Wycombe have now gone eight games without a win but after this display the tide should soon turn in favour of Tony Adams' side.
There was a bright opening from both sides and in the second minute a Danny Senda free kick was well struck and well saved by Darlington keeper Sam Russell and then in the sixth minute Darlington went close themselves through a Craig Hignett free-kick that went narrowly wide.
Wycombe attacked at will and in the 10th minute Joe Burnell went close and soon afterwards Adam Birchall fired goalwards from the edge of the area.
But Darlington soon found their stride and in the 16th minute Dutch striker Clyde Wijnhard saw his shot saved by Frank Talia after a flick on by Alun Armstrong.
Hignett pulled all the strings in midfield and he called Talia back into action in the 27th minute, as the big Australian stopper saved.
On the half hour mark a swift break forward from the home side saw Talia again deny Hignett.
Wycombe came back again and Nathan Tyson was put through by Ian Stonebridge in the 32nd minute but Tyson's shot deflected wide and then a minute later Birchall went close with a 25-yard drive.
The opening goal came in the 35th minute when Mike Williamson was adjudged to have pushed Wijnhard inside the area.
The referee pointed to the spot and Wijnhard struck the spot kick beyond Talia.
Two minutes later Tyson went down inside the area after a clumsy challenge by Joe Kendrick. A penalty looked clear cut but the referee waved play on much to the amazement of the visitors.
In the 41st minute Armstrong thought that he had scored but Wycombe defender Stuart Nethercott cleared the striker's header off the goalline.
In the second half chances became more limited although Wycombe substitute Zema Abbey struck a post in the 78th minute and then three minutes from the end Armstrong was again unlucky when his header beat Talia but struck against an upright and the keeper was able to save at the second attempt.
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