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Saturday 29 August 2009 Suburban League, Premier Division
AFC Wimbledon kept their unbeaten league record intact in this topsy turvey game at Waterside Drive. It was another changed side from the midweek win over Basingstoke with no first team squad players and with Charlie Clark-Gleave, Elliott Frost, Quincy Rowe, TJ Rose, Peter Rapson and Danny Penfold all injured. This meant a call up and place on the bench for two of the youth squad in Harry Knock and James Cottee who both came on and did well.
Ashford, also unbeaten and like Wimbledon had a good young squad who tried to get the ball down and play. Chances came frequently in the first half with both sides having opportunities, the first falling to Josh Orlando after three minutes when Karl Douglin carved out the opportunity but Orlando failed to find the target. In the 8th minute a through ball found Matt Harmsworth clear on goal he rounded the keeper but was impeded by a defender but the ref ruled an advantage and the chance went. Next it was Ashford’s turn to test Jack Turner who denied them the lead with a fine one on one save.
The action was thick and fast as another chance fell to the Dons in the 13th minute when a Ryan Jackson cross ended up at the back post but James Stenning headed straight into the keepers arms when well positioned. In the 19th minute another Jackson cross found Harmsworth who chested the ball down and fired goalwards only for the post to deny him the first goal. A Corner from Douglin was then hooked back by Elton Gjoni only for Orlando to hit his shot over the bar. Ashford came back again and had another effort just wide of the post after a good run. Harmsworth then provided a cross for Gjoni who headed straight at the keeper. Ashford took the lead in the 42nd minute when a long throw was well worked to the centre forward who hit a sweet shot that keeper Turner amazingly turned onto the post only for an Ashford player to react quicker than their counterparts and score from the rebound.
The action began early in the second half when a Gjoni shot was saved by the keeper who also saved the rebound from Stenning. In a re-shuffle Orlando was replaced by Knock as Wimbledon tried to get back into the game. A strong run by Jordaan Brown ended with a far post cross that was headed by Harmsworth but the keeper was well positioned to save. On 57 minutes Ollie Killick replaced Gjoni up front.
Another excellent chance came Wimbledon’s way when Stenning worked an opening for Douglin but his shot failed to find the target. With 15 minutes remaining Wimbledon went for broke pulling off Jordaan Brown from left back and replacing him with Cottee, the young Dons went three at the back and three up front in a bid to get the equalizer. Finally pressure paid off as Killick and the Ashford keeper both went for a ball, in the melee that followed the keeper spilled the ball to Harmsworth who found the net via a deflection. AFC pressed hard for a winner and thought they had won it when in the 87th minute another Jackson long throw evaded everyone and ended up at the back post where Stenning fired home. There was to be another twist as Wimbledon gave away a free kick in the 92nd minute, the ball was not cleared and a defensive error allowed an Ashford forward to hook the ball past Turner for the equalizer.
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