VILLA fans will no doubt be presented with more cultured performances before the inaugural Premier League championship reaches its conclusion.

But if Ron Atkinson's men happen to lift the title, Holte Enders will surely look back on Saturday's victory as the crucial result of the run-in.

Forget the fact that Manchester United, Blackburn and Arsenal still have to be visited, that Tottenham and Sheffield Wednesday must be confronted at home.

In terms of psychological barriers, they don't come much tougher than Wimbledon particularly where Villa are concerned.

Statistical evidence may suggest otherwise after all, Atkinson's boys have not lost to the Dons in open play in four meetings this season but if ever a game was guaranteed to send a shiver down Villa spines, this was the one.

Eleven minutes from time, and the apprehension appeared to be justified as a third consecutive stalemate loomed between these sides.

Holte Enders grew increasingly restless, sensing that even at a fiver, they had been short changed.

But Just when Wimbledon's niggling, physical approach looked certain to frustrate Villa for the third time in 1993, Dwight Yorke unearthed a little gem which transformed that cut-price admission charge into a real bargain.

Yorke's 79th minute winner, drawn almost magnetically into the Holte End net, prompted arguably the loudest Villa Park roar of the past decade.

We heard something similar last week when Villa supporters learned the Manchester United were trailing, but this time the full-throated salute was devoted exclusively to their own team.

No wonder Atkinson offered star rating to fans. In a match hardly designed to generate excitement, the packed Holte terrace reverberated.

A goal was always possible with the likes of Yorke, Dean Saunders and Cyrille Regis around.

So It proved as the minutes ticked away and the lively Yorke got forward from his midfield base to claim his precious winner, and preserve his team's occupancy of Premier League top spot.