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Newcastle United 6 Wimbledon 1
Like Tory governments, Wimbledon appear to have been around at the top forever, but on recent evidence both may be heading for a fall. A fifth successive League defeat for the Dons was bad enough, but a crippling injury list and the dismissal of their last fit goalkeeper is enough to send anyone crazy.
"I don't know what else can happen to us," moaned manager Joe Kinnear, who now has 15 players unavailable. "Even without losing our keeper we were up against it, but the reason we didn't have another goalie on the subs' bench was that the other two are injured."
So it was that captain calamitous Vinny Jones who chose to go down with his ship, donning the green jersey to general amusement. Gazza might once have found his ball-handling pretty nifty, but that was seven years ago, and this is a different Newcastle United.
This was the ultimate couture clash: London's homeless ragamuffins against the Premier League's snappiest outfit. Yet for the first half-hour Wimbledon did as Wimbledon do, blocking off the avenues in midfield and aiming balls high towards either post, where Newcastle can sometimes appear vulnerable. Within 34 minutes both full-backs had limped off, however, and Steve Howey's looping header shattered the illusion.
Four minutes later Ginola expertly set up Ferdinand's near-post finish. Having thus found the target for the seventh successive match, equalling the club's post-war record, the pounds 6m man bravely went full length to knock in another before the break. "Les spent all last week answering questions about why he wasn't playing for England," Kevin Keegan mused. "The last two Saturdays he's shown why he should be."
Goalkeeper Paul Heald - booked for time-wasting in the first-half - departed after needlessly upending Ferdinand early in the second, and Jones had no chance with Lee Clark's rising left-footer nor the flick which gave Ferdinand his first Newcastle hat-trick. Marcus Gayle's header brought brief respite, but substitute Philippe Albert steered in an exquisite sixth. Last season a disallowed goal in injury-time denied Wimbledon a draw on Tyneside. "The only difference between then and now is the pounds 20m Kevin's had to spend," Kinnear noted. "I've had about 20 grand." It hardly seemed the time for chairman Sam Hammam to renew his pounds 1,000 wager with Newcastle counterpart Sir John Hall over which club will finish higher this season. Sometimes blind faith just isn't enough.
Goals: Howey (32) 1-0; Ferdinand (36) 2-0; Ferdinand (42) 3-0; Clark (60) 4-0; Gayle (61) 4-1; Ferdinand (63) 5-1; Albert (85) 6-1.
Newcastle United (4-4-2): Hislop; Barton, Peacock, Howey (Albert, 80), Beresford; Gillespie, Lee (Sellars, 80), Clark (Hottiger, 80), Ginola; Beardsley, Ferdinand.
Wimbledon (4-4-2): Heald; Perry (Goodman, 34; Leonhardsen, 48), Fitzgerald, Reeves, McAllister (Talboys, 12); Cunningham, Jones, Earle, Gayle; Holdsworth, Harford.
Referee: G Poll (Tring).
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