The Dons cruised to an easy win at the expense of bottom-of-the-table Leyton, though their five-goal winning margin masked the significant number of chances that they passed up.

Thanks to injuries picked up at Horsham, neither Karl Beckford nor his substitute last Tuesday, Robin Shroot, was able to start, and Steven (no longer "Steve") Ferguson started on the right, with Tony Finn moving to the left. Jason Goodliffe returned to the squad after injury, but because of the heavy load of games he has played this season, he was asked to warm the bench.
Leyton underwent a mid-season upheaval when many of their first team left, and the Dons were facing in effect what had been their Under-18s. The new-look Leyton had started with a horrific 11-1 home defeat by Hendon, but their results were slowly picking up, and they arrived with a reputation as a young but fast-improving side.

This youthful endeavour and enthusiasm may have explained some of the wild challenges that came flying in during the first 20 minutes, when more Wimbledon injuries looked on the cards. But the referee took an early grip on the game and never faltered afterwards, so that the remainder of the match was played in a good spirit, and no-one was booked.

It didn't take the Dons long to open the scoring. After a few alarms around the Leyton goal, Finn and Chris Hussey worked the ball down the left before firing over a cross. It just eluded Luis Cumbers at the near post, but his run distracted the defenders, and Sam Hatton was able to turn the ball home from a couple of yards out. Hatton has brought an extra dimension to midfield lately with his late runs beyond the strikers - something the Dons have been sadly lacking for most of the season.

For the next quarter of an hour the only concern for Wimbledon fans was when the second Dons goal would come - or was it going to be one of those games where the away team snatches a goal completely against the run of play? During this period Ferguson broke through a number of times, but he couldn't pick out his man with his crosses, and when he chose instead to shoot, his shot to the near post brought a superb save from Leyton goalkeeper Sam Tanner.

Tanner had an-excellent match, making three superb saves in the first half, first that one from Ferguson, then from a wicked, curling Hussey free- kick, and finally when he went down bravely at Daniel Webb's feet. The keeper's'reward was a splitting headache from a collision with Webb in a separate incident. Other efforts went wide, most notably from Antony Howard, who headed over when Rob Quinn seemed better placed just behind him.

That second Wimbledon goal came before too long. A cross from a set-piece on the right wing skimmed the heads of a couple of Dons players before arriving at Cumbers at the back post. He scored his second headed goal for the Dons in successive games, which is impressive, given that he isn't the tallest member of the squad. The second half consisted of a prolonged series of Wimbledon attacks, interspersed by occasional replies from Leyton, a mis-hit shot that looped just wide coming the nearest to disturbing James Pullen's restful afternoon. Cumbers was withdrawn, presumably as a precaution, and Romone Rose came on to add even greater pace to the attack. Webb scored the third goal with a lovely piece of skill when he brought the ball down with his right foot and then lifted it over the advancing Tanner with his left. Shortly afterwards, he too was withdrawn, to a warm round of applause. Webb's non-stop efforts for the team seem to have won over many doubters in the crowd after a slow start to the season. Shortly afterwards, Finn, who had faced a full-back of great pace and determination in Marvin McCoy, was replaced by Luke Pigden. Pigden had impressed at Bromley in the London Senior Cup, and for those who missed that performance he quickly showed his worth by timing a late run perfectly and heading a high-quality Ferguson cross into the net from close range. The fifth goal followed when Rose, who had earlier been unlucky when he hit the bar from a narrow angle, scorched past the left-back and crossed to see Hatton score a second goal that was similar to his first, from close in.

The game came to an end shortly afterwards. While Leyton had posed no great threat, Terry Brown could take comfort that they had been beaten comfortably. The Dons have struggled to defeat several teams from the lower reaches of the league; they face another tonight, and Wealdstone will surely pose a greater challenge. With nine goals for and none conceded over the last three games, the Dons may be starting to put together a run of form, but with Chelmsford also winning, the points deficit still looks daunting. Nonetheless, Wimbledon are now clear in second place, and cementing that top playoff spot is at least in their own hands, as only Horsham can potentially gain more points - and they have yet to visit Kingsmeadow.

[ --- AFC Wimbledon v Wealdstone programme 19 Feb 2008]