Under-18s triumph against Cheltenham Town
A hat-trick from Great Nii Okai Evans sparked an impressive victory for the Under-18s in their penultimate game of the season.
The treble from Evans and a third goal in three games from Ethan Nelson-Roberts secured a 4-1 victory against Cheltenham.
It was a match when the young Dons effectively secured the points before half-time as they marched into a 3-0 lead before the break with a double from Evans and a goal from Nelson-Roberts. The Dons had to stay strong to repel a potential fightback from Cheltenham after they got one back, but Evans completed his hat-trick with two minutes left.
Following the victory, manager Mark Robinson said: “The team we played was nearly a reflection of how the U-18 team could look next season. I had four Under-16s involved and most of the other lads were first year scholars. There were plenty of positives and we created a host of chances on top of the four goals we scored. The second half was too open and some of the younger lads needed to do a lot more work off the ball, but that is often the case and it is good that I have got to see quite a lot of them already.
“We have one league game left and I am always confident the boys will show the intensity required. We are looking to finish on a high as overall it has been a relatively good season. It has been difficult because a lot of Under-18s have played Under-21 football all season, but the fact the Under-21s won their league shows the talent we are bringing through. We had a slow start due to this, but it meant the younger lads who struggled a little early on developed and our form since November has been very good.
“Two losses in 26 games is a decent record when your more experienced players are playing Under-21 football. On the rare occasions I have had a full squad at my disposal, it is quite clear how strong we are. We were so comfortable in league games and this was obviously further backed up by our run to the last-16 once again in the FA Youth Cup. The difference this year was that we knew we were good enough to go further.”
Man of the Match for AFC Wimbledon was Rueben Collins.