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Wednesday 03 September 2003 Suburban League, Southern Division
AFC Wimbledon
1
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1
Chertsey Town Reserves
Match report
The second half saw both sides reduced to nine players as AFC Wimbledon shared the points against a strong team from Chertsey.
With Taylor and Oakins providing a solid wall in the centre of defence, Chertsey were restricted to a number of long range efforts before Merry was called upon to make a point blank save after 30 minutes. The only other alarm came when Towse was injured stretching for a ball, which left a Chertsey forward in the clear, but his 25 yarder was easily tipped over by Merry. The half ended with the Dons attempting to beat Chertsey's offside trap. White's pace took him clear but his shot went wide.
Towse's injury prevented him taking the field for the second half and he was replaced by Rob Hill. The game remained a scrappy affair with neither team taking hold of the game. On 65 minutes, as Chesters was in the clear and running towards the penalty area, he was pulled back by a Chertsey defender. Although everyone in the ground saw the obvious foul, the referee waved play on and Chesters' frustration showed as he stuck out a leg at the defender. Following a melee with players from both sides pushing and shoving each other, the referee produced a red card for Chesters but only a yellow for the Chertsey defender. The ten-man Dons raised their game. Almost immediately, they had a shot cleared off the line and, on 72 minutes, Hill beat two defenders out wide and his pinpoint cross to the near post was put in by Leon White to give the Dons the lead. But on 77 minutes Chertsey equalised as the winger's low cross was turned into his own net by Taylor, attempting to clear. Ten minutes before the end. Frankum was bundled over from behind and it took the referee several minutes to restore order as players from all over the pitch became involved in another pushing and shoving match. Once things had settled down two Chertsey players were given straight reds for violent behaviour and Frankum a second yellow. The Dons made two substitutions with Andrew Trefry and Ryan Luffman replacing Ally Russell and Leon White. Although Wimbledon created three good chances in the closing minutes with Sullivan (twice) and Luffman both shooting just over, the final chance went to Chertsey: a forward was let in by Ward but he shot wide.
