Jones sent-off after baffling case

Vinnie Jones added to his red-card selection after a baffling case of mistaken identity overshadowed Wimbledon's heroic display. Jones turned out to be the baddy yet again - you need both hands to count his Don's dismissals - after team-mate Andy Thorn was first pin-pointed as the guilty party following a 22nd minute clash with Stan Collymore. Thorn, Jones and club captain Mick Harford all pointed accusing fingers at 8.5 million pound British record buy Collymore who needed treatment for a cut mouth after a shoving match which finally involved a dozen players.

Wimbledon assistant manager Terry Burton, meanwhile, spoke to referee Keith Burge - his original sending off decision came after he had consulted a linesman - and Thorn was re-called from the dressing room and told to carry on playing! However his place in the early bath went instead to Jones who is currently banned from the Welsh team after being sent off in a European Championship qualifier. The delay lasted a full four minutes and when play finally commenced, it was ten man Wimbledon who stormed ahead on the half hour when Harford touched in a cross from the reprieved Thorn. Thorn's contribution still came to a premature end when he was stretchered off with a knee injury a minute before the break in a match which saw a ten minute kick-off delay because of crowd congestion outside Selhurst Park.

The first 15 minutes saw Liverpool threaten to overrun Wimbledon - and the second half also saw the home side with their backs to the wall. They soaked up raid after raid and had to rely on their famous fighting spirit to see them through. It also took some critical saves from keeper Paul Heald, none more so than in the last minute when he somehow denied Robbie Fowler who had raced clear. Heald, who had earlier denied Collymore, recovered to save the follow-up effort from Steve McManaman.

Defeat was a blow for Liverpool who on Tuesday launch their bid for UEFA Cup glory in deepest Russia -- but it won't be anymore despicable than this. Vinnie Jones was sent off against Liverpool for head butting, it was claimed tonight.

Jones' dismissal came during a bizarre first half scene which saw Wimbledon defender Andy Thorn and Jones both sent off after a 22nd minute fracas involving British record buy Stan Collymore. According to Liverpool manager Roy Evans: "Collymore's lip is detached from the top of his gum on the inside - there's about an inch gap." But what was not clear was who exactly did the damage!

Thorn was eventually recalled from the dressing room and told he could carry on playing in the match after an apparent case of mistaken identity involving Tony Pandy referee Keith Burge. "Thorn was taking his gear off in the dressing room and was totally confused," said Wimbledon manager Joe Kinnear after the 1-0 win. "Thorn said the referee gave him the red card and sent him off but when I asked them (the officials) they didn't seem to know who had been sent off! Jones had followed Thorn to the dressing room after a couple of minutes but the referee said he'd only sent one off! He said he had acted on the linesman advice and that Vinnie had gone for head butting. But Vinnie swears he didn't use his head. We have watched the video and we can't see anything to do with a head butt - and the ref now says he didn't send Thorn off. It was a misunderstanding!"

Kinnear added: "At one point I thought we were down to nine men, but then we got Thorn back out of the dressing room. We nicked a goal and then set out our stall to defend. I know you are going to write about the Jones incident but some of our players need a pat on the back. It was a marvellous result - other teams would have crumbled."

Thorn, meanwhile could be out for six weeks after being stretchered off with damaged knee ligaments just before the break.

Liverpool boss Evans added: "The sending off affected us more than it affected them. They were there to be taken but we didn't have the killer attitude. That worries me. We weren't determined enough to put the ball in the net and I am disappointed with that Liverpool performance."

Further bad news is that key striker Ian Rush is out of Tuesday's UEFA Cup trip to Russia with knee trouble that sidelined him today.

Last word, inevitably, to Kinnear: "It's a bit bizarre down here, but you get value for money."

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