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Saturday 14 February 2004
Suburban League, Southern Division
| AFC Wimbledon |
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Tooting & Mitcham United Reserves |
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Match report
The Reserves followed up their earlier Cup victory against Tooting and Mitcham with another win against the same opponents in their League encounter. The omens were not good with the events of the previous week still resounding around the club and with a number of regular players unavailable through injury or holiday. However, the absence of Hodge, Ward, Jones and Taylor allowed Ken During and Jim Earp to make their debuts, at right back and centre forward respectively, and gave Trefry the chance to start his first game since early November.
The Dons made a bright start with plenty of possession and Angell, arriving at the far post, just headed over Towse's long free kick. Against the run of play the visitors took the lead on ten minutes when they broke down the right. An old fashioned shoulder charge put the winger in the clear and after he cut in and turned past Elliott, he coolly shot past the helpless Martin. Fernandes was instrumental in leading the fight back and twice came close to equalising, firstly with a left foot drive and then a looping header, both efforts passing just over the bar. His through ball then found Earp whose shot was parried by the keeper. Eventually on 29 minutes the Dons got their deserved equaliser. A quick ball out from Martin found Skinner out right. He made good ground before crossing and Trefry, timing his run to perfection, slid in to score. Both teams had an opportunity to take the lead before half time. During, breaking from the back and beating the offside trap, had his shot well saved and at the other end Martin was also required to make a fine save to deny the visitors' striker.
The second half saw the Dons continue to play a short game with the ball staying on the ground, whilst their opponents were content to play the long early ball. But with the home defence proving very solid, scoring opportunities were few and far between. On the hour mark the Dons thought they had taken the lead when the ball was clinked to the far post and Earp, rising early, headed home in a classic centre forward's style. Unfortunately, the referee saw things differently and, to the disappointment of the home team, disallowed the goal for pushing.
As the game wore on players began to tire but with only managers Heyne and Wager on the bench and their warm-up runs not filling them with confidence, the players made one final effort. They were rewarded two minutes from time. Trefry, who had started the game only half fit, but had worked so hard chasing, closing down and harrying the defenders, was brought down just outside the penalty area. With both Hill brothers standing over the ball, it was Rob who stepped up and curled his left-foot shot around the wall and into the top corner of the net to give the Dons a deserved win. |
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