Wimbledon expect tomorrow's home game with Preston North End to get the go-ahead as long as the weather doesn't deteriorate again, writes Matt Webster.

The Boxing Day clash with Watford was postponed because of a frozen pitch, but the game would probably have gone ahead had it been scheduled for yesterday.

Dons spokesman Tony White said: "We're expecting it to be OK but we won't know for sure until tomorrow."

The cancellation cost the Dons the chance of a better than usual crowd, but at least it gives a couple of their injured players a few extra days to gain match fitness.

Swedish international Hakan Mild and winger Gareth Ainsworth have both resumed training and could take their places in Terry Burton's squad for tomorrow's game.

But the match will come too soon for Chris Willmott the goal hero in the Dons' last home game, a 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest.

He is still recovering from a wrist injury suffered in a training ground accident last week.

Burton's only other absentee, Mark Williams, is a long way from fitness as he starts his recovery from a broken leg.

Partnership

Their absence is likely to extend the partnership of Kenny Cunningham and Trond Andersen in the centre of the Dons defence.

They were partners for the first time in last Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Norwich City.

That result put an abrupt halt to a mini-revival which had brought successive wins over Stockport and Forest in the Dons' previous two matches.

It is difficult not to feel sympathy. You can't say he didn't warn the board about the possible consequences of their decision to allow David Nielsen to join Norwich on loan.

Burton's misgivings in his column for last week's Wimbledon News were proved correct in the most decisive way.

Nielsen scored one of Norwich's goals in their 2-1 victory before winning a penalty which left his own manager accusing him of diving!

Burton said: "We've seen it so many times that a player facing his old side will raise his game an extra notch and that is what happened with David

"It was not my decision for him to go to Norwich.

"Nigel Worthington asked me about him before and I said no. It was a decision taken at board level and was out of my hands.

Stupid

"It was a debatable penalty and David is good at diving. Kelvin threw the ball at him. We can't condone it he knows it was a stupid thing to do."

Kevin Connolly pulled one back from the spot but, moments later, misery was compounded by a red card for Jermaine Darlington for swinging an arm at a Norwich player.

Although Burton described it as "silly", he was upset at the punishment meted out to his players received while Norwich's appeared to get away scott-free.

They may have been lacking discipline but at least the spirit could not be faulted.

And Burton added: "Even when we were down to nine men I never thought we were out of it.

"I have been delighted with the attitude of the players in recent weeks.

"They have worked very hard in training and have shown that on the field.

"We didn't really get the rub of green against Norwich, but we won't let it get us down and we are looking forward to getting that defeat out of our system and moving on."

The Dons face another tough test tomorrow against a Preston side which had an impressive win at Wolves last weekend. They showed in their 1-1 draw at Deepdale that they are more than capable of getting good results against the division's better sides.

If they can keep 11 men on the field and continue to show the same kind of determination which has been on display in recent weeks, it could give the Dons an opportunity to end a disappointing year on a high note.

December 28, 2001 15:01