AFC Wimbledon Under-18s set-up an exciting FA Youth Cup clash versus Blackburn by edging out Stevenage at the Cherry Red Records Stadium.
Kai Jennings fired home what turned out to be the decisive strike in a hard-fought 2-1 win, the Dons having to resist a fightback from the visitors after they had halved the deficit.
it was a deserved victory though and Blackburn will visit SW17 in the next round of a competition in which Wimbledon have made a habit of upsetting the odds.
A disciplined performance from the boys in yellow and blue resulted in two well-worked goals from midfielders Harry Sidwell and Jennings, before the Dons showed a steely resolve to earn victory.
A long-range effort from Sidwell put the Dons 1-0 up before Jennings doubled the lead after sneaking into the box to steer the ball into the net. Early in the second half Stevenage pulled a goal back, and that meant Wimbledon had to see the game out in a professional manner to win 2-1.
The Dons lined up with Max Foulkes in goal, behind a back four of Ollie Downes, Riley Horan, Bailey Cotton and Leo Young. Sidwell, Jennings and Jake Lawrence formed the midfield with the trio of Tom Wilson, Junior Nkeng and Kelvin Kargbo leading the attack.
The opposition came steaming out of the blocks, putting Wimbledon’s backline under early pressure. Winning the ball high in our defensive third, Stevenage broke away, leading to Horan making a vital contribution by stepping in to block a close-range effort with his chest.
It was the boys in blue and yellow that found the first goal though as we moved the ball well around the final third, allowing spaces to open up. Sidwell struck the opener with aplomb - a left footed strike hit hard and low with a slight deflection before it found the back of the net.
On the front foot, Wimbledon immediately went in search of another goal and just after watching his strike curl narrowly wide, Jennings instantly made amends. The midfielder latched on to a cross from the right flank, before poking the ball into the net on the volley to double our lead.
Foulkes commanded his area well and confidently claimed a wealth of corners to help the Dons to secure a 2-0 lead at the break.
Making two substitutions at half time, Stevenage attacked the second half and pulled a goal back within minutes of the restart. Tyrique Tekasala wove his way through the Dons’ backline and finished low, just beyond the reach of Foulkes, halving the deficit.
Both teams struggled to test their opposing keepers in the spell that followed, our first substitution made with Justin Clarke, the hero of the first round, replace Kargbo.
Having to dig deep to defend our lead, the Dons’ defensive efforts were bolstered with the fresh legs of Shaun Soukou replacing Downs on the left side of defence.
In the latter stages, the Dons held their defensive shape well to shut Stevenage out for the remainder of the match. It was certainly a disciplined Dons performance that was rewarded with another home tie - a third round fixture against Blackburn Rovers.
Pic credit: Ian Stephen, Pro Sports Images