Stewart's echoing strike

Wimbledon 2 Leicester City 3

One club with no supporters, the other with no money. That's the way of life in Div-ision One these days, and it was Leicester, who might be low on cash but brought more than half the crowd to Selhurst Park's lowest attendance of the season, who came back from a two-goal deficit for a victory which takes them into second place behind Portsmouth.

The result wrecked the theory of Wimbledon's captain, Neil Shipperley, that the ghostly atmosphere at their home matches is proving more bothersome to visiting teams. Leicester's manager, Micky Adams, called the scenario "surreal" but emphasised the echoing terraces had nothing to do with his team finding themselves two down after 15 minutes.

Two substitutions, one inspired and the other forced upon Adams, turned the match Leicester's way. Having aged visibly watching Gerry Taggart being given the runaround at the heart of defence, Adams did the kind thing and pointed him towards the shower, bringing on Trevor Benjamin, who was personally responsible for wiping out that deficit in the space of three minutes.

The other change, after Alan Rogers suffered hamstring problems early in the second half, saw the introduction of Jordan Stewart and he duly provided the winner – his first for the club – 10 minutes from the end. That came as a disappointment to the Wimbledon manager, Stuart Murdoch, who again fielded six graduates of the youth academy in his line-up. "There were a lot of positives," he said, "but we are young and inexperienced, which showed at times."

After James Scowcroft had headed a Muzzy Izzet centre on to an upright with four minutes gone, Murdoch saw a rousing display of those positives, with Shipperley and Wayne Gray causing Leicester all sorts of problems in the penalty area and Jobi McAnuff's running and control outstanding. The first goal came in the 10th minute, courtesy of a McAnuff corner which Mark Williams headed home with no noticeable interference.

Five minutes later Izzet handled in a central position just outside the penalty area and Shipperley curled the free-kick past a stationary Ian Walker. It could have been three or four during this spell, Gray hitting the post and Matt Elliott gaining the benefit after upending McAnuff.

Five minutes from half-time Taggart was tugged off, on came Benjamin and with practically his first touch he turned in a Rogers cross from the left. Two minutes later and, with Wimbledon hanging on, Benjamin won a penalty when he was impeded by Shipperley in going for a corner. Izzet struck the equaliser.

Shipperley twice tested Walker, one shot being saved at full stretch and the other tipped over the bar. But it was Leicester, prodded on by Izzet, who looked the likelier winners, and so it proved thanks to Stewart. Finding space 25 yards out, he unleashed a left-foot shot, triggering the biggest cheer of the afternoon in this empty stadium.

Wimbledon 2
Williams 11, Shipperley 16

Leicester City 3
Benjamin 44, Izzet pen 45, Stewart 81

Half-time: 2-2 Attendance: 2,165