No rousing second-half fightback this time
Wimbledon’s four-match unbeaten run came to an end in disappointing fashion today as they paid the price for a crazy two-minute spell just before the break.
Slack defending cost Wimbledon just before half-time with Jack Redshaw and Jamie Devitt taking full advantage to fire the first-half goals and Padraig Amond struck an injury-time penalty to earn a 3-0 Morecambe win.
Seb Brown, who made his first League 2 start of the season, had no chance of saving either goal and the Dons came closest to getting back into it when Chris Arthur (pictured) curled just wide from a free-kick.
Neal Ardley made four changes from the side that started at Plymouth with the inclusion of Seb Brown undoubtedly the most significant. Not since the FA Cup tie against Coventry City had Seb started a game and it meant that Ross Worner missed his first League 2 match of the season. Chris Arthur, Jake Nicholson and Danny Hylton were also handed returns in place of Tom Richards, Harry Pell and Aaron Morris.
With such an attacking line-up, it was no surprise that Wimbledon started on the front foot and the in-form George Francomb tried his luck with an effort that was just too high. At the other end, there was a let-off for Wimbledon when a snap-shot from Jamie Devitt deflected off Francomb and flashed just wide with Brown wrong-footed. Wimbledon’s front three were showing early signs of linking-up well, most notably when Kwesi Appiah got on the end of a lovely flick from Hylton, but his powerful drive was just over. Wimbledon had an even better chance minutes later when Francomb sent in one of his trademark crosses from the right, but Appiah headed wide.
Morecambe had barely been in the Wimbledon half during the first 30 minutes as the hosts dominated. A goal seemed inevitable and the breakthrough was so nearly made after 25 minutes. Nicholson earned a free-kick 20 yards out and Arthur produced an excellent effort that just never had enough bend to sneak into the far corner.
All of Wimbledon’s hard work in the first-half counted for nothing though when they conceded two goals in less than two minutes before the break. On both occasions Wimbledon had opportunities to clear their lines and Jack Redshaw made the most of both opportunities. First, Redshaw picked up a loose ball, before dribbling through the Wimbledon defence and finishing superbly from an acute angle. The Dons were all over the place in defence and Redshaw pounced on a slip by Darren Jones to put over a cross that Devitt steered home to make it 2-0.
The Dons needed to show that they could rouse themselves for yet another second-half fightback, but Seb Brown was required to make a decent save to deny Devitt almost straight from the restart. Morecambe were offering stubborn resistance and Wimbledon were struggling to make any impression. The best they could muster in the first 15 minutes of the second-half was when Francomb blasted over the crossbar from just outside the area. Neal Ardley decided to shake it up just before the hour with Luke Moore replacing Nicholson.
minute when Fuller sent over a cross that Appiah flicked on for Midson, but he volleyed just over the crossbar. Harry Pell was introduced with 12 minutes left in place of Sammy Moore with the Dons having created little in the second-half.thWimbledon had their best chance of the second-half so far in the 67
There was little to enthuse about from the Dons in the latter stages and it got worse in injury-time when Luke Moore brought down Andrew Fleming in the box and Amond fired home emphatically from 12 yards.
AFC Wimbledon: Seb Brown, Barry Fuller, Chris Arthur, Sammy Moore (Harry Pell), Andy Frampton, Darren Jones, Jake Nicholson (Luke Moore), Danny Hylton, Kwesi Appiah, Jack Midson, George Francomb (Peter Sweeney).