A fine finish from Ayoub Assal earned a last-gasp point on Saturday for AFC Wimbledon Under-18s.
Assal produced a clinical strike in injury-time to peg visitors Portsmouth back, a 1-1 draw as the final outcome. It means that our Under-18s have now taken four points from a possible six in Merit League Division One, the Dons having started with a win against Luton after qualifying for the top division during the second half of 2018/19.
In a first half of few chances, Wimbledon came closest to breaking the deadlock after Assal pressed well to break through, but his effort was narrowly wide.
The visitors began to create some better openings and through some excellent defending the score remained 0-0 at half-time.
Wimbledon started the second-half on the front foot and Bobby Mills and Assal both went close to breaking the deadlock. However, Portsmouth struck what appeared to be the winner in the 89th minute. Despite the late setback, Wimbledon pushed forward to get a deserved equaliser and it came in the 93rd minute. A throw was flicked-on by Reuben Collins and Assal fired into the top corner to make it 1-1.
Following the match, Assistant Manager James Oliver-Pearce said: “This would have been a game that we would have lost heavily earlier in the season. We probably would have conceded a few because we couldn’t deal with the physical battle, but no I feel that they boys are in a different place. We competed and earned the right to play a bit of football. It was a disappointing way to concede late on, but the character we showed to get an equaliser after that was fantastic.”
The full interview with James and Archie Proctor can be viewed by clicking on the link below.
Watch the highlights below.