Class struggle achieves equality

While Joe Kinnear was feasting on diet crackers, and the Wimbledon team feared having to eat sheep's testicles, Manchester United were left struggling with their antipasto. Five days before Juventus offer the most exacting test of their season so far, Alex Ferguson's team hardly looked like the best dish in south London, never mind Europe.

Grappling with Wimbledon's proletariat just before meeting Italian aristocracy in a European Cup semi-final must feel a bit like listening to Iron Maiden on the way to a Beethoven concert. And, with United minds half-trained on Wednesday, they dropped what could become two costly points in the championship race.

But United are well used to making trade-offs when it comes to balancing their domestic league and Continental cup demands. Though the team's lack of commitment in some challenges may have contributed to their failure to win, they at least achieved their aim of avoiding injuries.

With the fit-again Ryan Giggs hurtling confidently up and down the touchline in his comeback role as a substitute, only Jaap Stam's dodgy ankle stands between United and a full-strength line-up against Juventus. The Dutchman's prognosis is encouraging.

There were a couple more silver linings to United's cloudy weekend. Their main pursuers in the Premiership, Arsenal, also drew while Juventus lost at Serie A's bottom club, Empoli, though with a weakened side.

All United require to banish Saturday's frustration is a good result at Old Trafford on Wednesday, setting them up nicely for Sunday's FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal. So, after nine months of wondering, their treble dreams could be settled in five days.

"I have always expressed caution in the past about the strength of the squad to make a realistic challenge for all the trophies," Alex Ferguson said, "but now I believe we have a great chance of landing the treble." But United need to get off on the right foot. The unforced errors which peppered their performance must have lit up watching Juventus eyes. Yes, United pressed for most of the match, and Wimbledon's goalkeeper, Neil Sullivan, shortened the odds on him becoming Peter Schmeichel's replacement with a string of fine saves. But the London team were never in danger of succumbing to a 5-0 scoreline which would have triggered an agreement with the club's owner Sam Hammam that they should eat brains, intestines and testicles of sheep.

The only balls Wimbledon needed was to go ahead after only four minutes. Gary Neville, who did not have the greatest game for England against Poland recently, saw his header back to Schmeichel fall short and Jason Euell rounded the keeper to score.

United's quest for an equaliser brought its reward just before half-time when David Beckham found Denis Irwin on the left. The fullback neatly drew Michael Hughes and crossed into the box, where Dean Blackwell cushioned the ball on his thigh with the deftness of a can-can dancer. Beckham bundled the rebound home.

As goals go, it was the stylistic antithesis of his halfway-line lob in United's 3-0 win over Wimbledon two seasons ago, but from a result point of view it was vitally important.

United felt themselves unlucky not to have won but that would have been tough on Wimbledon, who fought hard to end a run of three successive defeats since Kinnear suffered his heart attack.

Now genial Joe rests at home losing weight on a diet of fish, salad and crackers, having perhaps been reminded that there is more to life than football. However, come Wednesday night, even he would have trouble convincing Manchester United of that.

WIMBLEDON: Sullivan, Kimble (Ardley 81), Perry, Blackwell, Thatcher, C. Hughes (Roberts 83), Earle, Gayle, M. Hughes, Euell, Hartson (Cort 68). Subs Not Used: Heald, Ainsworth. Booked: Cort. Goals: Euell 5.

MANCHESTER UTD: Schmeichel, G. Neville, Irwin, Johnsen, Beckham, Cole, Blomqvist (Solskjaer 73), Keane, Scholes, Yorke, Berg. Subs Not Used: Butt, Giggs, P. Neville, Van Der Gouw. Booked: Berg. Goals: Beckham 44.

Referee: G Barber (Pyrford).