THE Dons put Villa through the Plough Lane torture chamber - but failed to put their victims out of their misery.

The only excuse Wimbledon boss Ray Harford could come up with was:

“It gets increasingly hard if you don't break your duck."

But there was no disguising the primitive nature of the Dons' latest attempt to secure their first home win of the season.

Wimbledon dominated the game but just couldn't score, John Fashanu going closest. "I have no complaints about our attitude," said Harford. "We were always looking to go forward. "But although we had a lot of pressure, their goalkeeper didn't make many saves and that's the worrying part.

Villa however have far more important appointments than the drudgery of Plough Lane as David Platt leads them Villa into UEFA Cup action against Inter Milan on Wednesday.

Platt promising:

"We don't just expect to beat them we expect to win the trophy."

That's fighting talk from the 24-year-old England midfield star.

But Villa's inspirational skipper is known as a man who says only what he means, and means every word he says and Platt is convinced that, with the opening leg at home, Villa can beat the millionaires from Milan.

Villa's Czech boss, Dr Jozef Venglos, describes the Second Round clash with the Italian giants as:

”England versus the Rest of the World."

He watched Inter again today against Pisa, but is already convinced that, over two legs, Platt will again prove he is world class and a future England captain

"David has the engine of a Rolls Royce," says Venglos. "It will be good for his education, and for the rest of my players, to pit themselves against a side of Inter's quality."

Platt relishes the challenge. So do his Villa teammates, runners-up in the First Division to Liverpool last season and beginning to get it together again under new manager Venglos.

He says: "Inter are certainly formidable opposition but we are treating it as just another game. Playing against a team as famous as Milan is motivation enough for us. I've never played in the San Siro stadium, so that's something else to savour.

"And when you look at their playing squad you know what a tall order it will be to beat them over two legs.

"We know it will hard, but every Villa player expects us come through, and we also expect to win to UEFA Cup this season.

“If you don't think you can win a tournament, you shouldn't playing in it."

Platt's all-active style, and his eye for goal, have made him target for every top club in Europe. But he insists:

"The attention hasn’t changed my way of life or the way I play.

"That's what got me to the Villa side and to the England squad.

“Why should I change anything now?"