Match report
With Wes Daly still suffering slightly from an injury and Simon Sweeney cup tied Simon Sobihy lined up in a back 4 along with Steve Butler and Antony Howard as centre half?s and Wayne Finnie at right back. Sonny Farr retained his place and Andy Little went back between the sticks. Chris Gell and Barry Moore lined up in midfield with Sonny Farr and Dwayne Plummer given licence to get forward and support the front 2 of Shane Smeltz and Richard Butler. Youth product Niall Connery retained his place on the bench.
The home side started the brighter and they had the first chance of the game in the first min when a long throw fell to a home player in the box but little got down to make a good save. 5 mins later AFC Wimbledon almost made the long throw work themselves when Finnie threw in Steve Butler flicked on but Richard Butler poked his shot just round the post. Wimbledon recorded the best chance of the half on 12 mins when Shane Smeltz headed over the bar from the edge of the 6 yard box after a free kick into the box had been headed back across goal by Steve Butler.
The Dons where getting on top now and on 24 min when the Dons broke out of defence down the left with Sonny Farr his ball to the right wing found Chris Gell who passed the ball inside to Barry Moore his chest control afforded him the time to volley from the edge of the area the ball but it went wide. Barry Moore then curled a free kick over the wall after a mazy Plummer run ended in a foul but the keeper got down well to push the ball round the post. The Dons ended the half looking more likely to score but the home side continued to look dangerous whenever the opportunity came to get the ball in the box.
Ramsgate started the brighter and scored in the 52 min when after a Little saved from Steffan Ball the rebound fell to Warren Schulz who shot home. The Dons almost evened things up 4 mins later when a Sonny Farr corner was glanced just wide of the far post. The equaliser came only mins after that when Dwayne Plummer controlled the ball on his chest on the edge of the area and gave the ball to Richard Butler who shot home into the roof of the net.
With the dons exerting the pressure Steve Butler headed wide from a corner and Chris Gell had a shot deflected just wide of the post.
A gell voley from the edge of the area caused problems for the home keeper in the 70th min when it took a bobble of the pitch and lept at the keeper the ball bounced off his chest and the defence managed to scramble the ball away.
The last third of the game passed uneventfully with neither team creating many chances. |
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