WIMBLEDON wound up their pre-season campaign with this decidedly unfriendly friendly against the Amateur Cup holders at Plough Lane on Tuesday evening.

And if their four warme-up games are anything to go by the Dons are going to struggle agaln this season.

A win over Southall, draws arth Andover and Woking and wow this defeat, not an impressive record when the games vere supposed to be against inferior opposition.

But Walton did well. Second only fo Hendon in amateur cirles they have a team crammed vith midfield and striking taient which makes the Wimbledon cupboard look woefully bare. What would the Dons' give to have an attackmg pair iike Connell and Somers?

The summer break seems to have magnified rather than solved the Dons’ problems. Throughout Tuesday’s entire 90 minutes they didn’t get in one worthwkile shot despite giving airings to both Joe Gadston and Terry Smart, Mike Everitt's new hopes for the for- ward line. The trouble is that Wimbledon’s forwards display about as much talent as Tiffany’s on a men-only night. That's not to say they don’t have talent, it’s just that it'never shown. And unless they start to really use the room down the flanks, move into open spaces and display more aggression, or is it professionalism?, they’ll be dead.

New signing Stan Brown came out of it well, along with Andy Marchant and occasionally Tommy MecCready, but that was about it. But I still can’t fathom out the Wimbledon tactics. Why play what appeared to be 4-2-4 against 4-4-2? And an excellent midfield four at that. It’s no wonder that Wimbledon spent the whole of the second half on their heels as the England pair Willie Smith and Dave Bassett began to run the show.

The only goal of the game came ten minutes from the end when Kieron Somers, always the danger man. held off a tackle from McCreadie and slipped the ball across to Smith. Smith made progress before sending Dave Morris through and the centre-forward beat Dickie Guy from an acute angle with a shot that went in off an upright.

Walton deserved to win, but for a game that was supposed to be a friendly some of their tackling should have neem reserved for something more important.

[ --- Wimbledon Boro News]