Dons Done

Star Geezer - Gareth Taylor

Stan elected for an impressive front partnership of Robbie Blake and Gareth Taylor, the former quick, eager and oozing quality, the latter winning just about every challenge made and who deployed a quality first touch throughout.

The defence was reshuffled to allow both Arthur in at left back and Davis to a customary centre back role alongside a more than competent Ian Cox, whose pace and control enabled the lively front Dons strikers to be kept under wraps, in preservation of the slender lead once it was gained. The bench was a curious one, with Nicos Downsouthos, Marlon is now the only keeper at the club, the bench revealed an imbalance of strikers, McGregor the only defender in the five. Still all's well that ends well and Clarets are now unbeaten in seven, having recovered from the dodgiest of starts to the season.

Having lost the toss, Clarets defended the empty end in the first half. Blake showed a great touch and footwork after only four minutes, to send a delightful ball to the far post, where Little's header was cleared from the line. As it turned out, Dons best chance of the game came on only six minutes, but Tapp failed to get his shot in properly after Clarets defence had been carved open. © Clarets Mad

Clarets enjoyed plenty of possession down the wings and Alan Moore fed Gareth Taylor whose shot from twenty yards whilst crisp, was wide of the angle, but it did reflect a mood of keenness from the home side to shoot on sight, a novel and rare tactic indeed this season.

Taylor was at it again moments later, this time a ball into his feet from Arthur saw a shot from twelve yards neatly gathered by Davis in the visiting goal. Clarets neat play and passes along the floor made for some entertaining if not quite pulsating football in a first half in which they dominated at least possessionally, the let down factor was the choice of wrong options whenever they found good positions, Little and Briscoe both guilty of wasting good opportunities, electing to blast high and wide instead of crossing to better placed team mates.

Clarets new dead ball specialist, West, saw a twenty five yarder comfortably saved, before Clarets put together the move of the half ten minutes from the break. Alan Moore's superb cross, tempted Davis off his line and at full stretch he failed to hold the cross allowing it to drop to the feet of Little, who was very unfortunate to see his shot ricochet off the inside of Williams' leg and away for a corner.

Immediately, Clarets opened up the visitors defence again with a crisp passing move that ended with Blake trying to place his shot rather than blasting it, Davis able to collect the neat effort. As half time approached, Taylor picked up his fifth booking of the season (and will now presumably miss the Walsall game) for persistently winning the ball, the overly officious little official, Mr Mathieson, getting up the noses of some twelve thousand people with an unnecessarily picky display. So off for the half time brew with little to talk about other than an improved passing display.

Star Gazer - Arthur Gnohere

Mr Mathieson was at it again early on in gaining the wrath of the twelve thousand, first giving a free kick to the Dons for an innocuous challenge, then awarding a free kick to Clarets for the slightest of contacts; you don't know what you're doing, echoing around the ground as another poor ref sought to place his identity on proceedings.

Ten minutes in and Little almost doubled his tally for the season, a delightful chip to the far post acrobatically clawed from under his angle by Davis as Taylor closed in on goal. A hamstrung West was replaced by McGregor, finally getting a chance in his preferred right back slot, before the lively Agyemang replaced a static and clearly disappointed Shipperley. Marlon looked a little relieved as McAnuff's low drive from twenty five yards flew just wide of the post in a rare attack from the visitors at that stage.

A Moore was replaced by another Moore, Ian coming in to the action down the right hand side, Little moving left for the remainder of the game. A tiring Blake was once again warmly applauded from the field with twenty minutes remaining, Papadopoulos coming straight into the action, which came to the boil as McAnuff took matters into his own hands, trampling all over Arthur after he had cleanly won the ball from the frustrated winger.

Nowland replaced Tapp as the game moved into the last ten minutes, in which Clarets had a momentary lapse, Marlon somewhat thankful to see Williams scuffed effort go wide of the post in the only goalmouth action Wimbledon could muster. The officials day was summed up five minutes from time when Papadopopoulos was clearly hit off the ball, but the linesman saw nothing from all of three yards away, the ref then unable to do anything about the incident. Thankfully, this was the last action of the game and Clarets coolly saw it through to a satisfactory conclusion, moving up to the dizzy heights of seventeenth spot as a result.

Att:- 12,259, not forgetting the 71.

Arthur Gnohere. It's being a bit picky, as overall his performance was satisfactory, but Arthur suffers chronic lapses of concentration in games, today being no exception. There were times in the second half when complacency set in, he allowing his man to roam freely, though thankfully nothing arose as a consequence.

Whilst Clarets enjoyed the vast majority of possession, it continues to be a worry that opposing keepers are under worked, despite the fact that Clarets are often in and around the penalty area. Today Kelvin Davis was hardly tested, and the handful of issues he had to deal with, were much less than could and should be expected. Oh and could someone please cut out the short corner routines.

Gareth Taylor. Bizarrely booked for persistently winning the ball, Taylor gave a commanding performance where his impeccable first touch allowed many moves to flow. Surely even his detractors could see today the value of playing up to and off the big man?

It was very pleasing and somewhat surprising to see Clarets playing the ball into feet, using the grass instead of the air to transport the ball between players who also had options to pass to when in possession. How novel it was and how beneficial to all, players and supporters alike.