Football: White's dash of colour

Wimbledon. . . . . .0

Manchester City. . .1

DAVID WHITE redeemed a grim night's football and marked his summons to international duty by scoring the goal that left Wimbledon bottom of the table.

It was his fifth in six games - only two of which City have won - and came just after half-time following a run and square pass from player-manager Peter Reid, who dropped Steve McMahon to facilitate his own inclusion.

The game's only distinction was achieved as the latest ever kick-off in the Premier League, incredulity having greeted an announcement that it was to be delayed until 8.10pm to allow spectators in. The turnstiles had apparently been closed when a fire alarm went off; so many spectators flooded in after they reopened that the attendance was 4,714 (only just below Wimbledon's best of the season).

A record number of sendings-off also looked possible for a while. City's Dutchman Michel Vonk received a booking and at least two final warnings and John Fashanu, returning unexpectedly early for his first appearance of the season, was clearly at fault in an off-the-ball incident with Keith Curle - one of two City defenders imported from Wimbledon at pounds 2.5m each.

Only three times, when the linesman's flag mercifully stayed down, was there any real prospect of other goals, and on the first of those occasions Fashanu must have been deemed to be not interfering with play. Dean Holdsworth swept on to Lawrie Sanchez's through-ball, but he scuffed his shot.

Just before the interval Holdsworth crossed for Sanchez, whose complete mis-kick still required an agile backwards flip by Tony Coton in the City goal and right at the death Holdsworth's shot was blocked on the line by Ian Brightwell.

Wimbledon: Segers; Anthrobus, McAllister, Barton, Blackwell, Fitzgerald, Miller (Clarke, 66), Earle, Fashanu, Sanchez, Holdsworth. Substitutes not used: Joseph, Sullivan (gk).

Manchester City: Coton; Brightwell, Phelan, Reid (McMahon, 80), Curle, Vonk, White, Flitcroft, Quinn, Simpson, Holden. Substitutes not used: Sheron, Margetson (gk).

Referee: M Reed (Birmingham).