AFC Wimbledon were denied a win in our final home game of the season as Tranmere Rovers equalised following Ali Al-Hamadi’s opener.
Our striker had put the Dons deservedly ahead with a stylish finish before Sam Taylor crashed home a leveller against the run of play.
All in all, it was a match of very few openings in general as both teams begin to wind down after a long and gruelling campaign.
Johnnie Jackson made three changes to the side which lost to Swindon Town as Nathan Broome, Jack Currie and Josh Davison came in for Nik Tzanev, Aaron Pierre and Sam Pearson. Meanwhile, Quaine Bartley was restored to the substitutes’ bench in place of Harry Pell.
There was an early chance for the visitors as Harvey Saunders headed just wide. At the other end, Kasey McAteer was linking the play nicely for the Dons, with his interchanges creating some good openings.
In stark contrast to last weekend’s action-packed first-half, there was little to write home about in a quiet first 45 minutes this time around.
Tranmere started the stronger of the two sides in the second-half, but they found Broome in good form as he tipped away Josh Hawkes’ powerful effort from distance. The Dons then responded through Ethan Chislett’s volley that drifted wide.
Will Nightingale showed great composure to stop a counter-attack as he slid in under pressure. Al-Hamadi and substitute Saikou Janneh both had efforts blocked at the other end as we looked to break the deadlock.
We didn’t have to wait long though for the opening goal as our number 12 bagged his 10th goal of the season. Chislett picked up the ball, before splitting the defence with an inch perfect pass that our striker delightfully dinked home.
Nevertheless, Rovers found an equaliser just over 10 minutes later as Sam Taylor curled home a fine effort that left Broome helpless after taking advantage of Biler going down injured.
McAteer almost put us back in front as his header dropped wide of the near post, but it wasn’t to be as the game finished all square ahead of our final match of the campaign away at Grimsby.
AFC Wimbledon: Nathan Broome, Lee Brown, Alex Woodyard, Will Nightingale, Josh Davison (Saikou Janneh), Diallang Jaiyesimi (Sam Pearson), Ethan Chislett, Ali Al-Hamadi, Kasey McAteer, Huseyin Biler (Chris Gunter), Jack Currie
Attendance: 8,106 (533 away)
PICS: Ian Stephen (Pro Sports Images)