Neal Ardley's third goal of the season kept Wimbledon's slim play-off hopes alive, but it was hard to take for Sheffield United after a dominant second-half display.

Ardley fired home via the boot of Keith Curle in the 39th minute to seal the Dons' fourth win in five games.

Sheffield United striker Laurent D'Jaffo recovered from a back problem to play, but Paul Peschisolido and Michael Brown were ruled out, while Wimbledon's top scorer David Connolly sat out the game through suspension.

Both sides had early chances, with Wimbledon striker Neil Shipperley firing a shot straight at Wilko de Vogt in the seventh minute, and six-goal striker D'Jaffo heading weakly at Kelvin Davis at the other end.

The action continued to swing from box to box, with Blades youngster Michael Tonge firing wide after 14 minutes, and Shipperley heading inches past the post from Ardley's free-kick a minute later.

Wimbledon midfielder Damien Francis was shown the yellow card on the half-hour for a late challenge on Saturday's goal-hero Ben Doane, and from the resulting free-kick Bobby Ford brought a fine save from Davis.

The Dons responded, and opened the scoring in the 39th minute. The ball found its way to Ardley on the edge of the box, and his shot took a deflection off defender Curle and eluded de Vogt.

Things went from bad to worse for Neil Warnock's side soon after as Tonge limped off with an injury to be replaced by Jean-Phillipe Javary.

As half-time approached, both teams continued to attack, and after Mark Williams' audacious 35-yard shot was saved, D'Jaffo had a fierce drive pushed away by Davis.

The home side started brightly after the restart but were being restricted to long distance shooting, with Robert Page and Peter Ndlovu firing wide.

D'Jaffo was substituted after 59 minutes, with Grant Smith coming on, and he almost made an instant impact but the young striker scuffed a shot wide from six yards.

Wimbledon were under the cosh, and after losing Williams with an injury in the 63rd minute, they almost conceded an equaliser.

Substitute Steve Lovell had a shot well-held by Davis, and in the 73rd minute, Ndlovu forced the keeper into a superb diving stop.

United deserved to level matters for a much-improved second 45 minutes, but they were continually denied by an inspired display by Davis.

Ndlovu had an 82nd-minute header pushed clear, and Javary then put a shot wide at the death, as Wimbledon somehow survived.

Teams:

Sheff Utd: de Vogt, Doane, Nicholson, Page, Curle, Jagielka, Tonge (Javary 42), Montgomery (Lovell 67), Ford, Ndlovu, D'Jaffo (Smith 60).

Subs Not Used: Sandford, Tracey.

Booked: Javary.

Wimbledon: Davis, Darlington, Hawkins, Williams (Willmott 63), Cunningham, Francis, Ardley, McAnuff (Andersen 90), Morgan, Shipperley, Agyemang (Nowland 70).

Subs Not Used: Holloway, Feuer.

Booked: Francis.

Goals: Ardley 39.

Att: 19,712

Ref: P Joslin (Newark, Notts).