now Oxford needed to show the large travelling support what they were made of.

The dismissal did mean a change in formation though, with United now playing 4-4-1 with Rob Duffy the lone striker.It was also important that the big striker held the ball up and tried to bring his team-mates into the game.However with 30 minutes gone it was still the home side that was in the ascendancy and it took a good save from Turley from a decent Sam Saunders effort to keep the scores level.

United looked as though they were just trying to get to the break all square so Jim Smith could work the oracle, but in the 38^th minute Duffy had other ideas when he latched onto a nice flick from Eddie Hutchinson but saw his header loop harmlessly over the bar.

It was an isolated effort in a poor United first half display, but with the scores still level at least United were still in the game.

Smith will have read the riot act at the interval, and the second half saw the introduction of Hargreaves and Odubade in place of Burgess and Hutchinson, with Yemi joining Duffy up front and The U's looking to get in behind the home defence more than they had been doing.

The U's were not to be denied though, and were rewarded for the brave decision to throw on another forward when down to ten men as they took the lead on 57 minutes. Day threw the ball in from the right, Duffy knocked the ball back across goal for Odubade and the former Eastbourne striker was there in space to gleefully stroke the ball home in front of the delirious travelling fans. A dagger blow in every way.

In all honesty being a man down had lifted United and they were looking far more lively, and with the home side throwing men forward it was entertaining fare for the 2,000 or so fans. Turley had to make a good save on 68 minutes as Rainford lashed in a 25 yard shot, but with Hargreaves rattling around midfield like a marauding pirate and Odubade looking like the fastest thing in Dagenham since a souped up Ford Capri* United were good value for their lead.

Credit to Billy Turley and his defence, where John Dempster slotted in at centre half for the second period, and once again the professionalism and organisation couldn't be faulted. There might even have been a second goal when Duffy met Johnson's 86th minute free kick perfectly but Roberts saved at full strength, but by then the fight had gone out of Dagenham who had been out scrapped.

The first of many battles won, and if every away game is going to be like this there are going to be plenty of thrills. Can't wait for Burton on Friday...

Report Julian Hitchman and Chris Williams, pictures Darrell Fisher

* We resisted the 'Quinn needed an Escort' line and any reference to a Fiesta so don't moan.