ANDY Whing relished playing his part in restricting Adebayo Akinfenwa’s impact as Oxford United shared a goalless draw with AFC Wimbledon.
The players have history, with the big striker accidentally breaking Whing’s nose when playing for Northampton Town three seasons ago.
U’s boss Michael Appleton warned his side before the game they would be outmuscled if they attempted to take Akinfenwa on at his own game.
Instead Whing was used to cut out his supply line, while centre backs Johnny Mullins and Jake Wright marshalled him from behind.
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Whing said: “They always have that threat with the big man up front.
“He does it really well, we got lucky on a couple of fouls just because he’s that big sometimes it looks like he’s pushing you away.
“He’s a handful and I thought Mulls and the skip (Wright) were fantastic with him, I was just helping them out.”
The midfielder admitted Akinfenwa posed a unique challenge to what they face in the rest of Sky Bet League Two.
“There are some big lads, but he’s on a different level,” he said.
“He’s still athletic and is a better player than people give him credit for.”
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