SOS-I

[Faramir]

30.11.10

Enfield (2) AFC Wimbledon (3)

Enfield- M.Turner 52 P.Kelly-OG 90

AFC- P.Richardson 30 G.Hardy 61 R.Neville 89

MOM- Peter Richardson, AFC Wimbledon

In a showdown match between #1 Enfield and #2 AFC Wimbledon, it was the hard work of Richard Neville that paid off in what turned out to be the decisive goal in a 3-2 win for the visitors. AFC was on the board first with the only goal of the first half. AFC took advantage of a mistake by Alex Bishop as Paul Dunn sent a long pass that both Peter Richardson and Bishop misjudged as it went over their heads. Richardson made Bishop pay as he reached the ball first and was able to tee up a shot past Colin Owen into the far right side of the net just inside the post. Enfield evened the match early in the second half. Lee Willis took a free kick and Michael Turner timed his leap perfectly to deflect the ball past Dean Delaney for his 1st goal of the season to make the score 1-1. AFC retook the lead on a costly bobble by Owen. Richardson flicked a goal kick by Delaney on for Gary Hardy. The ball took a funny bounce and Owen went out to retrieve it- only to bobble it away to his left. Hardy swooped in and had an easy time pushing it into the open net to make it 2-1 AFC. AFC missed a golden chance to further their lead when Richardson made a great flick to leave Pagguy Zunda a wide open net. Zunda, who had come on for injured Hardy, missed the net wide to the left- to the huge relief of the Meadow Park crowd. Neville then made Willis pay for leaving him room to run on the left side. He hammered a shot at Owen, who blocked it back toward Neville. Before Willis could react, Neville smashed the rebound past Owen into the right side of the net. Enfield wasn't done and Delaney came up with a save of huge proportions when he got a hand on David Moore's blast in extra time. That save gained importance when Paul Kelly deflected a Neil Moran corner past Delaney for an own goal. AFC staved off the rally with a couple long passes into space and were very happy with their 3-2 road win that moved them into 1st place.

DC- It is hard to explain how well we are playing right now. Peter Richardson has been stellar since gaining a starting role- and all the other pieces seem to be fitting together nicely. Delaney has been a superb find as keeper- he holds his spot well and doesn't seem to make any mistakes. They have to earn goals against him, which is all I can ask of a keeper.

[displaced_seagull]

I like this, very easy to read style. KUTGW

[Faramir]

Thanks d_s- that really is a nice compliment coming from you (it is only a slight variation of The Bet- seems to work pretty well)

***

4.12.10

AFC Wimbledon (3) Nuneaton Borough (0)

AFC- T.Shields 14 K.Doherty OG- 19 P.Zunda 76

Nuneaton- None

MOM- Jim Corbett, AFC Wimbledon

AFC took advantage of its opportunities as they outworked visiting Nuneaton Borough in the 3-0 win at The Fans' Stadium. Early pressure saw Mark Vaughan coming close, but his shot bounced back off the crossbar. Mark Peers made a looping cross to the center, but Chris Simpson outleaped Jim Corbett and tried to head it clear. It went right to Tony Shields, who threaded the needle with a 20 yard shot that just snuck inside the far right post past Stuart Gallagher. Nuneaton contributed to their own woes as Corbett crossed and Peter Richardson headed it toward the net. Kevin Doherty tried to deflect the ball over the net, but instead put it past Gallagher to make it 2-0. Nuneaton tried to rally, but found youngster Lee Brough playing solid in the AFC net. A very scary moment for all watching happened when AFC forward Mark Vaughan was jostled in the air and fell hard on his head and neck. He was stretchered off clamped to a backboard and the prognosis was that he has a damaged spine. Vaughan reportedly faces a lengthy recovery of anywhere from 7 months to a year- but Doctors do expect him to make a full recovery. AFC closed out the scoring when Corbett zinged another cross and Pagguy Zunda (on for Vaughan) was able to deflect it past Gallagher for his 1st AFC goal to clinch the 3-0 win.

DC- The loss of Vaughan will hurt us, as we are thin at forward. We now face our toughest test of the schedule as 4 of our next 5 matches are on the road. If we can win through this stretch, we may prove ourselves worthy of the title chase in the Conference. We did feature the solid debut of Chris Reid- a 21 yr old DC today.

[Faramir]

AFC Sign Harper

With Mark Vaughan out for a long period and Gary Hardy still out with leg problems, AFC signed 20 yr old SC Paul Harper off the free transfer list to help provide cover up front. Harper, originally in the AFC Bournemouth youth program, was released at the end of last season and reportedly was happy to find a new club.

DC- Hard to tell if he will really help us, but he does at least provide modest cover at a reasonable price.

***

AFC Dishes Dawson

AFC Wimbledon today announced the transfer sale of midfielder James Dawson to Southend for the nominal price of 1K. Dawson was nearing the end of his contract and AFC was willing to sell him in advance of that with no apparent plans to re-sign him to a new contract.

DC- James wasn't going to earn a starting role and I didn't want to offer him a new contract, so when we received the offer- it was an easy one to accept.

***

AFC Wimbledon Swaps Morris

AFC Wimbledon today announced the transfer swap of winger Steve Morris to Macclesfield for 25 yr old SW/DC Ross Handford. The deal did not include any funds going to either club.

DC- With several right wingers, Steve Morris was surplus and his wages were heavy. Handford will make less per week and give us depth on the central backline.

[Guest Jamrie]

I like this, where are you in the league at the moment?

[Faramir]

Thank you Jamrie If you notice the Enfield match just up the page, you can guess that we had taken over 1st place with our win over them.

***

8.12.10

Rochdale (1) AFC Wimbledon (1)

Rochdale- D.Stevenson 88

AFC- J.Corbett 18

MOM- Jim Corbett, AFC Wimbledon

AFC wasted a chance for a win when they failed to take advantage of their earlier opportunities, which left the door open for Rochdale to come back and score a late equalizer in the 1-1 draw. AFC had taken the early lead when Mark Peers sent a sizzling cross that Jim Corbett half volleyed past Matthew Gilks. AFC had numerous chances to pad that lead in both the first half and second half. Gilks stopped Peter Richardson with a fine save on a one-on-one and had help from Michael Gillian as he raced back and cleared Pagguy Zunda's trickling shot off the line after it got past Gilks. Rochdale's equalizer was set up by an excellent pass from Martin Williams to David Stevenson. Stevenson just struck the moving ball and it sailed past Dean Delaney into the upper right corner of the net to send the Spotland fans home content.

DC- A match we could have, and should have won. They deserved that equalizer- it was a good passing play to work the goal. Still, we missed some chances and Paul Harper had a very poor debut.

***

Another Murphy?

AFC Wimbledon announced the purchase on free of 24 yr old SW/DRLC Steven Murphy. Murphy is no relation to leftback Steve Murphy, but the likelihood that the similarity will cause some confusion exists. Hereford was willing to allow him to go on free because they are trying to clear salaries from their bankrupt club.

DC- Murphy might just be the left footed central defender we have been looking for. My scouts like him a lot and he looks very solid.

[Faramir]

18.12.10

Chester (1) AFC Wimbledon (4)

Chester- D.Asamoah 38

AFC- P.Richardson 32,43 L.Brown 52 R.Neville 56

MOM- Peter Richardson, AFC Wimbledon

AFC got back on the winning path as the forward combination of Peter Richardson and Leon Brown worked well together and caused the Chester backline many problems. Following some miscues in passing that cost AFC some early opportunities, it was Paul Dunn's nice pass that picked out Leon Brown just outside the right side of the area. Brown sent a cross into the middle and Peter Richardson had found a seam between George Abbey and Craig Griffin that he exploited as he deflected the cross past Danny Knowles. Chester promptly answered back as Derek Asamoah deflected a Richard King cross past Dean Delaney after King had beaten Dunn on the dribble. AFC moved back in front as Steve Harvey's long pass found Brown again on the right and he repeated his cross. Richardson again found room and knocked his header inside the right post for his 2nd goal of the match. AFC then put the match away with a pair of second half goals. Peter Watson's strong throw in allowed Richardson to flick it on to Brown. Brown drilled the volley past Knowles into the left side of the net for his 1st goal at AFC. Richard Neville then capped the scoring as he put a strong header on a free kick from Jim Corbett- knocking it past Knowles from the edge of the six yard box to finish off a strong 4-1 road win for AFC.

DC- Ok, first I overlook Peter Richardson until I can't ignore him anymore- and he looks to be developing into a first-rate striker. Then I overlook Brown (despite the fact that I liked him enough to overrule my scouts opinion) until I can't ignore him- and he looks to be the perfect fill-in for Hardy until he is recovered- better to be lucky than smart I guess.

[Faramir]

21.12.10

Shrewsbury (1) AFC Wimbledon (4)

Shrewsbury- J.Jeffrey 1

AFC- P.Richardson 28,39,61 S.Murphy 44

MOM- Peter Richardson, AFC Wimbledon

AFC roared back after spotting Shrewsbury a goal in the first minute as Peter Richardson's hat-trick keyed their 4-1 comeback win at Gay Meadow. Poor judgement from both Paul Dunn and Steve Harvey allowed Shrewsbury to take the lead. Ger McCarthy took the ball away from Dunn and made a soft pass that put James Jeffrey in free when Harvey failed to move over to help cover. Jeffrey's well placed shot went just inside the far right post to give the home fans something to cheer about. Sam Tillen's backpass turned into disaster for the home side. Peter Richardson and Trevor Wilkinson both raced for the ball, but Richardson was a step quicker. Richardson then turned Wilkinson inside out on the dribble and made a neat move to take it past Scott Wilkins before slotting it into the net for his 10th goal of the season- one that will make the highlight reels for sure. Anthony Hogg caused havoc when his header was put back to him and he made a quick move around and past Tillen. Hogg's cross was deflected by several bodies in front of the net, but bounced out to Jim Corbett. Corbett had enough room for a quick move and a low blast. Wilkins blocked away the shot, but Richardson pounced on the rebound and slammed it into the net for his 2nd goal of the match. Hogg caused more problems when his corner from the left was blocked back and he sent a pass to Steven Murphy just outside the area. Murphy blasted a low screamer that went inside the left post for his 1st AFC goal and a 3-1 halftime margin. AFC finished off the scoring in the match when Corbett made a terrific run past Tillen and scorched a cross to the middle. Richardson was right there to hammer the half volley past Wilkins to complete his hat-trick and finish off the 4-1 win. Richardon's MOM was his 6th of the season- a new AFC Wimbledon record.

DC- Another strong performance after a shaky start. We righted ourselves and outplayed them the rest of the match- it was a good team effort.

***

After 22 Matches

1. AFC Wimbledon 47pts +26

2. Exeter 43pts +12

3. Morecambe 40pts +3

4. Southport 39pts +12

5. Enfield 38pts +5

6. Scunthorpe 37pts +16

7. Telford 37pts +8

[Faramir]

DC- A severe gash on Leon Brown's leg will keep him out for a couple weeks. It looks like we will have to try a Wayne Harrison/Paul Harper combo to work with Peter Richardson up front- though Gary Hardy is due back from rehab soon as well.

***

DC- Hardy comes back and then twists his knee and is out for two more weeks. Very frustrating.

***

26.12.10

AFC Wimbledon (4) Macclesfield (2)

AFC- P.Wilkinson 27,56 A.Hogg 48-P W.Harrison 89

Macclesfield- R.Hogg 13 D.Green 82

MOM- Peter Wilkinson, AFC Wimbledon

Young Peter Wilkinson (still only 16) showed why AFC is so high on his future as he contributed a pair of goals as AFC overcame an early deficit to defeat Macclesfield 4-2 at The Fans' Stadium. Macclesfield struck first in the match as Richard Hogg deflected a John Fisher corner past Dean Delany for a bad start for AFC. AFC answered when Paul Wilkinson's 1st goal at AFC was a fluke. Craig Sives made a throw in and Wilkinson sent a looping cross toward Anthony Hogg at the far post. The ball sailed into the net past a surprised James Ball to even the match at 1-1. AFC started taking control of the match in the second half. Following David Hughes' push of Tony Shields in the area, Hogg converted the penalty to move AFC in front 2-1. Peter Richardson ran down a ball on the left side and sent a pass into the center. Ball misjudged the arcing pass and Wilkinson was waiting to head it into the net after Ball missed it for Wilkinson's 2nd unusual goal of the match. Macclesfield rallied behind a goal from Dean Green. Wayne Bird flicked a header across for Green and his scorching blast from 30 yards went inside the left post to get the visitors back into the match. AFC finally clinched the win as Tony Shields crossed and found Wayne Harrison unmarked. Harrison easily beat Ball with his strong header inside the left post for his 1st goal at AFC to finish out the 4-2 win.

DC- A strong match full of surprises for us- especially Wilkinson's two goals. It was nice to see Wayne Harrison score after how hard he has worked to be ready for matches this season.

[Faramir]

29.12.10

Morecambe (0) AFC Wimbledon (4)

Morecambe- None

AFC- W.Harrison 4 P.Richardson 35,69 S.Harvey 81-P

MOM- Jim Corbett, AFC Wimbledon

4th place Morecambe was looking to put a damper on AFC Wimbledon's roll- instead they just became a victim as AFC cruised past them in a 4-0 win at Christie Park. AFC leaped on top in the opening moments of the first half when Peter Watson sent a long cross to Jim Corbett. Corbett flicked it into open space and Wayne Harrison burst past Jonathan Jackson and then took the ball around Craig Mawson before slotting it into the net. Corbett was the architect of the next goal as he took a throw in from Paul Dunn and dribbled past Stephen Grant. Corbett then sent a devastating cross that Peter Richardson deflected past Mawson into the left side of the net. Harrison's excellent vision keyed the next AFC goal. He held the ball in the middle of the pitch and the defenders failed to notice Tony Shields moving up. Harrison saw him and zinged a pass ahead to him. As Jackson tried to close with him, Shields laid the ball off to the other side and Richardson blasted a low shot inside the left post for his 2nd goal of the match. AFC then capped the scoring when Steven Harvey converted the penalty kick after Mark Howard pulled down Richardson in the area. The 4-0 win was another impressive road performance for AFC.

DC- Everything is going right for us in this stretch. All the players are making excellent decisions with the ball and every time we have needed a big save- Dean Delany has been there. In our difficult 4 of 5 on the road stretch- we drew the first match, but won the other 3 road tilts- outscoring the opposition by a tune of 12-2.

[Faramir]

1.1.11

AFC Wimbledon (4) Bradford PA (1)

AFC- P.Richardson 41 P.Harper 45 D.Adams 75-OG M.Peers 90-P

Bradford- Z.Pospech 57

MOM- Mark Peers, AFC Wimbledon

After not being able to accomplish anything through the first 40 minutes of play- AFC woke up and passed well and went up 2-0 at half enroute to a 4-1 win over Bradford PA. Tim Osborne's deft pass found Peter Richardson with space in front of the net and he didn't miss- scoring his 15th goal of the season past Chris Watson. Jim Corbett's quick flick of a throw in gave Paul Harper a sharp angled chance- and he fired a precision shot inside the far, left post for his 1st goal at AFC. Bradford got back into the match with a stellar passing sequence. Darren Carter made a good move with the ball and passed it in to Richard White. White showed nice presence as he found Zbynek Pospech alone and Pospech's low shot scooted past Dean Delany to make it 2-1. The match got away from Bradford when Mark Peers made a superb run and then laid the ball off for Tony Shields. Shields, lurking just beyond the edge of the area, ripped a hard shot that Darren Adams tried to head- only to deflect it into his own net. Graeme Porter tripped Corbett in the area and Peers converted the penalty kick for his 1st goal at AFC as he finished off the 4-1 win.

DC- We started very slowly today and didn't play that well overall. The key ingredients in the win were the dominating play of Peers and Corbett.

***

DC- I was surprised to receive another job offer out of the blue. Swansea apparently thought my lucky saving of AFC Wimbledon last season- plus their improvement this season- was just the ticket to make me their next manager. They are currently 21st in Division 3 and attempting to avoid relegation. I turned them down because I want to see this season out with AFC and then make decisions from there.

***

DC- Should have known that things were too good to last. Jim Corbett is out for at least 3 weeks with a neck problem. I am sure the physio would like to have a specialist evaluate him, but I am ignoring his advice at present.

[Gr81]

Great so far. How about telling us cup draw's upcoming games and league tables plus top goalscorers. player/manager/goal of the month if your involved?

[Faramir]

Thanks Gr81- to be honest I don't have enough time to really get into a lot of details beyond the club. I will try to mention any Monthly honours we earn though. This story is just a small focused one- not really meant to tackle outside the club.

***

8.1.11

AFC Wimbledon (2) Hereford (0)

AFC- T.Osborne 50 A.Holt 60

Hereford- None

MOM- Peter Richardson, AFC Wimbledon

AFC pressed visiting Hereford hard from the opening whistle- outshooting them 20-5 for the match- but all too often were left shaking their heads at the fine performance turned in by Robert Shepherd in the Hereford net. The scoreless state at halftime was due solely to Shepherd making fantastic saves against both Peter Richardson and Paul Harper and his defense being able to successfully clear away any rebounds. AFC finally broke through against Shepherd when Harper made his way to the byline and crossed to the center. Tim Osborne outleaped Adam Hamilton and pushed his header past Shepherd for his 1st goal at AFC. Andrew Holt then put the final nail in the visitors' coffin when he made a superb half volley past Shepherd from 25 yards after Paul Parry's clearing header came right to him. AFC maintained their aggressive presence througout the remainder of the match finishing out the 2-0 clean sheet in their home win.

DC- First goals for both Osborne and Holt- they both deserved them for their effort- we played an attacking match the entire way, something that pleased me even when I had backed off challenging them.

[Faramir]

11.1.11

Halesowen Town (3) AFC Wimbledon (2)

Halesowen- K.Towson 30 F.Murray 50 M.Silva Vieira 81

AFC- G.Hardy 11 P.Zunda 78

MOM- Phil Senior, Halesowen Town

AFC received both what they deserved, yet deserved much better in this close 3-2 loss to Halesowen Town. There was little doubt when the match was over that Halesowen keeper Phil Senior had earned his MOM honours with a brilliant effort that earned his side the three points for the win. On the AFC side they were grumbling about missed opportunities and unusually spotty backline play that failed to support a good effort from Dean Delany in the loss. AFC took the early lead when they pressured the Halesowen backline and Pagguy Zunda rattled a shot off the crossbar. Gary Hardy outdeuled Dave Armstrong for the loose ball and put it past Senior to give AFC the lead. Senior then made a series of sensational saves against Hardy, Chris Martin and Mark Peers to keep the AFC lead from growing. Halesowen equalized when both Martin and Paul Wilkinson turned the wrong way- away from the ball laying in the area- and Kevin Towson took full advantage by stepping up and ripping a low shot past Delany. Halesowen too the lead when Ian MacKenzie deflected a Billy Sharp corner. Delany managed to block it, but unmarked Fred Murray whisked the ball past Delany. AFC evened the match this time. Senior had managed to make several more good saves, but could not stop Zunda as he closed out a neat passing sequence that started with a Delany goal kick to Hardy- a flick from Hardy to an open Richard Neville- a deft pass forward from Neville that allowed Zunda to run onto the ball just outside the six yard box where he drilled it home. Halesowen had the answer though- and the match winning goal- as Magno Silva Vieira smashed a volley past Delany off a nice flick from Mark Wilkes. AFC missed a great chance to earn a draw in second half extra time when Zunda missed wide right after a great pass from Andrew Holt had sent him in alone on Senior.

DC- ARGH! We were sloppy in our backline play, and they weren't- that was the difference in the match. We still could have had the draw, but we missed some good chances on offense and Senior just made a couple saves that you normally don't see made. It was the loss to end our 14 match unbeaten streak, and leaves Enfield still dogging our heels after their 3-0 road win over Oxford. This one hurt as you don't want to lose to 17th place clubs in close races.

***

DC- Still with injury problems as Gary Hardy reinjured his groin- albeit not as badly this time- and will miss the next 3 or 4 weeks. With Alan Charlton joining Corbett in being out with injuries, Mark Kerr will get another shot at rightwing.

[Faramir]

15.1.11

Bradford PA (0) AFC Wimbledon (2) FA Trophy 3rd round

Bradford PA- None

AFC- L.Brown 25 W.Harrison 90

MOM- Steve Murphy, AFC Wimbledon

AFC used an opportunistic offense and a little luck into a 2-0 road win at Bradford PA. AFC took the first half lead after Bradford had come close to scoring on Alan Fettis twice in the early moments. It was Anthony Hogg's vision that set up the goal as he swung a long pass up to Leon Brown. Brown had no one near him and was able to make his move around keeper Chris Watson to send AFC in front. Justing Georcelin subbed on for Bradford PA in the second half and lit a spark under the club. He barely missed into the side netting on a long free kick and then saw Fettis snare his rising blast from close in to keep the lead for AFC. AFC clinched the match when Mark Kerr had his low blast blocked away by Watson, but Wayne Harrison was right there to drive the rebound into the net for the clinching goal.

DC- A really solid effort by a patchwork lineup, as I tried to rest most of the regulars for the match. We did lots of things right that we didn't do in our last match.

***

DC- After going without any transfer purchases, I finally made one- though it was on free. We added Colin Gibbons- an explosive 21 yr old MR from Mansfield for no money. Gibbons is not particularly skilled, but is a big, strong and most importantly fast right wing.

[Faramir]

22.1.11

Darlington (2) AFC Wimbledon (2)

Darlington- C.Keltie 45 L.Rodgers 50

AFC- R.Neville 59 L.Brown 73

MOM- Richard Neville, AFC Wimbledon

AFC fell behind 2-0 to Darlington, but fought back to salvage a 2-2 draw in a taut match. Darlington had the best of play in the first half and Dean Delany was very sharp in the early going with excellent saves on both Luke Rodgers and Jay Smith. As AFC was trying to hold the match scoreless until halftime, they were stunned when Clark Keltie blasted a 30 yard shot that sailed inside the right post past Delany to send Darlington to the half ahead 1-0. Darlington stormed out again in the start of the second half and poor backline coverage allowed Rodgers to wind up unmarked as he blistered a shot through Delany. AFC didn't quit and their fightback began when Leon Brown made a superb pass through a crowd to find an unmarked Richard Neville. Neville made a quick move and then boomed a 20 yard shot past Gary Scott inside the left post. AFC had the momentum and pressure now and took advantage when Mark Peers broke in from the left and made a beautiful cross that Brown had an easy time halfvolleying into the net to even the match at 2-2. Both sides had good chances to gain the lead in the match, but Scott made a good save on Brown from close-in and Rodgers sharp angle shot drifted just inches wide of the far post as both clubs had to split the points.

DC- We didn't play well when we went behind, but it was a lot of hard work and effort that allowed us to earn the draw.

[Faramir]

29.1.11

AFC Wimbledon (4) Margate (0)

AFC- R.Neville 19,25 L.Brown 27 P.Richardson 34

Margate- None

MOM- Alan Charlton, AFC Wimbledon

AFC got back on the winning trail as they dumped struggling Margate 4-0 at The Fans' Stadium. David Woozley keyed AFC's first goal as a pretty pass found Leon Brown inside the area. Brown took the ball to the endline and sent a cross back that Richard Neville had an easy time heading into the left portion of the net past Steven Fowler for his 5th goal of the season. Peter Richardson found Neville lurking in the area with a sensational 40 yard pass and Neville drove a low shot past Fowler on the left side for his 2nd goal of the match. Margate defender Sean Hankin misplayed an attempted header on a flick that Peter Richardson sent for Brown. Brown then easily outpaced Hankin and drilled a midlevel shot past a challenging Fowler. Craig Sives then made a superb searching pass that Richardson only had to slightly re-direct past an outguessed Fowler to make it 4-0 at halftime. With the big lead, AFC was content to help young keeper Lee Brough earn his clean sheet in the second half.

DC- An explosion I didn't expect. We played a great first half and deserved the easy win

[Faramir]

2.2.11

AFC Wimbledon (1) Scarborough (1)

AFC- D.Watts 75

Scarborough- C.Senior 55

MOM- Chris Senior, Scarborough

AFC had the cards to win this showdown match, but was forced to split the pot with visiting Scarborough in a 1-1 draw. AFC was dominant in the first half and had several excellent chances to score. Dave Watts, finally healthy again, saw his rising shot skim the bar past Gareth Downey and Leon Brown blasted a shot off the post- but halftime saw a scoreless draw. Scarborough took the lead when Paul Dunn made a terrible throw-in that allowed a pass to put Mark Knight away on the left. Knight held the ball and then sharply centered his pass. Chris Senior beat three AFC defenders to the pass and deflected it inside the left post past Dean Delany. AFC rallied with pressure and Watts made it pay off as Michael Reed sent a long header directly to Watts in front of the net and he didn't miss in equalizing past Gareth Downey. AFC came close to taking the win, but another Brown blast bounced away- this time off the cross bar and the visitors held on for the draw. The match also saw the return of Jim Corbett from an extended stay on the injured list.

DC- One bad play on Dunn's throw-in and plenty of good scoring chances that we didn't convert. We played hard, but not effectively.

[Faramir]

5.2.11

AFC Wimbledon (1) Scunthorpe (0) FA Trophy 4th round

AFC- D.Watts 17

Scunthorpe- None

MOM- Dave Watts, AFC Wimbledon

In a strange draw, 1st place AFC and 2nd place Scunthorpe met in the 4th round of the Trophy Cup. AFC, playing only a few regular starters took advantage of Dave Watts early goal as he headed a cross from Anthony Hogg past Stuart McDonald. Watts appeared to have his 2nd moments later when Wayne Harrison sent a smart header across and Watts drove it in- only to have the play whistled as the referee ruled that Watts had hanballed. AFC played very sharp defense in the match as the backline kept Scunthorpe's forwards under tight wraps.

DC- Very encourging for us to beat them with a skeleton crew. If we play that kind of match most every time out- we will do well.

[Faramir]

9.2.11

Oxford (0) AFC Wimbledon (2)

Oxford- None

AFC- P.Richardson 1,70

MOM- Peter Richardson, AFC Wimbledon

AFC stung struggling Oxford in the opening moments of the match and then battled defensively until they scored in the second half to help clinch the 2-0 road victory. Off the opening whistle, Craig Sives made a terrific pass into space for Jim Corbett. Corbett broke in toward the right corner of the net before zinging a cross that Peter Richardson deflected into the left side of the net for a quick AFC lead. The match was very rough and featured 6 yellow and 1 red card, along with numerous other fouls. Oxford came close to evening the match right before halftime, but Dean Delany was able to steer Lee Allen's blast around the post. Both sides strove for the next goal and it was AFC that finally got it. Sives' long pass was flicked on to Paul Harper by Richardson. Richardson then sped away from his marker and Harper's cross back was easy for Richardson to head past Chris McCabe for his 2nd goal of the match. The goal seemed to drain Oxford's spirits and they never managed a good chance after that.

DC- Richardson must have appreciated the rest, because he played very well today. We didn't seem particularly sharp- but with Richardson's early effort I wasn't worried til later in the match. Scunhthorpe recovered from their loss to us quite nicely- as they scored a shocking 2-0 upset over Chelsea in the 4th round of the FA Cup.

[Faramir]

12.2.11

AFC Wimbledon (1) Southport (0)

AFC- G.Hardy 27

Southport- None

MOM- Gary Hardy, AFC Wimbledon

AFC managed to edge 4th place Southport 1-0 thanks to the work of their skipper Gary Hardy. Midway through the first half, after both keepers had made good stops, Hardy took away a pass from Adam Eaton that was going to Stuart Nicholls. Hardy pushed hard down the pitch with two Southport defenders desperately trying to close him down from behind. Hardy's quick move once in the area was enough to freeze keeper Peter Middleton and then he blasted a shot past him inside the near, right post to give AFC the lead. Southport tried to rally and came close in the opening moments of the second half as David White's header clanged back off the crossbar. AFC came close as well, but Middleton snared the rising blast from Jim Corbett. AFC then held them off to complete the close win.

DC- Another superb defensive match- with just enough offense to win.

***

With 10 matches remaining the standings are:

1st- AFC Wimbledon 70 points (+45)

2nd- Scunthorpe 60 points (+24)

3rd- Enfield 59 points (+17)

4th- Exeter 53 points (+6)

5th- Hayes 51 points (+22)

6th- Southport 51 points (+14)

7th- Morecambe 49 points (-4)

8th- Telford 47 points (+11)

9th- Scarborough 45 points (+10)

10th- Hereford 45 points (-3)

11th- Chester 44 points (+2)

12th- Nuneaton Bor 43 points (-5)

13th- Barnet 42 points (+3)

Enfield, Hayes, Chester and Nuneaton Borough all have 11 (instead of 10) matches remaining. Barnet has 12 matches remaining.

DC- It is exciting, and also a bit scary to be sitting alone atop the Conference with this little of the season remaining. Being forced to go with discarded youth players has worked really well and we have gelled nicely. The key player on the club has been Peter Richardson from our own youth program- it is hard to believe I ignored him at the beginning of the season, but he has proved a deadly force up front. We have survived injuries and I think we have enough depth to finish out the season strongly- at least that is my hope...[/b]

AFC Forwards Struck Down

AFC Wimbledon lost a pair of their senior side forwards when both Dave Watts and Paul Harper were sent for surgery to cure recurring leg problems (ed.- actually groin, but I get awfully tired of listing that *all* the time). Harper is expected to miss the next 5 months, while Watts should be out 4 months. They join Mark Vaughan who remains out for another 3 months. Though a blow, AFC still retains a solid group of forwards to finish out the season.

DC- If we lose one or two more forwards, we will be scaping the bottom of the barrel to send some out- but we should be ok with the depth if we can avoid and long-term injuries there.

[Faramir]

Harrison Fails to Turn Other Cheek

AFC Wimbledon forward Wayne Harrison was injured in a freak training accident and will miss the next three weeks recuperating from a broken cheekbone. Harrison accidently tripped in a heading drill and fell into the post to cause the injury.

DC- What did i do? Forget to knock on wood? Another freak injury that is just unlucky. Dave Ellis will come up off the reserve side to provide cover up front.

***

Doughty's Debut Again in Doubt

AFC Wimbledon midfielder Chris Doughty was set to finally make his debut in this Saturday's FA Trophy match against Shrewsbury. Once again though, it appears that Doughty will miss playing as he sustained a groin injury and will be out for the next 3 weeks. Doughty has yet to play for AFC Wimbledon since his purchase from Morecambe last October.

DC- Argh!!! Doughty was finally back to match fitness, after missing all that time- and now gone again. I am beginning to wonder if he will ever play for us at this rate...

[Faramir]

26.2.11

AFC Wimbledon (1) Shrewsbury (1) FA Trophy 5th round

AFC- L.Brown 42-P

Shrewbury- K.Street 77

MOM- John Hall, Shrewsbury

AFC and Shrewsbury battled to a 1-1 draw in their FA Trophy match, which will necessitate a replay. AFC had plenty of early pressure, but their shooting lacked precision as they continually missed high over the net on good opportunities. AFC finally grabbed the halftime lead when Dave Thompson slid into Anthony Hogg in the area and earned a yellow card and a penalty. Leon Brown converted the penalty kick past Saul Deeney and it was 1-0. Despite a paucity of chances, Shrewsbury converted one of them as Kevin Street hit a booming 25 yard free kick that eluded Dean Delany to salvage the 1-1 draw and replay for the visitors.

DC- We outplayed them, but our shooting was bad enough to be costly. Street's free kick was a pretty one- Dean (Delany) had no chance on it.

***

DC- I was approached by Rushden to take over managing there. My loyalty remains at AFC though- since they gave me a chance, so I will remain here for now.

***

DC- Another job offer- this time to try and work a rescue of Bristol Rovers in Division 2, as they face a close relegation battle. I also turned them down.

[Faramir]

2.3.11

Shrewsbury (2) AFC Wimbledon (3) FA Trophy 5th round replay

Shrewsbury- K.Street 2 J.Hall 89

AFC- A.Hogg 15 C.Martin 24 J.Holmes 62-OG

MOM- Anthony Hogg, AFC Wimbledon

A blistering performance by AFC's Anthony Hogg and a little help from the hosts was enough to put AFC through to the next round in FA Trophy action due to a 3-2 win. Shrewsbury leaped on top in the match when Kevin Street made a brilliant long 25 yard shot off a laid off ball. AFC equalized when Anthony Hogg turned on the jets down the left side and drove a hard, low shot that trickled past Saul Deeney. Hogg's indirect free kick found Chris Martin for an easy deflection to put AFC into the lead at half. AFC continued to pressure Shrewsbury and it paid off when Joe Holmes tried to head over the net on a sharp cross from Alan Charlton that was intended for Hogg- instead he put it past Deeney for a 3-1 AFC lead. AFC needed that goal when John Hall rose above two defenders to head a Street corner past Dean Delany to bring them back to 3-2. Shrewsbury missed a great chance to even the match in second half injury time when David Vaughan's header sailed wide of the left post.

DC- A much better performance this time- even though we gave them a couple goals they shouldn't have gotten. Hogg was dazzling today.

[Faramir]

9.3.11

AFC Wimbledon (5) Barnet (0)

AFC- R.Neville 16 G.Hardy 20,47,51-P A.Holt 61

Barnet- None

MOM- Gary Hardy, AFC Wimbledon

Led by a hat-trick from skipper Gary Hardy, AFC Wimbledon had an easy time seeing off struggling Barnet as they swamped them in a 5-0 win. It was clear from the opening whistle that AFC was much the sharper club and their passing was immediately causing the Barnet backline problems. AFC struck for the lead when Tony Shields sent a perfectly placed 20 yard pass into the area and Richard Neville found himself with plenty of space to be able to leap and deflect it past Matt Forbes. Keeper Dean Delany keyed the next goal when he picked out Jim Corbett on the right wing with a long kick. Corbett made a quick move past Matt Eaton and then picked out an unmarked Gary Hardy inside the area. Hardy teed up and fired home a shot inside the right post for his 10th goal of the season. Forbes was very sharp to keep the score locked at 2-0, as he made a superb save on Peter Richardson and then pushed a blast from Mark Peers over the crossbar. AFC extended the lead in the opening moments of the second half when Leon Brown, who subbed on for a slightly injured Richardson at the break, made an excellent slide tackle on Tim Harris and then recovered the ball. Brown's vision allowed him to send in Hardy free on the left side and Hardy fired a shot past Forbes inside the near left post for his 2nd goal of the match. Hardy completed his hat-trick minutes later when he converted a penalty kick after Eaton had pushed Steven Murphy in the air on a corner. Subs Colin Gibbons (on for Corbett) and Andrew Holt (on for Neville) linked up to provide the last goal of the match when Holt deflected a Gibbons corner past Forbes moments after both had come into the match to cap the 5-0 win.

DC- We were very sharp in the match. Our passing was crisp and they just could not counter our attack as we had them under pressure the entire match.

[Faramir]

One Arriving, One Leaving at AFC Wimbledon

AFC Wimbledon announced the transfer purchase of veteran keeper Tom Phillips from Cambridge today, while also announcing the sale of rightback Paul Liddle to Bradford PA. Phillips, a 29 yr old GK whose reported cost was 4K, had been on Cambridge's transfer list since losing his starting place to Stuart Gray. Phillips will pair with Dean Delany to give AFC a solid 1-2 experienced keeper pair. Liddle, who had lost his place on the senior side as the season progressed, was allowed to move to Bradford PA for a reported 4K.

DC- I feel much better about having Phillips to pair with Delany. Lee Brough had done well, but was hurt again and will remain out for awhile. I didn't really want to play Fettis- so Phillips arrives at an opportune time. Liddle didn't have much future here, and it was nice to garner the same outlay I made for Phillips when we completed the sale.

[Faramir]

12.3.11

Telford (1) AFC Wimbledon (2)

Telford- C.Moore 78

AFC- P.Dunn 18 L.Brown 39

MOM- Jim Corbett, AFC Wimbledon

AFC proved very opportunistic in the first half as they scored twice and then put forth a solid defensive effort to hang on for the 2-1 road win. AFC took the lead in the first half when Paul Dunn dazzled the crowd with a good run and then he finished it off with a crisp 25 yard kick that sailed past Andy Woods for his 1st goal at AFC. Woods made a couple excellent saves to keep Telford trailing only 1-0 as he stopped Leon Brown from close in and then pushed Gary Hardy's curling shot past the post. Brown got even though when he rifled a 25 yard free kick past Woods to give AFC a 2-0 halftime lead. Telford rallied in the second half, but found their best chances blunted by good work from the AFC backline. They finally drew a goal back when Carl Moore deflected a Chris Thomas corner past Dean Delany to ruin his clean sheet. AFC doggedly defended in the last minutes of the match and held on for the 2-1 win.

DC- This wasn't a pretty win like the Barnet win, but it was a good demonstration of taking advantage of our chances and playing strong defense to get a solid win.

[Faramir]

19.3.11

Halifax (1) AFC Wimbledon (0) FA Trophy 6th round

Halifax- B.Grimes 77

AFC- None

MOM- Graham Martin, Halifax

AFC wasted a splendid performance by Dean Delany as they fell to Halifax 1-0 in a closely played FA Trophy match. Delany was superb in the first half as AFC could not get any offense going. By the time the clubs reached a scorless halftime, Halifax had managed 10 shots- many of them excellent chances that were kept out by Delany. AFC seemed to right themselves at halftime and Gary Hardy subbed on for an ineffective (and slightly injured) Pagguy Zunda. Hardy had two good chances, but missed over the top of the net and then wide from inside the area. Halifax scored the lone goal of the match when their skipper Anthony Fleming made a left side run and then fired a sizzling cross that Ben Grimes was able to dive and head into the right side of the net past Delany. AFC rallied to try and even things, but their shooting woes still plagued them. Leon Brown set up Tony Shields nicely, but his shot hit the crossbar. Hardy was put free, but Carl Turner stopped him cold. Anthony Hogg- who moved up front to replace a poorly performing Leon Brown- broke in alone, but missed wide of the net. Hardy had a good break, but Kevin Bentley took him down just outside the area for his 2nd yellow card. Hardy's free kick skimmed the crossbar and then moments later it was Shields hitting the side net after a nice pass for AFC's last good chance as they were broomed out on the 1-0 loss.

DC- We didn't have it today. No flow at all in the first half and we were lucky to be in the match. Then we create chances in the second half, but we can't hit the net with them- very frustrating performance.

***

DC- Mark Peers is hurt again. A bad collision in training left him with strained knee ligaments and he will miss the next three weeks. A bad time to lose him...

[Faramir]

23.3.11

Scunthorpe (0) AFC Wimbledon (2)

Scunthorpe- None

AFC- G.Hardy 52,82

MOM- Gary Hardy, AFC Wimbledon

Led by skipper Gary Hardy, AFC Wimbledon took a big step toward winning the Conference as they beat the 3rd place club 2-0 at Glanford Park. The first half was tautly played as Scunthorpe knew they needed a win from the match to have a chance of overhauling AFC. Both Dean Delany and Stuart McDonald were called on for big saves in the scoreless first half. AFC worked a perfect throw-in play into the first goal of the match. Peter Watson's throw-in from close to the corner found Anthony Hogg free close to the endline just inside the edge of the area. Hogg snapped a cross to the near post and Hardy was there to deflect it past McDonald. AFC clinched the win late in the second half. Paul Dunn headed forward toward Hardy on the right sideline. Hardy and Jim Corbett played a perfect give-and-go as Hardy flicked it back to Corbett and he quickly lofted a soft pass that put Hardy free on goal. Hardy didn't miss with a blast inside the near right post for his 2nd goal of the match as AFC finished out their 2-0 win. The win clinched at least a playoff spot for AFC Wimbledon with 7 matches remaining.

DC- Great performance by Gary Hardy. Not only did he get both our goals, but he was a force in our defensive end as well- thwarting several chances.

***

Standings (23.3.11)

1st- AFC Wimbledon 79 points (+53)

2nd- Enfield 68 points (+24)

3rd- Scunthorpe 63 points (+22)

4th- Southport 58 points (+18)

5th- Hayes 57 points (+20)

6th- Scarborough 54 points (+18)

7th- Exeter 54 points (+3)

8th- Morecambe 53 points (-5)

9th- Barnet 52 points (+1)

[Faramir]

AFC Wimbledon (5) Kettering (1)

AFC- G.Hardy 24 C.Doughty 46,51 T.Shields 69 M.Kennedy 90

Kettering- G.Hamilton 32

MOM- Chris Doughty, AFC Wimbledon

After 6 months, AFC finally featured the debut of midfielder Chris Doughty. Doughty made believers of The Fans' Stadium crowd as he keyed the solid 5-1 win over visiting Kettering. AFC struck for their first goal when Peter Watson showed good vision in picking out an unmarked Gary Hardy inside the area- then zipped the ball through to him. Hardy smashed a rising shot past Mike Pollitt into the left side of the net for his 15th goal. Kettering wasted no time getting back to evens, as Danny Scott broke down the left side and laid the ball back for Gary Hamilton just outside the edge of the area. Hamilton crushed a 25 yard shot that Tom Phillips (also making his debut) was able to get a hand on- but not stop as it went past him into the net for a 25 yard goal. Neither side managed a good chance the rest of the first half, but AFC roared out of the dressing room to start the second half. Off the opening whistle AFC stormed down the field. Pollitt made an inexplicable choice to try and head away a chip from Leon Brown, but the ball was pushed back into the front of the net and Doughty reached it before two defenders to hook it into the empty net for a goal in his debut. Doughty made it 2 goals for him in the match when he struck a pretty 30 yard free kick that curled past Pollitt. Doughty wasn't done there as he sent a perfect inswinging corner to the near post and Tony Shields outleaped two defenders to deflect it inside the left post past Pollitt. It was Doughty again when his 25 yard free kick was parried away by Pollitt- only to see Mark Kennedy able to slide it into the net for his 1st ever professional goal to cap the 5-1 win.

DC- Six months we waited for his debut. I was worried Chris Doughty would be rusty, but he was ready to play. He looks like a very dangerous free kick taker as he had two more that just skimmed the bar and were close to going in. His two goals and two assists gave him more points in one match than he had all last season at Morecambe. Phillips also had a solid debut, which might help take some of the pressure off Delany.

[titto]

If my mathematics are correct, you can finish with 100 pts

C'mon, you can do it!

[Faramir]

Thanks for the encouragement titto

***

DC- Swindon approached me with an offer to take over as manager there. They are currently 18th in Division 3 and close to insolvent- I decided that wasn't a good situation and turned them down.

***

DC- When Peter Richardson reinjured his hamstring in practice, Gary Hinchley and I took another-closer look and I decided to send him for surgery to correct the problem. He will miss the remainder of this season, but should be fine for the beginning of next season. Given our current place in the table and the fact that he hasn't really been able to play for the last couple of weeks anyway- I thought it made much more sense to get him healthy for next season.

***

DC- It's raining and pouring- now Richard Neville is out with a groin strain for the next three weeks. We should still be ok with Doughty now healthy, but this is getting monotonous.

[Faramir]

9.4.11

Exeter (3) AFC Wimbledon (1)

Exeter- T.Harrison 74,90 J.Piper 90

AFC- G.Hardy 70

MOM- Tony Harrison, Exeter

AFC finally took the lead in the second half after missing many chances, but Exeter scored two goals in injury time to take a 3-1 win. Gary Hardy and Leon Brown missed from in close in the first half, but Dean Delany was forced to make several excellent saves to keep things scoreless. AFC took the lead when Paul Dunn's long cross was flicked on by Alan Charlton. Hardy was first to reach the ball and fired a low shot past James Birchall. Exeter evened the match shortly after when Craig Graham headed back an Alex Bates free kick and Tony Harrison struck a cannon shot from the edge of the area past Delany into the left side of the net. Exeter then converted a well contructed corner play as Ben Bradford's cross was flicked on by Gareth Robson and John Piper had an easy time sending it into the open left side of the net. Harrison then capped the scoring with a booming 35 yard shot that Delany just missed only seconds before the final whistle to make it 3-1 with his 2nd goal of the match.

DC- It was a spotty match for us and Delany was the only reason we were still even in the waning moments. The match winning goal was a well thought out play that they deserved to score on, but the last goal Delany should have easily had- he just plain missed it.

***

DC- Now Wayne Harrison is out for the season with bad ankle. To add further problems, Leon Brown is out for a week with a bad foot- we are getting rather thin on forwards.

[Faramir]

16.4.11

AFC Wimbledon (4) Rochdale (0)

AFC- G.Hardy 19 J.Corbett 44 P.Zunda 47 M.Peers 88-P

Rochdale- None

MOM- Gary Hardy, AFC Wimbledon

AFC shook off their road loss with an impressive home performance as they outshot visiting Rochdale 20-2 enroute to an easy 4-0 win. AFC skipper Hardy scored the first goal when he rifled a shot inside the right post after a nice tap on pass from Chris Doughty. It was 2-0 at halftime thanks to Jim Corbett being in the right place to pick up a loose ball and then he scorched a low shot past Tony Walton into the far left corner of the net. AFC struck early in the second half to make it 3-0. Tony Shields played a great pass to Hardy. Hardy unselfishly chipped it over to Pagguy Zunda and Zunda blasted it past Walton into the right side of the net. Mark Peers converted a late penalty after Richard Hyde was redcarded for holding Zunda's shirt in the area and it was a 4-0 final score.

DC- We dominated this match from the opening whistle. The boys know our showdown is coming with 2nd place Enfield and they wanted this win badly to keep our lead on them.

[Faramir]

23.4.11

Hayes (0) AFC Wimbledon (1)

Hayes- None

AFC- J.Yates 19

MOM- James Yates, AFC Wimbledon

AFC won an important road match to keep the pressure on Enfield as youngster James Yates had a the kind of memorable debut every footballer wishes for. The 16 yr old Yates was able to reach a throw-in from Peter Watson that sailed over defender Josh Gowling's head. Yates hard, low shot skittered past Richard McKinney to set off an exuberant celebration from Yates for scoring in his debut. Hayes managed chances in their attempt to rally, but their shooting was abysmal and Dean Delany had an easy time keeping the clean sheet. McKinney denied a couple other good AFC chances to keep the match at 1-0 through the final whistle.

DC- It wasn't a pretty win, but we certainly worked hard to earn it. Yates was great in his debut, but I only played him because we didn't have another healthy, fit forward to pair with Hardy up front.

[Faramir]

30.4.11

AFC Wimbledon (2) Enfield (1)

AFC- G.Hardy 16,85

Enfield- B.Heath 42

MOM- Gary Hardy, AFC Wimbledon

How sweet it was. 200-1 choices at the beginning of the season, AFC Wimbledon was able to clinch the Conference Championship at The Fans' Stadium in front of a packed house as skipper Gary Hardy scored a late goal to send AFC to the 2-1 win. AFC was very crisp in the early going and Colin Owen had to make a couple sensational saves early in the first half. Tony Shields started a quick counterattack with a searching pass that found Leon Brown on the left side. Brown's looping cross found Hardy alone on the right side after Michael Abbott had given him too much room, and Hardy hammered it into the right side of the net. Enfield fought back to even the match at halftime as David Moore made a good run down the right side and then sent a nicely timed cross back to Brian Heath. Heath made an excellent volley past Dean Delany into the right side of the net. AFC won the match when Pagguy Zunda, on for a tiring Brown, made a difficult centering pass from almost the left corner. In the middle of three defenders, Hardy was still able to deflect the match winning goal past Owen as AFC closed out the Conference title chase with their 2-1 home win. The celebration following the win will be remembered for quite some time.

DC- We played hard- and well- and not only earned the win but the Championship of the Conference. I am proud of our young club and their performance this season. We have overcome injuries that would have doomed us last season and have seen significant contributions from virtually everyone on the roster.

[Faramir]

7.5.11

AFC Wimbledon (2) Chester (1)

AFC- A.Hogg 3 M.Kennedy 80

Chester- D.Asamoah 76

MOM- Anthony Hogg, AFC Wimbledon

In their final home match of the season, the Kingsmeadow fans feted veteran leftback Matt Lockwood. With rumors swirling that Lockwood will retire after the season, he was greeted with a standing ovation when introduced in the starting lineup. The fans weren't even seated yet when AFC struck for the early lead. It was a beautiful tic-tac-toe passing combination that saw Lockwood bump the ball to Richard Neville. Neville then sprayed it out to the left for James Yates. Yates had good vision to see Anthony Hogg slide into his place in the middle and he gave him a neat chip pass. Hogg wasted little time in snapping his shot past Michael Moore inside the left post for his 5th goal of the season and AFC was off to a fast start. Moore staged a nice display as he kept the match close with several good saves in the first half. Chester was more organized offensively to begin the second half and started finding Derek Asamoah roaming behind the AFC backline. Asamoah mishandled two dribbles and Tom Phillips was able to rush out and thwart the chances. He wasn't as fortunate the third time when Darren Graham found Asamoah lurking unmarked. Phillips got his hand on the shot, but it went past him for the equalizer. AFC stole the win when they scored the strangest goal this season. Chris Martin had passed back for Mark Kennedy. With Asamoah racing to pressure him, Kennedy half-volleyed a through ball forward- trying to find streaking Pagguy Zunda or Leon Brown. Instead the ball went past Chester defender Tom Parkinson and keeper Moore never saw it as it bounced into the net. Kennedy had scored the match winning goal from well past midfield! AFC played a more conservative last few moments to take their final home match 2-1.

DC- A strange, stunning goal- wierdest one I have seen in a good long time. Still it was enough to give us the win and we really did play well enough to deserve to win the match.

[Faramir]

14.5.11

Nuneaton Borough (0) AFC Wimbledon (2)

Nuneaton- None

AFC- P.Wilkinson 12 C.Doughty 90

MOM- Alan Charlton, AFC Wimbledon

AFC used a pair of long-range strikes to edge Nuneaton Borough 2-0 at Manor Park to close out their successful season. Steve Murphy set-up the first goal when he challenged the home side with a run down the left side. As the defenders came out to close him down, he slid a pass to Peter Wilkinson and Wilkinson whistled a rising shot into the upper right corner past Stuart Gallagher. Nuneaton Borough generated many chances of their own and came within a whisker of knotting the match several times- only to see either Tom Phillips come up with the save or see the ball drift just past the post. AFC finally clinched the match when Chris Doughty (subbed on for Andrew Holt) intercepted a through ball from David Roberts and hit a cannon shot kick past Gallagher from 35 yards to give AFC a final win to close out the season.

***

2010-11 Conference

1st- AFC Wimbledon 97 pts (+64)

2nd- Enfield 83 pts (+32)

3rd- Scunthorpe 69 pts (+20)

4th- Scarborough 67 pts (+19)

5th- Southport 67 pts (+16)

6th- Hayes 66 pts (+21)

7th- Barnet 66 pts (+6)

8th- Morecambe 66 pts (-4)

9th- Hereford 65 pts (+0)

10th-Telford 61 pts (+13)

Avg Ratings

1- Jim Corbett, AFC Wimbledon 8.15

2- Chris Martin, Exeter 7.83

3- Gary Hardy, AFC Wimbledon 7.80

4- Adam Parker, Scunthorpe 7.67

5- Richard Neville, AFC Wimbledon 7.63

Goals

1- Ben Strevens, Barnet 22

2- Gary Hardy, AFC Wimbledon 19

3- Luke Rodgers, Darlington 19

4- Ryan Sugden, Morecambe 19

5- Brian Heath, Enfield 18

6- Graham Porter, Bradford PA 16

7- Peter Richardson, AFC Wimbledon 16

AFC Players selected for Players Conference Select:

GK- Dean Delany

MC- Richard Neville

SC- Gary Hardy

[Faramir]

DC- I dearly wanted to try and move some wages, since we were still in the red after receiving our money for 1st place finish and our wages were higher than Board desired. The first move was finding a new home for John Edwards. Morecambe offered me on free transfer for him and I accepted.

***

DC- We did add a midfielder. I had been loath to really use our available transfer funds, but my scouts all agreed that Jamie Parker would be an excellent signing for us. Northwich Victoria had him transfer listed, and was willing to accept 12K for him. He signed a modest contract and should help us in the midfield next season.

***

DC- Despite the influx of TV funds, we were still 150K in the red to begin the season. That fact alone made a very hard choice somewhat palatable...

Hardy Sold!

AFC Wimbledon stunned both the press and their loyal fans when they announced today that they had sold their 19 yr old skipper Gary Hardy to Barnsley. The reported transfer amount was 300K, and appears to have been about twice what young Hardy was rated at. Hardy had scored 42 goals for AFC since arriving from their youth program and that included a career high 19 last season. Hardy also deserves credit for almost single-handedly preventing AFC's possible relegation two seasons ago. It was clear it was an emotional parting for both sides as Hardy expressed his sorrow at leaving the club he had grown up with- yet was looking forward to getting a chance to play higher level football. AFC manager Dave Colley thanked Hardy for both his leadership and his work ethic and stated he was confident that Hardy could succeed in those higher levels.

DC- Though I was loathe to sell Gary, he was the only player on our roster rated at a significant sum. When Barnsley enquired, I gave them an amount double his rated amount- and they didn't blink at all in accepting that as their offer. I believe I have his replacement lined up though, just waiting contract approval to announce...

AFC Wimbledon Purchases Peacack

AFC Wimbledon announced today that they had purchased 22 yr old SC Lee Peacack from Leyton Orient for 3K. Peacack, who AFC manager Colley was familiar with from his time on staff there, had come up through the Orient youth program- but found his way to playing time blocked by many quality forwards. He was looking forward to reuniting with Colley and finally having a full chance to play regularly.

DC- Lee Peacack has a lot of quality, but never had a chance to play at Orient. I think he may surprise many people with his ability and am very comfortable pairing him with Richardson up front. If Barnsley had called on Richardson and not Hardy- they would have found a player they could not purchase.

[Faramir]

AFC Announce Signings

AFC Wimbledon today announced a pair of free transfer signings. The veteran of the two was 30 yr old DC Chris Clarke who signed after being released by Blackpool. Clarke had been a regular at the Seasiders up until two seasons ago, but had played sparingly since. The youngster of the two was 17 yr old DC Darren Scott. Scott had come up in the Newcastle youth program, but had been released and had gone unsigned until AFC came calling.

***

AFC sells Wingers

AFC Wimbledon, apparently in a bid to reduce their weekly wage bill, have been vigorously pursuing the transfer sale of many of their players. Today they announced the sale of 26 yr old ML Mark Peers to Crewe Alexandra. Peers was very happy to move to such a storied club. Manager Dave Colley stated that though he hated to lose Peers, he was pleased to receive the 60K purchase price- which will help the underfunded club. Also leaving AFC today was 22 yr old Colin Gibbons. Gibbons was sold for 6K to Barnsley. Gibbons arrived at AFC last season as an explosive winger, but never really demonstrated the abilities he possesses.

DC- I believe Mark Peers is a bit injury prone, and with his wages the highest on the club- it was a bad combination. He may do very well at Crewe- but our wages are getting closer to Board expectations.

[Faramir]

More AFC Transfer Sales

AFC Wimbledon today announced several small transfer sales. 18 yr old SC Mark Vaughan was sold to Brighton for 9k. Fullback David Hewson was sold to Weymouth for 2K. Winger Matt Cooper was sent to Chelmsford for 2k. Veteran defender David Woozley was sold for 14k to Weston-super-Mere. Defender Ross Handford was sold for 20k to Farnborough.

DC- The exodus? Not hardly. All of these players had little to no place in the plans for the future here and I was glad to be rid of their wages (even if the amounts were small).

***

DC- I had been hoping to keep Darren Turnbull under wraps until 17, but it went for naught when Doncaster came calling and signed him. We received 65k, but I know we lost a good young midfielder who will be worth a lot more soon.

DC- Finally received a bid on Craig Sives. The 24 yr old DR had played well for us, but we are deep at the position and I had offered him to many clubs. Blackpool will pay us 20k for him and that was a fair sale in my book.

***

DC- After shedding players right and left to get close to the Board's expected weekly wage, it was time to do a little bargain hunting. I signed 18 yr old DRC Paul Hooper on free. Hooper came from the Arsenal youth program and has explosive speed. My scouts didn't think he was worth signing after being out of football for a season, but this was one I went with my own observations on. We also landed David Hughes, a promising 16 yr old SW/D/DMC, from bankrupt Macclesfield for 5k. Hughes was a player my scouts liked a lot and looked like he could develop quickly. Though it didn't work with Darren Turnbull, I will try to keep him under wraps until I can re-sign him at age 17.

[Faramir]

More Sales for AFC Wimbledon

AFC Wimbledon continued to aggressively cull their club in preparation for the beginning of play in Division 3. The most surprising sale was that of 18 yr old SC Dave Watts to Burnley for 40k. It had been expected that Watts would be working in a rotation with new acquisition Lee Pea**** and Peter Richardson after how well he had played in limited action last season. Apparently he caught the eye of the Division 1 club, as they apparently enquired about his services and agreed on a transfer purchase price with AFC manager Dave Colley. Watts was pleased with a chance to move up in competition. Also in other minor transfer sales announced by AFC for the last week or so- 18 yr old SC Paul Harper was sold to Canvey Island for 20k. Young 18 yr old GK Kevin Chambers was sold to Stalybridge for 8k. 21 yr old DRC Paul Kelly was sold to Oxford for 6k and 22 yr old DC Chris Reid was sent walking to Woking for 3k.

DC- Still aggressively trying to pare down the roster, though I may have cut it a little too thin on depth at forward with the sale of both Watts and Harper. It was difficult to turn down a substantial offer for Watts, but that may come back to haunt me if he develops into a big scorer there...

***

DC- I had been dreading injuries cropping up and they came with a vengence. Steven Murphy will be lost for 3 months due to surgery for a hip injury he suffered in practice. Young David Hughes will have to wait awhile to make his debut for us as he fractured ribs and will miss 2 months. Midfielder Chris Martin will be out 2 months due to rehabbing a torn groin.

***

DC- It was very hard to turn down an offer from Crewe Alexandra to take over as manager of their club. They are in Division 2- secure financially- and have great facilities. Despite that, I felt obliged to tell them no on their offer to take over and I will remain at AFC Wimbledon- for now.

[Faramir]

DC- It didn't count for anything, other than a little pride, and the match was their idea anyways- but Wimbledon had to feel a little stung as we scored 3 second half goals to beat them 3-0 at Kingsmeadow. Dean Delany was superb in net- they should have had at least two goals, but for his terrific work. The goals all came from our subs- Leon Brown, young SW/DC Jason Gordon and Wayne Harrison- and we surprised them with how much speed we were able to show the entire match.

***

AFC Adds Aaron McLean

AFC Wimbledon, on the heels of the sale of forwards Dave Watts and Paul Harper, announced today that they had completed the transfer purchase of 28 yr old SC Aaron McLean from Lincoln United. The reported purchase price was 28k and McLean is very pleased to be coming back to Division 3 play after several years away from it.

DC- Aaron McLean was the best affordable forward I could find. His contract is less than Dave Watts' was- so that is a net gain overall for us.

***

AFC Grabs Rachubka

AFC Wimbledon made a surprise announcement of the transfer purchase of 30 yr old GK Paul Rachubka from Doncaster for 18K. Rachubka was pleased to be arriving at AFC and pledged to try and prove he is worthy of significant playing time.

DC- When they offered me Rachubka, I had to think hard about whether I really wanted him. In the end, I decided his extensive Division 1 experience and the fact that he is a mirror keeper of Dean Delany warranted his purchase. Tom Phillips obviously isn't too happy, but the Delany-Rachubka tandem gives us a solid pair at keeper.

[Faramir]

AFC Buys Brandy

While the liquid is appealing, AFC Wimbledon seemed more pleased to announce the transfer purchase of 24 yr old FC Fabien Brandy from Cambridge for 35K. Brandy originally came up through the Manchester United youth program and has played extensively with Plymouth and Cambridge. It is likely he will fill a midfield role for AFC.

DC- Though I dislike adding any more wages, as we move well above the Board's desired amount, it was an opportunity to add a very polished midfielder who I think can help us a lot. After some training time he should move into a starting role, and hopefully work out better than Chris Doughty did.

***

Skybet Division 3 Odds

6-4 Wigan

6-4 Southend

6-4 Bristol Rovers

6-4 Cheltenham

6-4 Cambridge

7-4 Rushden

33-1 AFC Wimbledon

DC- Better than 200-1. I guess the way we surprised everyone last season means that we aren't sneaking up on them as much this time.

[Faramir]

13.8.11

Wigan (2) AFC Wimbledon (4)

Wigan- A.Smith 34 R.Offiong 90

AFC- L.Peac@ck 30,50,90 P.Richardson 36

MOM- Lee Peac@ck, AFC Wimbledon

It appears all the groaning the AFC Wimbledon fans made over the loss of Gary Hardy will be quickly forgotten- if Lee Peac@ck has anything to say about that is. Peac@ck scored a hat-trick in his debut and AFC gave the packed house at JJB Stadium a taste of how they may be a problem club for many opponents this season with their impressive 4-2 win. AFC played without injured Jim Corbett and never missed a beat as Alan Charlton ran the Wigan midfield and defense ragged. Wigan was ill equipped for the pace that AFC showed and AFC blanketed them and closed their passing lanes from the start. If not for a sensational performance by Wigan keeper Paul Craig- the score could easily have been 8-2, as AFC created a ton of chances in outshooting the home side 25-8 for the match. After Craig had stymied both Peac@ck and Peter Richardson in the early portion of the first half, Peac@ck struck for his 1st goal to give AFC the lead. In a play that demonstrated the quickness of the AFC attack, Richardson flicked a ball to Anthony Hogg. Hogg made a short move then picked out PeacQck as he showed good presence to move into the open space on the left side. Hogg's pass allowed Peac@ck enough space to fire a shot inside the left post past Craig. Wigan anwered almost immediately when Leon Hylton made a terrific clearing kick that found Richard Offiong behind Chris Clarke. Offiong's blast was parried away by Dean Delany, but Anton Smith had an easy time chipping the rebound into the empty right side of the net to score in his debut. AFC jumped back into the lead as Paul Hooper scorched a pass to Charlton on a free kick. Charlton's easily went past a defender and broke in on the right before crossing to Richardson. Craig got a hand on Richardson's blast, but the ball still went into the left side of the net to move AFC ahead 2-1 at half. Tony Shields played a ball into space on the left and Richardson ran it down. Richardson's cross was perfect for Peac@ck to leap and beat Hylton, before his strong header went in off the left post for his 2nd goal of the match. Wigan lost two goals to referee's calls in the match- one on a handball and the other on an offside and both infuriated their crowd. Peac@ck finished off his hat-trick in second half injury time after missing a couple of excellent chances to do it earlier. Aaron McLean, on for a tiring Richardson, sent a sizzling centering pass to Peac@ck. Craig blocked his shot, but Hylton couldn't stop Peac@ck from firing the rebound home. Wigan managed a consolation goal when they caught Mark Kennedy too far up the pitch and a long pass found Offiong with plenty of time to drive a low shot past Delany to make the final score 4-2.

DC- It was all I could ask for in our Division 3 debut. Despite playing without Corbett, Steve Harvey and Steven Murphy we came away with an excellent road win against a favorite for advancement. Peac@ck justified the faith I had in him and he and Richardson look like a dandy pairing.

[Faramir]

17.8.11

AFC Wimbledon (2) Barnsley (0) League Cup 1st Round

AFC- B.Green 23 A.McLean 90

Barnsley- None

MOM- Aaron McLean, AFC Wimbledon

Despite not featuring its usual lineup, AFC Wimbledon stunned Division 2 Barnsley with an unusual goal and a gritty defensive effort that led to a 2-0 win as they will move on in the League Cup play. Barnsley had the best of the early moments of play, moving the ball well, and came close when Mbabazi's shot was pushed over the bar by Paul Rachubka. Rachubka, who had a splendid debut, also managed to knock Barnsley's Player-Manager Gary Neville's shot past the post. AFC struck for the lead when young Ben Green tried to find Alan Dawson with a long downfield pass. Barnsley keeper Lenny Pidgeley appeared certain that Dawson would get his head on the ball and was off balance when Dawson missed. The ball kept bouncing and slid just inside the right post for an unlikely 60 yard strike and the 1st professional goal for Green. With the lead, AFC laid off their offensive pressuring scheme and played a more defensive outlook. They frustrated the visitors as their desperation grew in the second half. It appeared that Paul Gallagher was going to have a great chance midway through when a clearly struggling Chris Clarke couldn't keep up with him, but Steve Murphy moved in from leftback to make a saving tackle. Danny Webber came very close to evening the match shortly after- but his shot bounced off the post. AFC finally put the match away when Murphy sailed a long pass to Dawson in space on the right. Dawson's cross went past Alessandro Marchetti and Aaron McLean was left with an easy score into the left side of the net to clinch the 2-0 win.

DC- It's not often I disagree with the selection- but McLean should not have been MOM- Steve Murphy was the one who deserved it today. Murphy played a great game and saved us with his tackle on Gallagher. We didn't play our best or most organized match- our players gave it their all in our end and we really kept them to only a few really good chances.

[Faramir]

20.8.11

AFC Wimbledon (5) Stockport (0)

AFC- A.Hogg 23 L.Peac@ck 36,44,70 J.Parker 62

Stockport- None

MOM- Lee Pea****, AFC Wimbledon

AFC Wimbledon humbled visiting Stockport with a convincing 5-0 win, but the visitors couldn't fault keeper Jonathan Tuffey- whose dazzling work kept the score from being larger. In a match where one side outshoots the other 23-1, you can imagine that one keeper is very busy. Tuffey kept the match scoreless in the first 20 minutes- despite AFC generating no less than a half-dozen good scoring chances. AFC finally broke through when Anthony Hogg smashed a 25 yard free kick that Tuffey couldn't reach. With that goal Stockport's backline seemed to collapse. Hogg picked up a loose ball just beyond the edge of the area and slipped it in to Lee Peac@ck. Rob Clare, already yellow carded, couldn't aggressively challenge Peac@ck as he wheeled and drove a shot inside the left post past Tuffey. Stockport was trying to counterattack just before half, when Jamie Parker made a timely interception of a through ball and made them pay as he sent a through ball of his own to Peac@ck. Peac@ck's precision shot past Tuffey just went inside the far, left post to make it 3-0 AFC at halftime. Parker then used great vision when he saw the Stockport backline open up the middle while they tried to keep tabs on Peac@ck and Peter Richardson. Hogg flicked Parker the ball after Paul Dunn's long cross and Parker made an excellent shot past the stranded Tuffey as he had plenty of time to line up his 1st goal at AFC. Dean Delany keyed the last AFC goal with a kick up the middle. Richardson leaped and flicked it on to unmarked Peac@ck. Peac@ck saw Tuffey coming out to challenge him and chipped it over him to complete his hat-trick and cap the 5-0 home win.

DC- Hmm, Two matches- two hat-tricks. I think Lee Peac@ck might turn into a pretty good player after all (though I guess it was a shame we never gave him much of a chance at Orient). Jamie Parker also played a superb match today.

[Faramir]

24.8.11

Bristol Rovers (0) AFC Wimbledon (3)

Bristol- None

AFC- J.Corbett 47 L.Pea**** 62 A.Holt 73

MOM- Jim Corbett, AFC Wimbledon

AFC Wimbledon put forth another superior defensive effort as they outshot Bristol Rovers 10-2 and defeated them 3-0 in front of a disappointed Memorial Stadium crowd. The closest the home side came to scoring was in the opening moments of the first half when Dean Delany made a fingertip save on a terrific volley from Alexis Nicholas. AFC had chances in the first half, but the Bristol Rover backline was doing a nice job supporting keeper James Quinn. AFC struck in the opening moments of the second half to take the lead. Paul Dunn's innocent throw-in to Lee Peac@ck wound up a disaster for the Rovers as Peac@ck made a deft pass to Jim Corbett. Corbett went past two defenders before drilling a shot past Quinn off the inside of the far left post. Peter Richardson flicked a long pass for himself past James Chambers. Andy Connolly lost track of the play and left Peac@ck standing all alone in front of Quinn and Richardson made him pay when he slid the ball over and Peac@ck promptly deposited it into the right side of the net. After a corner from the left side of the pitch, Corbett wound up with the ball and made a stirling cross to unmarked Andrew Holt (on for a tiring Fabien Brandy). Holt whistled the ball back to the left side of the net as Quinn couldn't react quickly enough for Holt's 1st goal this season. AFC backed off and defended the 3-0 lead until the final whistle.

DC- I am excited at how good a start we have made to Division 3 play. We are playing such a strong defensive game right now that the goals are just coming from our pressure.

[Faramir]

27.8.11

AFC Wimbledon (2) Cheltenham (0)

AFC- P.Richardson 18 P.Dunn 71

Cheltenham- None

MOM- Paul Dunn, AFC Wimbledon

AFC took advantage of a subpar performance by Cheltenham keeper Glenn Morris to edge them at Kingsmeadow 2-0. It didn't help the visitors that they managed only 3 shots to AFC's 11, but Dean Delany outperformed Morris and that was the biggest difference in the close win. AFC took the lead in the first half when Jim Corbett outraced Matt Hutchinson to the ball at the byline and crossed to the middle. Peter Richardson eluded Gary Wright and easily deflected the sharp cross inside the near right post past Morris. AFC then clinched the match in the second half. Wright headed away a Peter Watson throw-in, but Tony Shields leaped and flicked the ball on to Paul Dunn, lurking just outside the edge of the area. Dunn's shot should have been grabbed by Morris- but he missed the ball and it was 2-0 AFC. Morris was removed as Cheltenham manager Paul Heald was clearly upset at his performance. AFC was content to play out the time with the lead and put the 2-0 score in the books.

DC- It was a close match and I was really happy when Peter Richardson put us out front fairly early. Playing with the lead helped us clamp down on them on defense.

[Faramir]

DC- I am sweating out the time until Peter Wilkinson's 17th birthday. I have already had bids on him from Nottingham Forest and Leicester, but was able to turn both down. His birthday is next month and it can't come soon enough.

***

DC- Injury strikes hard as we lose young Andrew Holt for the next five months, due to surgery to repair a torn hamstring. It was better to send him out now, since his 17th birthday will occur while off and we can re-sign him to a new contract then.

***

AFC Signs Saunders

AFC Wimbledon today announced the signing on free of promising 20 yr old MC Alex Saunders. Saunders, who was in the Wolves youth system until released during the summer, has a reputation as a good passer and an exciting player. It is rumored that AFC just beat out several other clubs that had been considering offering Saunders a contract.

DC- My scouts had seen him and thought he was a good to excellent signing. With several higher level clubs starting to scout him hard- it was time to see if we could actually sign him. He should be a good addition.