Joe Kinnear would have enjoyed his aperitif on his flight to Paris yesterday, when he went to check on two French players available at bargain-basement prices when set against English football's sky-high tags.
Wimbledon's manager does not pursue many foreigners south of Scandinavia. Then again, this was no ordinary weekend. Normally, Kinnear might well have flown off the handle at the failure to beat lower-division opponents at Selhurst Park. But no, he was "happy to be still in the hat" on Saturday evening and was relishing the prospect of the replay.
"It will be 25,000 or so at Molineux," chirpped Kinnear, "and that'll be ideal for us." The Dons love a big challenge and a full house, even when below strength. And the manager's optimism is fuelled by the news that he will have half a team back at Wolves a week on Wednesday. He listed five names missing on Saturday through injury, suspension and the Gold Cup.
One incantation was strangely missing from a manager who loves reciting past achievements by his club. Wimbledon have not lost a game in seven Cup trips away, embracing last season's almost forgotten run to the semi-finals and to the sixth round in 1996. Home, as we know from their stadium troubles, is not always where Wimbledon's heart is.
Mark McGhee's team were without the inspirational youngster Robbie Keane and the talismanic Steve Bull, who will probably be fit enough to be on the bench for the replay. Keith Curle and Steve Sedgley played with the aid of injections and Dougie Freedman was recovering from a stomach upset.
Wolves still finished the stronger, awakening after Mixu Paatelainen scored his fifth and most curious FA Cup goal this season after 67 minutes. Even after numerous video re-runs, it was difficult to establish whether the Finn's foot shuffle or the Wimbledon central defender Dean Blackwell diverted Carl Robinson's fierce cross home.
Everyone was happy to accentuate the positive and hand the goal to the striker.
Freedman produced one of the game's rare moments of subtlety by dummying to shoot and delivering a chip narrowly over the crossbar with Neil Sullivan too advanced to intervene.
A fierce shot from the Wolves substitute flew only inches higher. By now, Jason Euell's header, from a nod across by Stewart Castle dine, was a distant, 14th minute memory.
Kinnear will have Robbie Earle, Marcus Gayle and the highly industrious Michael Hughes back to raise Wimbledon's potency in the replay.
It was all pretty predictable English fare for Kinnear before he sees Paris St-Germain play Metz. Wimbledon's manager is pursuing two Metz players, one of whom may be the striker Bruno Rodriguez.
"I've got £2.5 million to spend and that'll cover the pair," said Kinnear. He will not be covering the cost by selling his England Under-21 left-back Ben Thatcher, who reputedly interests Liverpool.
