United opened up a six point lead at the top of the table tonight as James Constable's double strike earned them a 2-0 win over AFC Wimbledon. The talismanic striker struck in each half as United carved out chance after chance even before The Dons were reduced to ten men.

Attacking the Fence End United almost took the lead twice in the first four minutes from corners. Constable nodded the first from Simon Clist over the top, then Rhys Day attacked a Sam Deering cross after a short corner routine but thumped his header over the bar. Day, Ryan Clarke, Anthony Tonkin, Deering and Chris Hargreaves all came back into the side following the defeat to Kidderminster on Saturday and all played a part in a very professional performance. Constable got the goals and the headlines but Deering's non-stop display will be the thing that will excite the fans just as much.

Constable had a golden chance to put his side ahead in the ninth minute as a flowing move started by right back Adam Chapman and carried forward by Deering ended with a cut back cross which Constable met well enough but keeper Pullen saved well to his left.

Wimbledon had a chance on 12 as Danny Kedwell skidded through to face Clarke but saw a heavy touch take the ball away from him, but then were behind on 14 as Constable racked up his twentieth of the season. It came indirectly from some composed defending by Day who headed all the way back to Clarke from just outside the centre circle. Clarke launched long and Matt Green rose well to flick the ball on. Deering distracted a defender and touched the ball on to allow Constable another free shot from eighteen yards out. This time his shot was deadly and found the corner of the net to move his side 1-0 up.

United were in complete control and had loud penalty appeals turned down on 18 as another Deering set piece came in and Day appeared to be held back in the six yard box as he tried to apply the final touch. Every dead ball looked like producing a goal and Hargreaves was cursing his recent haircut as he was the merest touch away from converting another excellent Clist corner after twenty minutes.

The visitors started to get a grip after the first quarter of the match and tightened up at the back while also asking questions of the home defence for the first time. One or two scuffed and poked efforts started to go close and United's early momentum had started to fade, a fact emphasised when Day's header bounced back off of the bar after sub Jay Conroy's deep cross.

Having so dominated the opening exchanges United had still done enough to deserve their lead at the break, although Ryan Clarke's evening ended there as he succumbed to injury and Billy Turley made his first league appearance of the season. Such was United's dominance of the second half that Turley's first league save is still to come...

Just as in the first half United started the better side and a moment of inspiration from Deering on 50 almost made it 2-0 as his low free kick round the wall almost caught Pullen out at the near post. (The decision, by the way, to award a goal kick after a blatant deflection and a possible save was the worst Wimbledon decision since John McEnroe's famous outburst).

It really should have been 2-0 on 55 as two more great chances came along. A fine pass from Bulman left Constable in control inside the area. . He teed up Clist for a decent effort from a bouncing ball which Pullen parried, but Green really should have put the rebound away rather than slice horribly wide. The same player then powered away from the defence but planted his effort over the top, before yet another charge forward ended with United facing ten men. This time it was Deering on the run, pursued by sub Conroy. As the area loomed Conroy tripped Deering to concede a free kick on the edge of the box. Ref Lewis showed Conroy a straight red card to complete a rotten couple of games for Conroy against United; he scored an own goal in the first meeting this season.

Tonkin Tonked the free kick but saw Pullen push it away, then the keeper made an even better save as Deering fizzed in an outrageous effort from thirty yards towards the left hand post. Cheryl Cole wouldn't even get this many chances in 90 minutes! Chapman chipped a twenty five yard free kick inches wide of the left post on 70 before a cameo appearance from new signing John Grant for the last fifteen minutes or so.

All that was missing was another goal and on 80 Constable's persistence paid off as he sealed the win. Deering's through pass set him free in the right hand channel and it is a measure of the man that his first thought was to try and square it for the galloping Clist. A superb block by a backpedalling defender cut the ball out but Constable was on to it in a flash and buried the ball past Pullen from close range

This was a far more thorough win than the scoreline suggests with just the killer extra goals missing. Grant even went close in injury time but nodded a Clist cross over the top. Never mind. United remain the top scorers in the division, as well as having the meanest defence, with Constable now on 21 and plenty to look forward to over the next fifteen games.

All is well. On to the next game...

Att: 6,250

Away:  743

Fifty/50 winning number: 80168 (£1053.50)

Report by Chris Williams

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