Football: Kinnear `disgusted' by fans

Wimbledon 4 Barnsley 1

Joe Kinnear is a contrary character. After seeing his Wimbledon side score four second-half goals to lift themselves away from the worrying end of the Premiership, the home manager might have been expected to exhibit relief, if not joy.

Kinnear, though, was morose - although his dissatisfaction was not with his players but the home supporters present in the meagre crowd of 7,668, the lowest Premiership crowd for 22 months.

Wimbledon, beaten here on Saturday by their landlords, Crystal Palace, were booed off at half-time after a dismal period during which the visitors took a 41st-minute lead through Eric Tinkler with a contact the Barnsley manager, Danny Wilson, believed might have been via his hands.

"That was our only stroke of luck, but it wasn't enough," he said. Wimbledon's recovery was set in motion after 49 minutes by an equaliser from their 20-year-old striker Carl Cort - who now has four goals in four games since making his full debut 11 days ago.

Robbie Earle gave the home side the lead after 64 minutes; Ceri Hughes made it 3-1 after 68 minutes with a 30-yard shot which went in off the post and Efan Ekoku rounded off the scoring seven minutes from time.

The cheers which followed the home players into the tunnel after 90 minutes sounded hollow to Kinnear's ears. "I was disgusted with the supporters," he said. "They soon forget all the work we have put in to get where we are.

"At half-time I told the players: `Be confident, don't worry about any of the crap that's going on around you'."

He also despaired at the size of his support. "There was no crowd again, as usual," he said. "Nothing is different. No crowd. No money. Sometimes I ask myself why I do the job."

Other than that, he seemed quite happy.

Wimbledon (4-4-2): Sullivan; Cunningham, Perry, Blackwell, Kimble; Cort, Jones, Earle, Hughes; Euell, Ekoku. Substitutes not used: Heald (gk), Thatcher, Holdsworth, Gayle, Clarke.

Barnsley (4-5-1): Watson; Appleby, Moses, De Zeeuw, Krizan; M Bullock, Redfearn, Tinkler (Marcelle, 68), Sheridan, Barnard; Liddell (Hristov, 82). Substitutes not used: Leese (gk), Ten Heuvel, Morgan.

Referee: J Winter (Stockton-on-Tees).