Match report
The Dons were held to a disappointing draw by a dogged and determined Rovers side who, their manager admitted before the game, had come for a point.
If the first four minutes were anything to go by, even a draw was going to be hugely unlikely as Wimbledon forced five corners and looked like they meant business from the off. Andre Blackman fed Christian Jolley and the winger easily beat Jared Hodgkiss to the byline and pulled the ball back for Sammy Moore, whose shot would have been on target had Rovers’ Luke Jones not got a slight touch on it to earn the Dons the first of their series of early corners. Rovers dealt with all off them reasonably comfortably but the fifth, an intricate routine that proved too complicated for Sam Hatton and Ricky Wellard to execute properly, led them to break away and score entirely against the run of play. Ed Harris misjudged a clearance on the half way line, Blackman mistimed his tackle and, seconds after looking likely to go behind, Watson shot across Seb Brown to put the visitors, on a run of one point from seven games, ahead.
The Dons, who made only one change from the side that had started against Cambridge with Fraser Franks in for the injured Ismail Yakubu, looked to rally, but whatever they tried to get back on level terms they made mistakes and misjudgements at crucial times. Left back McDonald coped admirably with the searing pace of Ryan Jackson. Steven Gregory and Ricky Wellard misplaced more passes in a 10 minute spell midway through the first half than they had in the previous 12 games combined,and Lee Fowler was doing a manful job in tracking Sammy Moore’s runs on to Danny Kedwell flick-ons. On at least half a dozen occasions Kedwell had no option than to flick a high ball onto no-one, with Jolley and Jackson too wide and Moore too close or too far away to benefit from the skipper’s aerial prowess.
Rovers certainly weren’t playing like a side in the bottom three and Styche forced Brown into a good reflex save as the visitors tried to make the most of their hosts’ stuttering display. When Wellard blocked a goalbound Jackson effort and the ball fell kindly for Jones to clear, it summed up the Dons’ first half, when two neat touches by the referee had done as much to set up attacks as anything that the midfield had managed to do. A vicious drive from Blackman flew just over the bar as the half drew to a close, but it was a half that had seen Wimbledon’s crossing ability desert them en masse and although Franks and Harris were looking solid and commanding at the back, Nailsworth’s finest possessed an attacking threat that was only ever fitfully neutralised by the Dons.
Gregory’s game was over as the half-time whistle blew, and after the break he was replaced by Luke Moore as Terry Brown looked to add some more meaning to the Dons forward line. However, the change in personnel wasn’t matched by a change in luck as time and time again Rovers got the rub of the green as loose balls fell invitingly at their feet and deflections went their way almost without exception. Styche tested Brown with a couple of efforts on goal and Blackman picked up his sixth booking of the season after clattering into Norwood, who certainly made the most of the minimal contact, as the Dons’ frustration grew ever more evident. It was frustration at their own performance more than anything and a booking for Sammy Moore for throwing the ball away typified their ire. However, with 20 minutes left they got the break they deserved.
Jolley made space on the edge of the box after good work from Kedwell and Luke Moore, and curled a delicious effort around the keeper and into the far corner for the equaliser.
The Dons were suddenly energised and the introduction of Rashid Yussuf and Jon Main for the tiring Wellard and injured Jackson gave them new options in two areas of the pitch. Yussuf almost made his mark on the game shortly after coming on when he beat five men in a mazy run before unselfishly setting up Sammy Moore with a chance from 15 yards, but the keeper blocked both his effort and Kedwell’s follow up.
The Dons’ best chance of three points had gone but in the last five minutes it was all they could do to hold on to one. Instead of launching balls forward to Kedwell to compete for, Seb Brown continually rolled the ball out to Blackman and Hatton, a tactic which hadn’t proved overly successful up to that point, and continued in the same vein, with the Dons sloppily losing possession when playing their team mates into trouble with underhit passes across the back four while the forwards waited in vain for some decent service. Rovers found the side netting with two efforts during added time as the Dons’ expected late charge failed to materialise.
Only draws for Mansfield and Fleetwood and a defeat for Newport kept the Dons in second place ahead of two difficult-looking away trips next week. Next Saturday evening Terry Brown will know if this was one point gained or two points dropped but it certainly felt like the latter. |
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