A treble from David Fisher helped AFC Wimbledon Under-18s to a dramatic victory at Peterborough United on Saturday.
Fisher’s injury-time strike sealed his hat-trick and a 4-3 win after the young Dons had allowed Posh a way back into the game. Manager Mark Robinson was far from happy with the complacency shown by his players after they had marched into a 2-0 lead.
An excellent cross from Reece Weekes provided Fisher with a chance after just two minutes and he produced a clinical first-time finish at the near post to make it 1-0. The Dons were firmly on the front foot and the advantage was doubled through Bobby Mills, who struck a fine effort into the back of the net from 14 yards. However, The Dons allowed Peterborough to come back into it and Aaron Powell halved the deficit in style with a superb strike from 20 yards out.
Buoyed by the goal, Peterborough started to play some excellent possession football. The Dons still carried a threat, but it was Posh that looked the more likely to score and on 39 minutes they equalised when Huseyin Biler gave away a penalty and Harrison Burrows finished comfortably. In the second-half, Wimbledon dealt with Peterborough’s formation better, but the performance was riddled with poor decisions and technical errors in key moments. However, Fisher put Wimbledon back in front with an excellent header from Macnab’s corner. Though the lead was short-lived as Brad Rolt scored after Dons keeper Bert White failed to deal with a shot from just inside the area, Wimbledon won it in time added on. An exquisite cross field ball from Biler found Fisher, who cut inside and completed his hat trick with a lovely finish into the bottom corner.
Following the match, Mark Robinson said: “Last week I stated that the winning is for the players, but the manner of our victories is massively important to me and James (Oliver-Pearce). We need to develop quality players. Last week we were all pleased, but we took no pleasure from this win. I am hoping the players will reflect honestly and not let the result deflect from what was a really poor performance.
“In the first 10 minutes we were good, but after we went 2-0 up we got complacent and Peterborough were better than us all over the pitch for a bulk of the game. Socially, we were awful, tactically we were lacking in common sense, physically we were average, and technically we were poor, on a good pitch. When that happens, you know it runs deeper than an off day because we are a good side with good players. Relentless focus, relentless learning, and consistently high standards in everything they do, is what is needed to give them a chance. That has not been the case this week.”
Click on the link below to watch the match highlights from the game.