ADons side weakened by a lengthy list of the injured and the ill, and with three reserve players on the bench, comfortably disposed of a tenacious Eastbourne team who, unlike last week’s opponents Altrincham, at least had the decency to try to attack their hosts.

The midweek defeat at Crawley had left Steven Gregory, Will Hendry and Luke Moore unable to take part in the day’s proceedings. That, coupled with the unfortunate timing of Elliott Godfrey’s loan spell at Staines, Brett Johnson and Jon Main both not fully recovered, and Danny Blanchett down with the flu, left Terry Brown with few options as he looked to plug the gaps in a side that had won only one of their previous five league games.

Sam Hatton moved into midfield to replace the stricken Taylor, Jay Conroy returned at right-back, and Ricky Wellard and Kennedy Adjei stepped in for former Hayes & Yeading pair Gregory and Hendry. The Wimbledon injury crisis meant that Brown could name only four subs: keeper Seb Brown, plus three of the side that were victorious in the London Senior Cup quarter-final two days before - Jack Stafford, Matt Harmsworth and James Stenning.

At Crawley the Dons had got off to the best possible start, and they began this game in similar fashion. Wellard tested Danny Knowles with a low drive after great work by Danny Kedwell, and then from a Kedwell knock-down Glenn Poole produced a stinging volley from 20 yards that former Dons loanee Knowles did brilliantly to tip over.

Adjei was adding the steel that had been missing from the Dons midfield over the last few games, and Wellard’s guile and skill were providing the creative outlet. The defence were largely untroubled by anything other than Eastbourne set plays. James Pullen dealt with three corners confidently, while Paul Lorraine and Ben Judge were no doubt relieved at not having to face a Craddock, a Constable or an Ademeno.

That it took the Dons 42 minutes to break Borough down was more a testament to some dogged defending by Gary Elphick and Ben Austin than to any shortcomings in the Wimbledon attack. Derek Duncan was at last showing the qualities that made him such a crowd favourite at Leyton Orient, and for the first time since Chris Hussey’s departure in October, the Dons looked a dangerous attacking force from both sides of the pitch.

It was a move fashioned on the right that led to the opening goal. Sam Hatton found Jay Conroy in space, and the full-back’s low, driven pass was superbly cushioned by Wellard, who beat Jenkins with ease before slotting an inch-perfect pass into the path of Poole who, from just six yards out, swept home his first league goal in Dons colours. He could have had a second shortly after, but his weak shot was easily gathered by Knowles, and an entertaining half in which Wimbledon had played with a renewed sense of purpose and adventure drew to a close.

Going in at half-time looking comfortable, the home side would surely come out at the start of the second period looking to add to their lead. But whatever it was that Borough boss Garry Wilson said to his side in the break, the message certainly seemed to have got through.

Northampton loanee Joe Benjamin suddenly started to play like someone worthy of wearing golden boots, and with another former Don Jamie Taylor buzzing around Lorraine and Judge, Eastbourne looked more than likely to get an equaliser. Judge was forced to clear a Johnson volley off the line, Pullen made two excellent saves to deny Taylor and Crabb, and Kedwell and Elder were forced to head away dangerous-looking corners as Borough pressed to level. Benjamin then outstripped Lorraine with a stunning burst of speed, and from his low cross Conroy did brilliantly to clip it over his own bar.

Just on the hour mark, Kennedy Adjei was forced to go off after dislocating his shoulder in a bizarre incident near the half-way line. Borough midfielder Armstrong was protecting the ball from the Dons No.4 and seemed to lash out with his elbow as Adjei tried to get a touch on the ball. Whatever made contact with Adjei’s right shoulder popped it out of its socket, and an injury-strewn season for Adjei took another unfortunate turn.

On in his place came 19-year-old reserve team right-back Jack Stafford for his first taste of Blue Square Premier football. Within minutes he had played a part in the first of many controversial incidents that all seemed to stem from referee Hopkins’ aversion to punishing Eastbourne offences. Stafford’s cute pass to Hatton set Nathan Elder haring into the box, and just as he drew his foot back to shoot, Elphick brought him down for what appeared to be a clear penalty, and therefore a red card, since Elphick was the last man back by some distance.

However, Mr Hopkins adjudged that the offence had taken place on the 18-yard line and awarded the Dons a free-kick. Extraordinarily, he deemed that no further punishment was needed, and Elphick escaped without even a booking - a yellow card was the least the offence deserved, and a caution would have been the former Brighton defender’s second in any case. From the resulting free-kick, Knowles tipped Hatton’s thunderbolt around the post.

Minutes later, Conroy’s cross to the far post found Elder in space, but the striker had nudged Austin out of the way with a deft hip turn; he was unlucky to be penalised for a foul, and even more so to be booked for it - much to the bemusement of Terry Brown and the vast majority of the 3,358 crowd. Referee Hopkins further angered the Dons when, after the linesman adjudged that Kedwell had been fouled by Austin, he overruled the decision, gave the free-kick to Eastbourne and pointed to his chest, presumably signalling to his assistant “I’m in charge”.

Eastbourne pressed forward again, the Dons having weathered their earlier storm, and with better delivery from Benjamin in particular, Taylor and substitute Andy Atkin could have found themselves in goalscoring positions. Wimbledon rallied, and with 10 minutes to go, Wellard, Conroy and Hatton combined to set up Poole, but Knowles saved well again.

On 85 minutes the Conference’s top scorer Danny Kedwell put the game to bed in fine style. Duncan whipped over a cross from the left that was just asking to be headed in, and Kedwell accepted the invitation, making firm contact and powering the ball past Knowles and in off the underside of the bar. His 19th league goal of the season sent him one clear at the top of goalscoring chart, thanks to York’s Brodie and Oxford’s Constable losing three goals each when Chester’s results were expunged.

With Kettering, Mansfield and next Saturday’s opponents York all drawing, and Crawley having played two games more, the Dons go into the crucial final ten games of the season in seventh place, just two points off a playoff spot and with a game in hand.