Wimbledon 1 Bradford City 2

City were well worth the points, stretching their unbeaten away run to four games, although the home side pulled one back in injury time with a David Connolly penalty, harshly given for handball against David Wetherall.

Two players who last appeared in the starting line-up in January found themselves in the City side this afternoon.

Juanjo last kicked off a game in the FA Cup third-round at Walsall, Nicky Law's first at the City helm. And there was also a surprise opportunity for Lewis Emanuel, the England under-19 defender who has been out of the frame since the home defeat by Preston on January 29.

Spanish winger Juanjo came in for Jamie Lawrence, who fractured his right thumb earlier this week, while Emanuel replaced Gareth Grant who was dropped to the bench. Eoin Jess was pushed into an attacking role with Emanuel moving into left midfield.

Wimbledon began just a point off the play-off chase after winning three in a row for the first time in five seasons. The Dons, who were playing their fourth game in a week, welcomed back leading scorer David Connolly from suspension.

Tom Kearney and Mark Bower, City's shining lights in recent matches, were both quickly into action against an eery backdrop of a stand which was empty bar a smattering of away fans.

The City supporters must have been hoping for a better game than the Easter slogs with Watford and Norwich and almost had something to celebrate after five minutes. Eoin Jess lobbed a pass over the Dons back four for Danny Cadamarteri who had sprung the offside trap. But Cadamarteri was unable to bring it down.

Cadamarteri was busy in the opening skirmishes and fed Juanjo overlapping level with the Wimbledon box but his cross was charged down by Connolly.

City had a good chance from a free-kick just outside the penalty area in the eighth minute. Wayne Jacobs scuffed the shot but it fell kindly to Emanuel who must have sensed a first senior goal. He fired it hard and low from ten yards only to be denied by Kelvin Davis who then saved an instinctive follow-up prod by Bower.

There was little pattern to the opening 15 minutes with Wimbledon hardly looking like a team in with a sniff of promotion to the Premiership. But then neither had Norwich at Valley Parade on Monday. Juanjo tried to lift the tempo with a few spins inside Dons territory which won the first corner. But the kick from Jess was too flat and easily whisked away from danger.

Kearney and Jorgensen linked nicely but Juanjo again saw his attempt at a cross charged down. The Dons responded with a corner which was hacked out of the penalty area by Kearney, who was involved in most things. The home fans were briefly brought to life as Bower conceded a second corner in the 23rd minute which bobbled its way through everybody but again came to nothing.

Juanjo beavered to the byline a minute later and finally pulled back a ball past the first defender. Damien Francis cleared it from around the penalty spot straight to Cadamarteri whose snap-shot took a deflection over.

Jorgensen launched another easily-cleared corner back to the edge of the Wimbledon box where Kenny Cunningham headed it weakly towards Cadamarteri. He tried a first-time effort which flew over before Wimbledon hit back as Shipperley drew Alan Combe temporarily from his goal, Francis winning a corner which Cunningham headed wide.

Then on the half-hour City grabbed the lead. Cadamarteri curled in an inviting left-footed cross from the right and JESS met it with a delicate header beyond Davis. It was the Scot's 14th goal of the season but only his third in nearly five months.

Kearney escaped with a lecture for a foul on Karlsson. But the youngster's first senior yellow card was not long in coming and Juanjo followed him into the book for play-acting at a free-kick. David Wetherall cleared it and suddenly Juanjo was away at the other end, only for his touch to let him down.

The game was beginning to come to life and Shipperley conjured Wimbledon's best effort with a fierce drive which clipped the City bar.

Cadamarteri caused a stir in the home defence when he pounced on a slip by Cunningham in the bottom corner of the penalty area and dinked the ball past Davis as he rushed sideways from his goal to meet him. But nobody was there in support as the ball rolled invitingly into the six-yard box.

City were enjoying plenty of possession and Stuart McCall probed for another opening in added time at the end of the half. In the end he squared to Kearney whose shoot from 25 yards blooped into the stand.

HT: 0-1

Wimbledon pressed soon after the resumption and Wetherall and Bower made vital blocks from Connolly and Karlsson, denying the home team a clear sight of goal in a penalty-area scramble. As they continued to plug away, Shipperley appealed for a push against Jacobs in the City box.

Wimbledon threatened again in the 53rd minute as Darren Holloway's cross dropped for Connolly 12 yards out but Kearney made the interception before the Northern Ireland striker could get in a shot. But they were getting closer and Shipperley guided a header wide.

The well-travelled targetman earned Wimbledon's first corner of the half to a large roar which Bower cleared. Neal Ardley whipped in a powerful ball to the near post which Shipperley met with another bullet header off target.

Bower ushered another cross off Shipperley as far as Ardley and his centre was headed hard and low by Andersen - and into the safe grasp of Combe. The Dane then blotted his copybook with a booking for a foul on Juanjo, giving City a free-kick in dangerous territory, wasted by Jess.

Emanuel briefly went down holding his face after a challenge on the halfway line with Holloway but ref Rob Styles decided not to take any action with the Wimbledon right back.

Andersen produced a neat turn before driving an angled pass in Connolly's direction after 65 minutes but the finish was weak and play returned to the other end for a City corner which Holloway nearly glanced into his own net.

The ball flashed across goal for another corner which City took quickly - and caught the home side cold.

Kearney flicked the ball into the penalty area where two City players were on their own.

As the flag stayed down, BOWER flicked home his second goal of the season before heading for the corner flag to celebrate.

Wimbledon threw everyone up for a corner six minutes later but it proved as ineffective as all the others against a defence in no mood to be opened up.

With two minutes left Ardley won another corner which he took himself, only for Bower to head away again.

But as the ball came back in, Wetherall was harshly adjudged to have handled. CONNOLLY accepted the lifeline by slamming the penalty past Combe, who had been booked for complaining.

City, though, only had time to kick-off again before the final whistle was blown.