Blackburn Rovers v Wimbledon - Peter White on the Dons' dependable hit-man

FOR a long-established member of the Crazy Gang, Wimbledon top scorer Marcus Gayle appears to be surprisingly serious - about life as well as his football.

And he is a man in control, as well as in form, which could cause Blackburn Rovers a few flutters of concern as they go into another of those 'must-win' matches at Ewood tomorrow.

Wimbledon seemed to have lost their way a little in recent weeks and endured a spell of four successive matches when they failed to score.

But the dependable Gayle helped put them back on track with a goal in the victory at Hillsborough earlier this month and he banged in his ninth Premiership strike of the season last Saturday against Nottingham Forest, albeit in a surprise 3-1 defeat.

The pressures and hypertension of the Premiership can take their toll of most people - even Dons' ebullient boss Joe Kinnear, now happily recovering from heart problems, has been a victim.

Gayle, however, seems to have come to terms with life on and off the field; helped perhaps by the fact that he is a settled family man, regular church-goer and recently opened his own business with a former school friend.

"You've got to have a strong focus in your mind otherwise you crack up," he said. "Footballers are under a lot of pressure now with money and everything else.

"But I'm at peace with myself every day.

"I have no problems with anybody and it has definitely helped my career.

"I don't respond to things, I don't retaliate. I have a focus going into every game."

Now 28, the striker is looking ahead by setting up his public relations and promotions business - aptly named Gayleforce -but he clearly believes there is a lot more good football to come from him yet.

He tasted the World Cup atmosphere with Jamiaca last summer but remains hungry for tangible success.

"I figure I've got seven years left playing and I'd desperately like to win something at club level with Wimbledon," he said.

"I'm fulfilling dreams in my life every year. I score goals for Wimbledon, I made it to the Premier League, I made it to the World Cup.

"I just want to enjoy my football and be happy on and off the field."

Wimbledon plucked Gayle out of the lower divisions, buying him from Brentford for £250,000 in 1994 - another example of Kinnear's ability as a wheeler-dealer. The Dons have won three times on their travels in the Premiership this season, at West Ham, after a remarkable comeback, Nottingham Forest and Sheffield Wednesday.

Their hopes of adding to that tally could well rest on Gayle's broad shoulders.

For, while they do not usually concede many goals, scoring them has too often been something of a problem since they defeated Derby back on January 9.

Gayle will be asked to provide a cure and, when the chill wind of relegation is whistling around your ears, the last word you want to hear is Gayleforce.

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