AFC Wimbledon were comfortably beaten at the Cherry Red Records Stadium as Cambridge United emerged as the 1-0 victors.
A second-half strike from Adam May was all that was needed for the visitors to claim a deserved three points in a game when they did very little themselves to get the victory.
The men in yellow and blue never really recovered from the early setback in the second 45 minutes and in the end any attacking openings that were fostered by the Dons lacked the quality required to get us back on level terms.
Cambridge defended doggedly but in truth our players will know that the standards need to be raised in future games if we are to preserve our third-tier status.
We were by and large simply not at the level that we are capable of and with games running out the sense of urgency is increasing as the Dons were unable to capitalise on facing an out of form opponent.
Mark Robinson made three changes to the side which lost to Cheltenham Town a week ago with recent signing Derick Osei Yaw joining the likes of Lee Brown and Paul Osew in the starting 11. This meant that Ayoub Assal, Dapo Mebude and Nesta Guinness-Walker dropped to the bench.
The presence of Brown facilitated a switch to a back three in defence, with Henry Lawrence and Osew as the advanced wing backs, whilst up top Osei Yaw partnered Sam Cosgrove.
On a day when various heritage murals were unveiled to celebrate our history and club legends were paraded to a sell-out crowd before kick-off, there was a sense that this could be a pivotal day in Wimbledon’s season.
The opening half an hour was particularly cagey, but the Dons did fashion their first notable effort when Lawrence strode forward before unleashing a low skimming effort that Dimitar Mitov had to hold at the second attempt.
Osei Yaw certainly showed some good touches on his home debut and continued to link up well with Cosgrove when the opportunities arose.
All in all, the two sides largely cancelled each other out, meaning that it was all to play for as the 22 men trooped off down the tunnel for half-time.
The second-half had barely got started when Cambridge took the lead. A ball was laid back into the path of May, who was given far too much time to take aim from distance and as a result he arrowed in a curling shot that Nik Tzanev should arguably have dealt with better.
It was certainly a goal that knocked some of the stuffing out of Wimbledon, but we did manage to dig out a chance not long after when Cosgrove fired over after turning well in the box.
Nevertheless, the U’s came back at us, with Ben Heneghan being forced to hack the ball clear on the line to prevent the visitors from doubling their lead.
Many will have hoped that the clearance could be a turning point, but Wimbledon quite simply never got out of first gear and deservedly found themselves on the losing side once again.
With the games slowly ticking away, a rapid change in results is needed if we are to maintain our League One status for another season, with a trip to Sheffield Wednesday next up on the horizon.
AFC Wimbledon: Nik Tzanev, Henry Lawrence, Alex Woodyard, Will Nightingale, Anthony Hartigan, Sam Cosgrove (Ethan Chislett), Jack Rudoni (Dapo Mebude), Ben Heneghan, Paul Osew (Nesta Guinness-Walker), Derick Osei Yaw (Ayoub Assal), Lee Brown.
Tomorrow's magazine features Ayoub Assal as the cover star with our attacking talent interviewed on the back of his training stint with England Under-20s.
The matchday magazine can be purchased for £3 at the club shop and also inside each of our four stands. Sellers will also be positioned outside the Cappagh Stand entrance and along Plough Lane. In addition, you will be able to buy an edition from the Phoenix Bar and the Speedway Bar (located inside the Fans Zone).
Fans' TV
It's back - and better than ever! Join our 9yrs Podcast team and guests for the pre-match show from 1.45 pm on Saturday. Alex Woodyard is interviewed shortly after the show starts and the chat with our skipper is well worth tuning in for. As well as a section with fans from Cambridge, the show includes updates from around the stadium with our 'Roving Reporter' Tom Large.
Lawrie Sanchez, Dave Beasant, and Seb Brown will be presented to our fans on the pitch at 2.55 pm on Saturday. All three played a major part in our history and we are delighted to welcome them back as special guests for the unveiling of a series of fantastic installations that will celebrate our remarkable history. For more about the timelines to be unveiled by WiSH (Wimbledon in Sporting History) see our previous article .
There will also be a half-time presentation to our victorious young Dons after they won the EFL Under-19s Youth Alliance South East Conference. The successful squad and staff will be presented with medals and the title trophy, so please give them a great ovation.
Tickets for away games
Supporters can buy tickets before the game tomorrow for the matches at Sheffield Wednesday, Crewe Alexandra, and Fleetwood. Get your ticket from the booth in the Ry Stand.
SwipeStation for the bars
We've had a fantastic response from supporters to our new SwipeStation matchday app. The app will continue for tomorrow's game versus Cambridge, but we need to make you aware of an important change.
The SwipeStation app has been updated to comply with new payment security legislation (PSDA). Customers will now have to authenticate their card when they register it within the app. You may have seen this across other apps too.
As SwipeStation works offline, some steps have been taken to ensure disruption to ordering on match days is kept to a minimum.
To continue using the service:
Update your app (you will be forced to do this within the app itself before you can continue using it)
Delete and re-add your card details. This will then send you to your bank's authentication process to complete registration.
The SwipeStation app is the quickest way to order your matchday pint. If you haven't used it before, see our previous article for more information.
Dons Local Action Group collections and Ukraine Appeal
We will once again be organising collection points on Saturday with supporters invited to donate food to those less fortunate in the community. Masterminded by our award-winning Dons Local Action Group (DLAG), fans will be able to drop off tinned supplies - with an urgent need for tinned meat, tinned vegetables, tinned fish, tinned fruit, and tinned pulses. Food collection points will be located at every entrance into the stadium.
Our supporters have responded superbly to our appeal for essential items to help out people in Ukraine, but there’s still time for you to make a difference.
We specifically want the following essentials to send to Ukraine: basic toiletries, torches, First Aid kits, mobile phone power packs, charging leads.
Drop off items at our club reception from 10.00 am until 1.00 pm on Saturday and at DLAG collection points outside the ground up until 2.00 pm.
Food Park
A wide range of different types of cuisines from local businesses will be available to choose from for supporters. The food trucks that will be at Saturday's game are as follows:
MYPIE
Traditional Jerk Chicken
Dough Shack
Vegan Express
Naked Chips
Bodean's BBQ
Fans are permitted to bring water in a clear plastic bottle if they wish. However, no glass, cans, or metal bottles will be allowed. Thermos flasks are permitted.
All fans will have access to food and drink concessions around the stadium including the food park behind the Movers stand. Unfortunately due to fire regulations, fans in the Ry and Movers Stands will not have access to the first floor concessions in the Cappagh Stand. As a result, all fans seated in the Cappagh Stand will need to show their match ticket or have their hand stamped in order to get back to the first floor concourse.
The food trucks will stop serving at 6:30pm with last drink orders on the Movers Stand bar at the same time. The Phoenix pub will remain open after the game. The pub will also be serving spirits. Please note that the full range of spirits will be available from after the final whistle until closing time. Pre-mixed cans will be available prior to the final whistle.
The Club Shop
The club shop will be open on Saturday from 11.30am to 2.45pm before the game and from 5.00 pm to 6.00 pm after the game. Don't forget that we unveiled our new leisurewear range earlier this week, so you can look smart for Spring by visiting our club shop!
Take a look at our new range by watching the video below.
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How to access the stadium
The Cherry Red Records Stadium will open for home fans from 1.00 pm and away supporters can arrive from 1.30pm onwards. Supporters must enter the stadium via their designated entrance for their stand which is indicated on their ticket. Additionally, fans will be required to go through security where bags may be searched.
All home fans will enter via the Plough Lane end of the stadium only. Please note that fans in the South London Movers Stand or Ry Stand can only enter via Gates 3, 4 and 5. Fans seated in the Cappagh Stand can only enter via Gate 2.
Away fans can only access the stadium by Gate 7, which is accessed via St Martin’s Way or Maskell Road.
For fans who have purchased matchday hospitality, please enter the stadium via Gate 1 which will open at 12pm.
For a map of the stadium, see our Matchday Guide section.
Parking
There will be no parking on site (accessible spectators will be given separate guidelines). We recommend fans travel to the stadium by train, bus, or, if you are local, by simply walking to the ground. There will be no parking available at Garrett Business Park.
Cycle Store
The cycle store will be open tomorrow from midday until 6.00 pm, located behind the Ry Stand. Please note that all bikes MUST be collected before 6pm. Please note that there will be a steward at the cycle store, but fans leave their bikes stored at their own risk.
Bags
To help reduce queues at checkpoints, we ask fans not to bring bags into the Stadium where possible. If essential, then please only bring an A5 sized bag (21cm x 15 cm x 10cm) or a clear bag only. Large bags or suitcases (including cabin bags) are not permitted.
Cashless Stadium
We are now operating a semi cashless stadium. This means that most of the stadium will only accept card payments, apart from the club shop and matchday magazine sellers.
Kids Zone
The Kids Zone will be open on Saturday. Not only will fans be able to meet Haydon, our favourite Womble, there'll also be tons of fun activities such as colouring, Lego, Duplo and Stickle Brix - as well as an inflatable football shooting game. The Kids Zone is positioned on the concourse behind the Family Section on the corner of the East and South stands. Specifically for kids aged between 5-12, it is open from 1.30pm to 2.45pm with activities organised on a rotation basis. Please note that children MUST be supervised by parents at all times.
Reusable Cups
The club has implemented a reusable beer cup scheme to replace all single use plastic pint cups around the stadium. Once you've finished your beer, please put these cups within the reusable cup bins located around the stadium.
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