| Hastings United | (1) 1 | - 3 (1) |
AFC Wimbledon
|
Kirkwood 18
|
De Bolla pen 35
|
|
Webb 68, 79
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
A powerful second half display from AFC Wimbledon took them to a well deserved victory over a United side that has now lost five games in a row since their excellent draw away to high flying Hendon towards the end of last month. United took an eighteenth minute lead, when Scott Kirkwood volleyed home his first goal for the Club, but the match turned on a somewhat contentious penalty decision ten minutes before the interval, from which Mark De Bolla levelled the scores. The visitors then stepped up a gear in the second period, United struggling to cope with their fluent attacking play, and two goals in eleven minutes from Daniel Webb took the Dons to what was ultimately a rather routine victory.
Tim Olorunda's latest return from a nagging groin injury appeared to strengthen manager Nigel Kane's hand heading into the contest, Tim replacing Nathan Russell in one of three changes to the starting line-up from last week's home defeat to Leyton. Danny Ellis won his place back in the eleven from recent signing Antonio Gonnella, while Russell Eldridge was omitted in favour of Danny Spice, with Jimmy Elford taking the left back position. The visitors included two new signings, both of whom had signed since their midweek draw at Tonbridge, with striker Jon Main having scored against the Dons that night, having done likewise for the Angels against United back in August. Meanwhile, keeper Danny Knowles became AFC Wimbledon's fifth different custodian in their last three matches, regular number one Andy Little having suffered two broken fingers last weekend and being replaced at half time by defender Luke Garrard against AFC Hornchurch. Little's replacement, Corrin Brooks-Meade, signed from Fulham, then picked up an injury in the second half at Longmead, with regular reserve Ben Symon taking the gloves. Knowles' arrival on loan from Grays Athletic saw him immediately line up against a United side for whom he played nineteen times back in 2004, while matchwinner Webb, son of 1970s Chelsea legend David, was one of several AFC Wimbledon players with a wealth of experience at a higher level.
United desperately needed a strong start, to impose themselves on the game against superior opponents, who hadn't suffered a league defeat since early September. The early stages though saw United pinned back though, as Tony Finn curled a shot just wide, and Main was denied a debut goal by Lee Worgan's fine reaction save. Lee Carey's long range effort around the ten minute mark failed to seriously test Knowles, but it at least gave United a greater sense of purpose, and Ade Olorunda went close with a header from Lee's corner, before Scott gave United a stunning eighteenth minute lead, timing his run into the area to perfection and meeting a Danny Ellis cross with an unstoppable volley. For the next ten minutes, United were the dominant force in the contest, but they were unable to produce another move of sufficient quality to break through the visitors' rearguard action, while a series of corners came to nothing, as the Dons managed to keep the deficit at a single goal. Around the half hour mark, AFC Wimbledon began to work their way back into the game, and they perhaps should have drawn level when Finn crossed for the unmarked De Bolla, only for Lee Worgan to produce another good save to keep out the striker's low shot. Within a minute though, the Dons had forced an equaliser, Jimmy Elford being robbed of possession by Main near the corner of the United area and the referee taking a dim view of his attempt at redeeming the situation, awarding a spot kick that was expertly dispatched by De Bolla. The same player ought to have put the visitors in front before the break, but dragged a shot horribly wide with only Lee Worgan to beat, while United also survived a couple of late Dons' corners to deservedly reach half time on level terms.
The momentum appeared to swing back in United's favour after the restart, with Sam Adams finding time and space for a trio of shooting opportunities from outside the area, although he was consistently unable to find his range and Knowles remained untested in the Dons' goal. At the other end, Main worked himself an opening and forced Lee into a superb sprawling save, with De Bolla then denied from a free kick, as United's keeper started to look like a one man barrier to AFC Wimbledon's supremacy. Knowles was quickly off his line to beat Sam to Scott's through ball just beyond the hour mark, which proved to be United's last glimpse of goal in the match, as the Dons' class finally began to tell, with Webb's go-ahead goal signalling an end to United's spirited resistance. Frustratingly for United, it was their failure to defend a quickly taken corner that led to their downfall, substitute Sam Hatton crossing for Webb to fire past Lee from close range. De Bolla and Jake Leberl both shot wide when well placed, as the visitors began to attack at will, adding their seemingly inevitable third goal eleven minutes from time, when full back Michael Haswell's left wing cross created confusion in the United area, allowing Webb to steer home a low shot through a crowd of players via Lee's foot. The two goal cushion allowed the Dons to relax and enjoy the closing stages, with United unable to lift themselves for a late challenge and a possible consolation effort.
The last time United went six matches without a win this season, they responded with three wins on the trot, that after a decent first half showing against Chelmsford, another of this season's Premier Division promotion favourites, in the sixth game of that particular winless streak. There is no disgrace in losing to the likes of the Dons of course, and United will again hopefully be able to take heart from an encouraging performance in the first hour of today's game, as they now prepare for successive away fixtures against Boreham Wood and Harrow Borough.
| Match facts | Efforts on target | Efforts off target | Free kicks conceded | Corners won | Offsides against |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hastings United | 3 | 4 | ? | 5 | ? |
| AFC Wimbledon | 9 | 9 | ? | 7 | ? |
| Hastings United (4-4-2) | AFC Wimbledon (4-4-2)
| 1 Lee Worgan | 1 Danny Knowles
| 2 Danny Spice | 2 Luke Garrard
| 3 Jimmy Elford | 3 Michael Haswell
| 4 Rhys Whyborne | 4 Rob Quinn
| 5 Dan Williams | 5 Jason Goodliffe
| 6 Scott Kirkwood | 6 Antony Howard
| 7 Danny Ellis | 7 Jon Main
| 8 Tim Olorunda | 8 Jake Leberl
| 9 Ade Olorunda | 9 Daniel Webb
| 10 Sam Adams | 10 Mark De Bolla
| 11 Lee Carey | 11 Tony Finn
| Substitutes |
| 12 Kevin Rose (for Adams 90) | 12 Steve Ferguson (for Finn 83)
| 14 John Bradley | 14 Reggie Savage (for Main 88)
| 15 Antonio Gonnella | 15 Karl Beckford
| 16 Russell Eldridge (for T Olorunda 84) | 16 Sam Hatton (for Quinn 56)
| 17 Nathan Russell (for Williams 55) | GK Ben Symon
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Attendance 1,536
Referee Marvin Thompson (Northolt)
Assistants Robert Wilkins (Worthing) & Jonathan Gooding (Ashford)