Gifton Noel-Williams scored his sixth goal of the season to push Wimbledon closer to Division Two and make amends for Stoke's FA Cup defeat to Stuart Murdoch's side.

The City midfielder took advantage of poor marking to fire home the only goal of the game just five days after the Dons had eliminated their First Division rivals from the knockout competition.

Murdoch's players produced one of their best performances of the season against Stoke on Tuesday night but Nigel Reo-Coker and Adam Nowland, who sealed the 1-0 Cup victory at the Britannia Stadium, were both absent through injury in Milton Keynes.

The hosts, though, produced the first real chance of the match with eight minutes gone when Joel McAnuff got away from his marker and fired a powerful shot past Ed de Goey's left-hand post.

Stoke responded with a long-range strike from John Eustace which never looked like troubling goalkeeper Steve Banks, but Wimbledon's line-up was disrupted further when midfielder Alex Tapp limped off injured after just 14 minutes.

Tapp's replacement, Ben Harding, almost set up the opening goal moments later when his curling corner fell to Dean Holdsworth, who saw a goalbound shot deflect off the legs of Eustace.

The veteran Dons forward came close again in the 24th minute, driving the ball narrowly off target after a dangerous delivery from Jermaine Darlington, but Stoke continued to pose problems on the counter-attack with Eustace and Noel-Williams both threatening Banks.

And Banks was forced into an outstanding save on the half-hour mark, tipping Noel-Williams' strike over the crossbar at full stretch after a long period of pressure from the visitors.

McAnuff, who had looked dangerous throughout the first 45 minutes, then flashed a shot beyond de Goey but wide of the post with the interval approaching, and the game suddenly came to life in injury-time.

Banks produced another excellent block to keep out Darel Russell's close-range effort, and the rebound fell to Ade Akinbiyi, who hammered a shot against the woodwork.

And as Noel-Williams attempted to bury the ball at the third attempt, Banks was again well-placed to smother the midfielder's low strike.

But the opening goal deservedly came for City nine minutes after half-time. Peter Hoekstra's free-kick broke to Clive Clarke on the wing, and his cross was driven home by Noel-Williams unmarked inside the six-yard box.

The midfielder almost claimed a second goal seven minutes later, bringing a brilliant parry from Banks, and Tony Pulis went for the kill by replacing Akinbiyi with Carl Asaba.

The change almost killed off Wimbledon when the former Sheffield United striker drove the ball narrowly over with eight minutes remaining, and though Stoke's Richard Johnson was sent off for violent conduct late on, the hosts ran out of time with their survival bid threatening to do the same.

Teams

Wimbledon: Banks, Darlington, Gier, Leigertwood, Lewington, McAnuff, Tapp (Harding 14), Chorley, Small, Holdsworth (Kamara 74), Gray (Mackie 60).

Subs Not Used: Hawkins, Worgan.

Booked: Darlington, Chorley, Mackie.

Stoke: de Goey, Halls, Thomas, Taggart, Clarke, Russell, Eustace, Johnson, Hoekstra (Commons 77), Noel-Williams, Akinbiyi (Asaba 72).

Subs Not Used: Hill, Foster, Svard.

Sent Off: Johnson (90).

Booked: Akinbiyi, Noel-Williams, Eustace, Taggart.

Goals: Noel-Williams 54.

Att: 3,623

Ref: L Probert (Gloucestershire).