The queue for tickets snaked out of the club shop and on to the main road.

Everyone wanted to see the big game.

Yep, Crystal Palace's FA Cup tie with Leeds is going to be a Selhurst sell-out.

Those are words that will never appear outside matches concerning their poor relations.

Wimbledon's game with City on Saturday drew the lowest league gate anywhere in England. The pitiful 1,178 turn-out was also the smallest weekend "crowd" seen in the First Division.

Put it another way, more fans went to see Keighley Cougars play amateur rugby league club Thornhill the other week.

It's water off a Don's back for Wimbledon whose average crowd is tottering around 2,600. But there were a few eyes opened in the visiting ranks.

Ashley Ward admitted: "It's a bit difficult to get used to and you could be forgiven for forgetting how much is at stake. But even though it feels like a pre-season kick-around it's as important as every other game and there are still three points at stake."

Mark Bower, a veteran of lengthy loan spells with York City, didn't seem quite so fazed.

"I've played a lot of games in the Third Division and the reserves," he smiled. "But I would imagine for a few of the older players it was a bit of a culture shock.

"It must catch a few people by surprise and maybe that's why we were a bit slow out the blocks.

"But we got used to it and it didn't really bother us. The biggest problem was that you couldn't pretend you couldn't hear the gaffer when he was having a go at you!"

Not that there was much touchline ranting from Nicky Law.

When City last visited Wimbledon in April, he had to watch the second half from the stand after a bit too much straight-talking to the referee at the interval. But Law was quite happy with another resilient showing from his troops, despite the disappointment of twice throwing away the lead.

They did the same when the two sides met in West Yorkshire in November, where they were up three times before losing 5-3. At least this time they pocketed a hard-earned point with a 2-2 draw.

Wimbledon's amusing manager Stuart Murdoch said in the programme he was getting bored with 3-2 scorelines - his team had been involved in seven of them. City will be thankful they were not victims number eight.

"We are the great entertainers," he said. "It could easily have been 6-2. But when David Connolly went through in the second minute and the goalkeeper blocked it with his legs I felt it might not be our day."

It was certainly a busy day in the City goal for Aidan Davison, who had only been passed fit that morning after a test on his troublesome groin in the team hotel. Wayne Jacobs also got the nod from physio Steve Redmond after being hampered by an injured thigh.

And both were made to earn their corn from the moment Connolly's first effort on goal wedged neatly between Davison's knees.

Connolly, who went off afterwards to join up with the Republic of Ireland squad

in Scotland, could have had a hatful. Having got four at the Bradford & Bingley Stadium, he could have doubled that tally.

Fed by the livewire Gareth Ainsworth whose right-wing trickery, particularly in the first half, tested Jacobs' recovery to the full, Connolly was clearly in the mood to dish out a second helping of trouble.

Law rates his partnership with Neil Shipperley as the most lethal in the division and it was obvious to see why. As Wimbledon hurled their wingers forward at every opportunity, the dynamic duo were sniffing around for everything that dropped in the box.

The confident Davison frustrated Shipperley with a fine block from his thumping downward header before it was City who stole the lead on the half-hour.

Michael Standing's cross was half-cleared to the edge of the box where Claus Jorgensen was lying in wait to lash home. The sizzling Dane had once more brought home the bacon - six goals in six league games!

City's travelling band of 333 fans - which made up nearly a third of the gate - were in raptures.

As if to emphasise the shift in shooting power, Connolly immediately blazed over a chance you expected him to gobble up.

By the break Danny Cadamarteri was blowing away the cobwebs with his first action since November as Lewis Emanuel's hamstring gave way.

Cadamarteri, his knee heavily padded, relished the chance to run the contract shenanigans of the last few days out of his system.

But he could do nothing to prevent Wimbledon levelling within two minutes of the re-start as his team-mates paid the price for failing to clear the danger.

Gus Uhlenbeek instead turned the ball back to Davison whose clearance was returned via Connolly's surging run and Ainsworth's far-post prod into his net.

Not the start to the second half City wanted but they recovered quickly and Cadamarteri should have restored the lead, only to shoot straight into Danny Forrest from point-blank range.

Cadamarteri went close again with a daisy-cutter which Kelvin Davis turned behind at full stretch. But the goal arrived from Standing's corner which Forrest flicked into the danger area and Ward bundled in.

It was the big striker's first goal since August - and might deflect some of the unwarranted flak he gets in some quarters.

Law will defend him all day long. He said: "The criticism is unfair. I say it every week but you ask any manager in this division and they'd want Ashley Ward in their team.

"He protected young Danny (Forrest) and took all the hits for him. He gives you so much and I'm delighted that he notched another goal."

With half-an-hour still remaining, Ward's first strike in 13 games did not look like the final goal of the game.

True to form, Wimbledon threw everything forward in reply. Connolly headed against the bar and then drove against the right post before producing all the leg work to lay on the easiest of tap-ins for Shipperley.

Bower added: "Wimbledon set their stall out to attack and keep their wingers pushed forward. You'll always concede goals against them but you always fancy scoring.

"We're a little bit disappointed having led twice but we'd have taken a point before the game."