Wimbledon look set for a prosperous New Year to make up for the calamitous slump that followed their all-conquering start to the season.
Certainly their future, both long and short term, looks a lot brighter than it did immediately after their hat-trick of cup exits.
And everything points to it being a future without Roy Law who for over a decade has been the king-pin of their defence and is still one of the most popular players at Plough Lane.
Manager Mike Everitt served notice of his impending eclipse when he left him out of the side for their friendly tussle with the Metropolitan Police on Saturday.
Into the back four to form a new twin centre-half role with Tom McCready came new signing Chris Hurley, very much the big, burly strong man the Dons have needed all season.
He is clearly short of match practice and needs to shed a few pounds - which he should do in no time when he gets a dose of the Everitt training torture!
However, it was clear from this unimportant outing that he could be just the player to plug the gaping holes that have appeared in their defence and even liven up the attack.
That has long been Wimbledon’s most immediate need. But they also need new blood in the long term - and cheaply at that.
Some of it could without doubt be provided by the youngsters who were given a chance in the second-half and who literally revitalised the side.
The biggest impact was made by a young wing-half Barry Silkman who has drifted from league club to league club with no success but on this showing could have a bright future at Plough Lane.
And the way the other amateurs - Alec McParland, Steve Rogers, Steve Langford and Graham Smith - all got stuck in there is obviously no room for complacency among the established players.
Wimbledon, of course, had reserved this Saturday for a money-spinning and possibly giant-killing appearance the F.A. Cup. Unfortunately their plans went disastrously wrong. So they called in the police!
Wimbledon’s first team regulars obviously looked on the match as little more than a training session and there was little in the first-half to warm the splattering of freezing fans.
It started well enough with a beautiful goal putting the Dons ahead after just five minutes. Cooke got it with a perfect glancing header from Bailham’s cross after neat work by O’Rourke.
But Wimbledon failed to drive home this early advantage, were content to go through the motions - and found the police happy to do the same.
Things really livened up in the second-half when the youngsters got going and for a while it seemed they might tear the police apart.
Silkman was outstanding but all the others made their mark and with better finishing from their supposedly superior professional colleagues there could have been a flood of goals.
But all went to waste, the most blatant by the lack-lustre Alan Morton who had two shots at goal with the keeper stranded BEHIND him but still couldn’t score!
[Met Police line-up taken from programme, edited]
[ --- Wimbledon Borough Newa]
Previous match 
