Wimbledon lose their way

All season Wimbledon have been compelling. The small club with the big heart, crazy all these years, have provided a marvellous spectacle, competing meaningfully on three fronts and winning friends both despite and because of Vinnie Jones. But the evidence is growing that they may yet perform the considerable old footballing trick, which can always be guaranteed to put noses, if nothing else, out of joint, of falling between several stools.

For most of the match at White Hart Lane yesterday they were barely a shadow of the side which burgeoned with tenacity and self-belief just four weeks ago. Wimbledon have not won in their last six Premiership matches and, although they lost to Spurs by a solitary goal eight minutes from time, the only good news to emerge for them yesterday appeared to be that Chelsea, their opponents in the FA Cup semi-final next week, are also choosing the moment to shed some good habits.

After the first minute when Robbie Earle met Neil Ardley's free-kick from the left only to see his header fall harmlessly into Ian Walker's arms, they did not create another realistic chance for an hour. As for Earle, he was never seen again. Not that Spurs were exactly replete with excitement. Faced with such subdued opponents they controlled the game without ever being really sure of its destiny.

Teddy Sheringham failed to make the most of a generous offside interpretation early on when the Wimbledon goalkeeper, Neil Sullivan, adroitly denied him from 10 yards. Allan Nielsen was rightly judged offside when driving home Andy Sinton's cross and when Jason Dozzell's header hit a post four minutes from half-time the feeling grew that Spurs were about to fritter away some more points.

They may be comfortable in mid-table but for most of the season their play has contained all the romance of a Freddie Kruger movie. In their ascendancy over Wimbledon their approach play again lacked any real sense of adventure. For all Ruel Fox's occasionally inspired interventions and Nielsen's intermittent perkiness neither Sheringham nor the Israeli international Ronny Rosenthal were especially well served.

But when Sinton's cross was deflected wide by Jones it offered Spurs another corner. Sinton swung this one in narrowly beyond the far post and contract rebel Dozzell raced ahead of his marker to flash a header past Sullivan.

There was to be no coming back for Wimbledon who looked tired and it would be a pity if that was to apply, not only to this match, but to their season as well.