GEOFF Butler rated Bashley's 0-0 draw at league leaders AFC Wimbledon as "our best display of the season by a mile."

The Foresters have featured in their fair share of high-scoring thrillers this season, but for former Norwich City defender Butler, Saturday's Kingsmeadow stalemate was their most disciplined display during his six months in charge.

He said: "Everyone did the jobs they were asked to do. Our discipline and work-rate was exceptional. A side's only as strong as its weakest link and we didn't have one on Saturday. We fully deserved the point."

Wimbledon could have sneaked victory with a late penalty but Bash keeper David Elm parried Rob Ursell's kick and, as the ball ran loose, Andy Culliford shut the Dons out with a great saving tackle.

For much of the game Dons' Jake Cole was easily the busier keeper - even though Bash were without their 31-goal top scorer Richard Gillespie, who was sidelined with a groin problem.

Danny Gibbons had one great chance when he tried to help on Chris Knowles' goalbound shot but only managed to head it over the bar.

On another occasion, Gary Langrish skewed a shot across the face of goal, which just eluded on-loan Eastleigh striker James Stokoe and was finally buried into the side netting by Culliford.

Wimbledon manager Dave Anderson's assessment that "the whole game lacked quality" sounded a bit like sour grapes to Butler, who said: "It was great team performance by us and we could have won it."

Newport, in contrast, were way below par in a 3-0 defeat at Whyteleafe.

"It was our worst performance since I've been here," admitted manager John Linington, who couldn't believe the contrast to Wednesday's slender 2-1 home defeat by Wimbledon.

"It was a case of after the Lord Mayor's Show," he said. "We didn't play well at all.

"The pitch was waterlogged and the game was nearly called off the night before. They'd put loads of sand on it and you could see on our players' faces they didn't fancy it."

After a couple of early chances for Dave Greening, including a disallowed goal, the Islanders were undone by Mark Tompkins (2) and Sidwell.

They played most of the second half with ten men after having half-time substitute Adam Barsdell sent off for an over-the-top tackle. More bad news for the lowly Islanders is that midfielder Leigh Cole's injury has been confirmed as a broken leg, which will keep him out until at least the end of February.

Fleet Town's appalling run continued with a 2-1 defeat at manager Paul Holden's old club Walton & Hersham.

Bernie Asante instantly cancelled Scott Edgar's opener for the Swans but Jamie Reive settled matters with a 50th-minute penalty, leaving Fleet floundering fourth to bottom.