Match report
AFC Wimbledon commenced a hectic period of five games in the space of just eight days with a comfortable victory at mid-table Histon, despite Terry Brown rotating his squad by resting several key players ahead of the eagerly awaited Bank Holiday Monday clash with Stevenage Borough.
After the disappointment of an eleventh-hour postponement at York, the Glassworld Stadium pitch happily passed an early inspection. The opening 25 minutes were largely forgettable, both sides toiling and failing to create anything meaningful on a surprisingly lush-looking playing surface, but then the Dons gradually began to turn the screw. They took command on the half-hour mark when the ever-industrious Danny Kedwell sped away down the left, and his low cross was rifled home by Glenn Poole for his second goal in as many games.
Within five minutes the visitors doubled their lead. Poole now turned provider: his free-kick was nodded back across goal by Kedwell to the waiting Sam Hatton, who elegantly stroked the ball low beyond David Knight in the Stutes’ goal.
The lively Daniel Sparkes looked the hosts’ most potent threat, with the lumbering Danny Wright well marshalled by Brett Johnson and Ben Judge. Knight had a few nervy moments between the sticks, and when a wayward kick from him was nearly returned with interest by the opportunistic Poole, he was perhaps fortunate to escape with what looked like a handball outside his area as Wimbledon continued to press forward.
In the second period the Dons were attacking towards the 458 travelling fans. The contest was effectively ended seven minutes into the half when Knight made another howler, colliding with team-mate Adam Tann and dropping a Jay Conroy cross at the feet of Kedwell, who eagerly dinked the ball home for his 24th goal of the season.
But if Wimbledon thought they could now simply stroll to the three points, they were mistaken. Almost from the restart, Histon attacked, and a dangerous low cross from Sparkes was turned into his own net by the luckless Johnson. It was a lifeline that rallied the young Histon side, who now applied a period of sustained pressure. Nathaniel Knight-Percival was unlucky to see his powerful header deflected over for a corner. Charlie Sheringham, a first half substitute, looked threatening – although he managed to earn a yellow card for a foul on Judge – and Leicester City loanee Aman Verna also looked lively. But at the other end, more uncertain handling by Knight, this time after a cross-shot by Derek Duncan, invited another goal from the visitors.
As time ticked away, Terry Brown introduced Steven Gregory for Poole and awarded a league debut to young Ryan Jackson, who acquitted himself well at right-back in a ten-minute cameo. But Histon failed to pressure Seb Brown in the Dons goal, who enjoyed a tidy afternoon between the sticks and staked his claim for a longer run after his return to the starting XI.
The welcome three points reduced the gap between the Dons and fifth-placed York City to seven points – and with a visit to the Minster Men in four days’ time, the playoffs remained technically within reach. But Wimbledon would now probably need to fill the tall order of a maximum nine points from three games against Stevenage, York and Mansfield to keep their promotion hopes alive.
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45) Erkan Okay