BOB MOUNTFORD and Jim Branagan enjoyed winning debuts as Town beat League new boys Wimbledon 3-0 at Leeds Road.

Striker Mountford had been signed from Rochdale for £10,000 six weeks earlier, only to be plagued by a succession of injuries since switching from Spotland to West Yorkshire.

Terry Eccles was the man to make way, paying the price for a loss of form.

Branagan, who had been released by Oldham at the end of the previous season, had also received offers from higher-level clubs Bury and Cambridge, but elected to sign for Fourth Division Town after returning from a stint in South Africa.

His preferred role was as defender, but against the Dons, he took the place of midfield ball-winner Peter Hart, who was suspended after being sent off in the 1-0 defeat at Bournemouth the week before.

Wimbledon, whose chairman was Ron Noades, manager Alan Batsford and coach Dario Gradi, had been elected to the League in place of Workington during the 1977 close-season.

A solid Southern League club, they had hit the headlines with a string of stirring FA Cup displays.

Keeper Dickie Guy had saved a penalty from Leeds hot shot Peter Lorimer at Elland Road in 1975, but he was beaten by Town trio Ian Holmes, Steve Baines and Mick Butler in this match, watched by 3,544.

The overlapping play of full-backs Malcolm Brown and Phil Sandercock was the key to success for Tom Johnston's team, who went 15th in the table (Wimbledon were 20th).

The Dons, with Dave Bassett in midfield and former Town man Phil Summerill up front, started strongly, but ran out of steam, and former York midfielder Holmes, the most creative player on the pitch, made them pay with the opener shortly before the break.

After it, Baines headed home from Brown's cross while Butler put away a centre from Sandercock.

Both new men caught the eye, Branagan using the ball wisely and accurately with Mountford, a proven scorer in his time at Port Vale and Rochdale, forming a useful alliance with Butler and Terry Gray.

"It was good to get started at last," he said. "I would have liked to have got off the mark, but the goals will come."

Keeper Alan Starling dealt comfortably with what came his way while Baines and Arnie Sidebottom were solid in the centre of the back four.

At international level, both England (Ron Greenwood) and the Republic of Ireland (Johnny Giles) had new managers.

While West Ham promoted coach John Lyall (they lost 1-0 at West Brom in his first match in charge) Greenwood promised to take his Upton Park philosophy to the top stage.

"There has been too much destruction of ball players by opponents kicking them up the backside," said Greenwood. "It's my job to pick players I believe will make England successful and get them playing the proper way."