CARLING PREMIER LEAGUE.

Leicester City v Wimbledon Saturday 20.11.99

Leicester (1) 2 Wimbledon (1) 1 FT
Cottee 22,58 Gayle 21

Wimbledon left in the cold.

It was one of those chilly November Saturday afternoons at Filbert Street when everything seemed grey and somewhat depressing possibly brought about by the weather, and also the prospect of meeting a Wimbledon side flushed by their recent success with key players Matt Elliott (match ban) and Muzzy Izzett (injured in training) missing from our line up. We were heartened to see that Steve Walsh was to come out as Captain - but would he really be completely recovered after his early season injury?   Steff Oakes has recently developed into a more mature player, but would he compensate for the loss of Muzzy Izzet?

The teams ran out under the comforting light of the floodlights and we began to think that it would not be such a dull afternoon after all. We started in fairly good style with Andrew Impey providing a number of menacing centres from the right hand side but we were never allowed to settle into our normal pattern as Wimbledon were always threatening with Martyn Gayle causing regular concern. Our hearts sank when, after 20 minutes , Robbie Earle put one over the top to Gayle who drove the ball past Tim Flowers into the corner of the net. We didn't have much time to get downhearted because within 60 seconds the indomitable Foxes had provided Wimbledon with their reply.   Emile Heskey put in a deep centre from the left wing which the mercurial Robbie Savage headed into the path of Cottee. Need we say more? . Tony Cottee guided the ball past Sullivan into the net.

Play continued in rather a dour fashion with chances coming to Guppy and Gayle who both failed to capitalise. We were not particularly vocal as 1-1 against Wimbledon in their present form was causing us a certain amount of anxiety. to say the least and we knew that one lapse by our defence could cost us dearly.

City's determination was rewarded in the 58th minute when Guppy curled a ball in the direction of Emile Heskey. In an attempt to intercept, Blackwell stumbled, allowing Heskey to take the ball into the penalty area where he slipped the ball to Cottee who obliged us with his second goal. This was his eighth goal of the season.

City held on valiantly until the end with both sides having chances without scoring. Tony Cottee just missed his hat trick with minutes to go and Steve Walsh missed scoring by inches with a header from a Guppy cross. When the final whistle blew on a dull afternoon after a fairly dull match, all our pre match anxieties had turned to brilliant gold and we went home well pleased. Three points in the bag, no red cards, no serious injuries today and we are still on course for Europe

And - by the way- we shouldn't have worried about Steve Walsh - he had a brilliant game. (Watch out Matt!!!)

Leicester: Flowers, Sinclair, Taggart, Walsh, Impey, Savage, Lennon, Oakes, Guppy, Heskey, Cottee.

Subs not used: Gilchrist, Marshall, Arphexad, Wilson, Zagorakis.

Booked: Sinclair, Heskey.

Wimbledon: Sullivan, Cunningham, Blackwell (Badir, 87), Hreidarsson, Kimble, Earle, Euell, Andersen, Cort, Hartson, Gayle.

Subs not used: Jupp, Davis, Andresen, Roberts.

Booked: Blackwell.

Attendance: 18,255.

Referee: A Wiley