Burton praise for Francis
Wimbledon manager Terry Burton defended his decision to leave leading scorer John Hartson out for the 1-1 draw with Portsmouth at Selhurst Park.
Burton praised the emerging talent of attacking midfielder Damien Francis, believing he has finally found the answer to the retirement of Robbie Earle.
"John came to training on Thursday and had a stomach infection," said Burton.
"I decided to leave him out of the squad because John is the type of player you either start or leave out altogether.
"Even though we could have done with him in the second half I did not regret my decision in the slightest.
"I would rather focus my attention on Damien Francis. Last season nobody outside of Selhurst Park had heard of Francis.
"This season he has scored goals and I believe I have finally found the answer to Robbie Earle's retirement in the shape of Francis.
"He is a box-to-box player who is just as happy defending a corner in his own area than scoring a goal in the opposition penalty box.
"He is developing into a very good player and is one for the future."
