At Selhurst Park

7th April 2001

Att: 6,619

Sorry Blues continued their alarming slump at Selhurst Park today.

Two goals inside three minutes in the second half finished them off and in truth it was no surprise.

They were second best throughout and, although they had to readjust because of more injuries picked up during the game, they never looked likely to come away from South London with anything.

Marcelo finally gave them some consolation with a goal in the 85th minute but it was far too late to make a difference to the result.

Blues were able to welcome back Woodhouse after suspension but lost Purse and Pollock for the same reason.

On the injured list were O'Connor, Sonner, McCarthy, Atherton and Furlong but Grainger was back after missing the defeat by Wolves on Sunday because of a thigh strain.

As predicted Marcelo was preferred to start up-front alongside Andrew Johnson instead of the out-of-touch Horsfield.

Blues received a boost when they received Wimbledon's team sheet to find no place for Duell.

Their 19-goal leading scorer failed to shake off an ankle knock sustained at Wolves in mid-week but Agyemang, rested from the trip to Molyneux, took his place in the starting line-up.

Wimbledon began strongly and soon put Blues under pressure from corners.

A flag-kick from the right was headed firmly towards the top corner by Williams but Gill, on the post, flicked it away.

From the next corner Wimbledon again were superior in the air and Bennett had to make a save.

But in the 14th minute the pressure paid off and Blues went behind.

A long kick downfield by Davis bounced near the edge of the Blues penalty area where Michael Johnson and Agyemang contested it.

It eluded them both but not Neilsen who ran down the inside-right channel before firing a shot across Bennett and into the bottom corner.

The Wimbledon striker celebrated with a flamboyant forward somersault as Michael Johnson protested that he was impeded.

The goal served only to increase Wimbledon's confidence and in mid-field the home team continued to control.

Anderson was a prominent figure and had to receive treatment for a knock when Woodhouse stopped him in full flow with a heavy challenge.

In the 27th minute Cooper caused problems down the Blues left and all of a sudden both Agyemang and Neilsen found themselves free in a good position.

Agyemang let fly with a swerving shot from the edge of the penalty area that was well blocked by Michael Johnson.

Two minutes later Blues made a substitution by replacing Lazaridis with Adebola.

The change meant that Blues effectively had three up front with Adebola dropping back on the left side when necessary.

Five minutes before half-time Davis was forced into serious action for the first time.

Adebola helped the ball towards Andrew Johnson on the inside-right channel and the striker tried to find the bottom corner but Davis dived to his right and made what turned out to be a comfortable save.

Blues' injury crisis continued when Adebola, who had been struggling with a hamstring strain, had to come off a minute before half-time.

Horsfield was sent on and it looked increasingly grim for Blues as Grainger looked to be struggling and Hughes was not at full pelt either.

Blues had to use their third and final substitute as Burrows was brought on in place of Grainger.

The first choice for left-back had limped through the final 10 minutes of the opening period and it was no surprise when he did not reappear after the break.

In the opening couple of minutes Blues put some pressure on the Wimbledon defence and Horsfield roamed clear on the right half of the penalty area.

He delivered a decent cross that found its way to Woodhouse at the back post but before he could shoot the referee halted play for pushing by Marcelo as he went up to try to help the ball on.

Blues, with Horsfield, Andrew Johnson and Marcelo in a three-man front line, were prepared to gamble in an attempt to get on level terms.

But that meant the midfield had to do a lot of work and Wimbledon were quick to move the ball around to take advantage.

Hughes was booked for tripping Cooper as he tried to get away and run down at Bennett in the Blues goal.

Burrows was then in the wars when he took the full force of a goal-bound shot in the midriff.

A forward header by Woodhouse beat the Wimbledon offside trap and allowed Horsfield to make ground down the left.

He chopped a cross to the far post which as just ahead of Andrew Johnson.

Blues recovered and fashioned a cross into the heart of the area through Eaden but Wimbledon's defence, which had been strong throughout, cleared.

In the 71st minute substitute Hughes compounded Blue's misery when he got Wimbledon's second goal by squeezing in a free-kick.

Hughes, who had been on the field for only a matter of minutes in place of Agyemang, caught Bennett on the hop by curling the ball smartly over the wall and in, just, off the post.

Three minutes later it got even worse for Blues when a free-kick, again by Hughes. was headed powerfully in by Williams from six yards.

Marcelo grabbed a consolation for Blues with five minutes remaining with a smart header, ghosting in at the far post to divert the ball home.