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The Dons overcame a young Palace side easily enough for a simple 2-0 home victory before a four-figure crowd in the Surrey Senior Cup.
Palace sent out a largely Under-19 side, with both Bob and Iain Dowie in the stands to watch their charges in action. Apart from the injured Steve Butler, Dave Anderson was able to name pretty much a full-strength side. He reverted to 4-4-2, with Steve Gibson and Mark Jones as the fullbacks and Andy Frost pushed into a more customary midfield role after Saturday?s wing-back exertions. Mark Cooper assumed the captain?s armband.
On a wet and tricky surface it was the older Dons side that went on the attack first. Frost fired just over after good work by Rob Ursell and Micky Woolner headed over from a free-kick. The best early chance fell to Andrew Martin. Jon-Barrie Bates won the ball on the edge of the box and fed it to Richard Butler. His layoff gave Martin a glorious opportunity, but his strike-partner snatched at the chance and shot well over the bar.
Lewis Grabban nearly sent Palace into the lead as his shot deflected off a Dons defender, but Paul Smith was relieved to see it bounce off the crossbar for a corner. After that Wimbledon dominated, with Richard Butler at the heart of most of their industry but couldn?t create many clear-cut chances. Grabban fired wide when Palace managed their next attack.
Butler then shot just over from a Martin layoff and two Dons corners came to nothing as Wimbledon edged the first half in terms of possession. Palace mustered two further long shots that whistled well wide on the break. But the score remained nil-nil at half-time.
Within five minutes of the restart, the home side were ahead. Some crisp passing on the edge of the box teed up Andy Frost, who left fly and hammered the ball past Ricki Banks. The man only seems to score cracking goals ? he must have a foot like a traction engine.
The young Palace side managed some nice spells of possession in deep areas, but couldn?t find a way to break open the Dons? defence. Watanabe was lucky not to be dismissed for a second bad challenge having already been booked, and was withdrawn to be replaced by Tom Lyons.
But the cushion of a second goal soon arrived, with Butler getting a reward for his hard work in slightly fortuitous circumstances. Mark Jones shot from around 25 yards and his effort deflected off the striker to loop past a wrong-footed Banks for 2-0 after 74 minutes.
Grabban sent another shot wide as Palace looked to drag themselves back into the game. Marshall headed wide from a corner, but Wimbledon looked comfortable enough for a well-deserved win.
It may have been a young side, but the history books will read Wimbledon 2 Crystal Palace 0. Which is always nice to see. On a bitterly cold night, the Dons cruised through to earn a semi-final trip to either Egham or Sutton and keep their dream of a second successive league and cup double alive.
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