SOS-I

[Faramir]

3.9.11

Lincoln (0) AFC Wimbledon (3)

Lincoln- None

AFC- C.Clarke 51 J.Corbett 55 F.Brandy 63

MOM- Jim Corbett, AFC Wimbledon

AFC Wimbledon continued to build on their strong showing in the early stages of their inaugaral Division 3 campaign with a 3-0 win over Lincoln at Sincil Bank. The first half saw the two clubs blunder their way to a scoreless trip to the dressing room as neither club was effective at pressing the attack in their respective offensive zones. Both keepers saw little activity in the first half as the two clubs combined for a paltry 5 shots total. AFC came out with a more organized approach in the second half and took advantage when Jim Corbett's corner sailed over a crowd of players- right to Chris Clarke. Clarke proved his veteran savvy as he wasted no time in firing at, and past, Lincoln keeper Marc Ziegler's diving attempt for his 1st AFC goal. Peter Watson proved his superb vision when his laser-like pass found Corbett breaking in from the right sideline. Before the Lincoln backline could close down on him, Corbett had moved into the area and rocketed a shot past Ziegler to make it 2-0 AFC. AFC then quickly put up the goal that seemed to break Lincoln's spirit. Clarke's good pass picked out Corbett on the right and as Paul Morgan came out to challenge him- Corbett chipped the ball over him to Fabien Brandy. Brandy, who had just subbed on for a slightly injured Aaron McLean moments before, then showed superb touch on the ball as he demonstrated the talent that so excited AFC about adding him with a perfectly placed lob shot over Ziegler for his 1st ever goal at AFC. AFC then clamped down defensively and allowed Paul Rachubka an easy time in claiming his clean sheet in the 3-0 win.

DC- We played very poorly in the first half with no flow at all to our play. It seemed a completely different club in the second half as everyone was making excellent passes and covering for each other defensively. This was a good road result to put in the books.

[Faramir]

AFC Wimbledon Buys Bishop

AFC Wimbledon announced the transfer signing of 20 yr old DC Alex Bishop from Enfield for a reported 26K. Bishop has already been a 4-season full-time player for Enfield, but their financial woes and their inability to sign him to a contract extension was apparently what triggered the sale. The talks had been ongoing for quite some time, but AFC only recently was able to work out a contract to the satisfaction of Bishop's agent. Bishop admitted that the ongoing transfer speculation had impacted his play this season and was looking forward to earning regular playing status with the surprising AFC club.

DC- I had been trying to pry Bishop away from Enfield since the end of last season. He is the top young defender that I had seen who even entertained the idea of being willing to play for us. It took extensive and protracted negotiations to get him under contract, but now that he is- he should be one of our two starters in central defense. We are now way over the expected weekly budget, but the Board so far seems content that the money is being well spent and haven't harrassed me on the issue- especially since we remain well in the black.

[Faramir]

7.9.11

AFC Wimbledon (4) Southend (0)

AFC- P.Richardson 45,48,60 A.Charlton 75

Southend- None

MOM- Peter Richardson, AFC Wimbledon

AFC played superbly and gave struggling Southend no chances as they easily defeated the visitors to Kingsmeadow by a 4-0 score. Southend gamely battled in the first half as they appeared set to run out the half in scoreless fashion after blunting AFC's best scoring chances. That changed when in extra time Steven Murphy sent a ball forward for Peter Richardson. Richardson leaped and flicked it past Steve Payne. Ben Gill raced back to try and close down Richardson, but he was just too late and Richardson's low blast trickled through keeper Andy Brennan into the net for a 1-0 AFC halftime lead. AFC then came out more aggressive to open the second half and it paid off when Payne misplayed a long, looping pass by AFC's Chris Clarke. The miscue was costly when Richardson raced to the ball and had a simple time knocking it past Brennan into the left side of the net for his 2nd goal of the match. Southend's backline continued to struggle and Chris Connolly wasn't able to reach a long goal kick by Dean Delaney. That allowed Richardson enough space to blast a low shot inside the right post to complete his hat-trick with his 5th goal of the season. Alan Charlton, on for a slightly injured Fabien Brandy at rightwing, then sent a dribble far ahead and a miscommunication by the Southend defenders allowed Charlton to swoop in and fire it past a clearly frustrated Brennan to cap the scoring in the 4-0 AFC win.

DC- We were well on our game for this match and they really had no answers defensively for our offensive execution today. We need to keep breaking down defenses like this!

[Faramir]

17.9.11

AFC Wimbledon (3) Peterborough (0)

AFC- L.Peac@ck 29 T.Shields 46 A.Hogg 87

Peterborough- None

MOM- Tony Shields, AFC Wimbledon

AFC continued their strong play as they outworked visiting Peterborough in sending them off with a 3-0 loss. After Peterborough had a couple good chances saved by Paul Rachubka in the early going, AFC leaped in front. Anthony Hogg took a throw-in from Peter Watson and broke into the area before slipping a pass to Lee Peac@ck. There were three Peterborough defenders close to Peac@ck, but he was still able to turn with the ball and blast a shot inside the left post past Mark Tyler. AFC then squashed Peterborough's hopes of a quick equalizer to start the second half as Watson sprayed a pass into space in the left corner. Peter Richardson ran the ball down and sent a hopeful cross into the middle, but it was headed away by Chris Hogg. The loose ball bounced out to Tony Shields and he blistered a 25 yard blast that Tyler got a hand upon, but could not keep out of the net for Shields' 1st goal of the season. AFC clinched the match late in the second half as Hogg made a dazzling run from just inside midfield. He pushed hard into the Peterborough area and he caught Tyler leaning for a shot on the wide side as he blasted it off Tyler's right shin and inside the left post to make the final margin of the win 3-0.

DC- Another strong match where we started a bit slowly, but ground the other club under continual pressure. Shields' shot was a pretty one and should be on our highlight reel for the season.

[Faramir]

24.9.11

Luton (1) AFC Wimbledon (1)

Luton- M.Dixon 83

AFC- P.Richardson 74

MOM- Peter Richardson, AFC Wimbledon

In a match they well could have won despite their indifferent play, AFC allowed Luton to grab a late equalizer and was forced to settle for splitting the points in the 1-1 draw. Luton appeared to have all the momentum after halftime as they came close to scoring three times on Dean Delany in the opening moments of the second half. Steve Paul missed inches wide, Jamie Turner's wicked, curving 25 yard blast hit the inside of the post and bounced all the way across the open goalmouth before Delany leaped on it and Delany made a fantastic save on Martin Dixon's rising blast as he pushed it over the bar when it appeared to be a certain goal. The first half featured no moments like this for either side as both had only managed a handful of long range shots. AFC broke into the lead when Paul Dunn turned a centering pass from Luton into a long pass into space on the right side of the pitch. Lee Peacock outraced two Luton defenders and then sent a centering pass toward Peter Richardson. Richardson showed he is continuing to develop priceless instincts around the net as he leapt and twisted past Chris Coyne to head the pass by James Biitner. Luton scored the late equalizer for the home side as Neil Davies picked up a loose ball and threaded a pass through to Martin Dixon at the six yard box. Dixon wheeled and Chris Clarke missed a sliding tackle as he fired his shot past Delany to make the final score 1-1. Dixon's goal was the first Division 3 goal allowed by AFC since their first match of the season against Wigan.

DC- A missed opportunity for a win. We really hadn't played well enough to earn a win, but I was ready to take it if we could manage. Instead we couldn't survive their pressure when they threw everyone forward in the late stages to try and even it.

[Faramir]

27.9.11

AFC Wimbledon (1) Mansfield (0) League Cup 2nd round- Extra Time

AFC- L.Peac@ck 94

Mansfield- None

MOM- Gareth White, Mansfield

Division 2 Mansfield expected a tough tussle with AFC Wimbledon at Kingsmeadow and received exactly that as AFC edged them 1-0 in Extra Time to move on the 3rd round of League Cup play. AFC refused to let the visitors dictate the tempo of play and held them to a grand total of 3 shots for the match. AFC generated more shots, but between their poor aim and Gareth White's strong play in net for Mansfield, it appeared the match might go to penalties after a scoreless regulation. Instead, Mansfield handed AFC the win when a tired Richard Baker made a terrible decision to try and backpass to keeper White. Baker put no zip on the pass and Lee Peac@ck- the freshest and fastest player on the pitch after subbing on for tired Fabien Brandy- swooped in to pick up the pass and then fired a shot into the left side of the net past White for what would be the match winning goal. The goal seemed to cause the same reaction in both clubs as they seemed to have little energy left and the remainder of extra time passed quietly as AFC advanced on the 1-0 upset win. It wasn't even close to the biggest upset in the 2nd round as fellow minnow Division 3 sides Burton Albion (stunned Leicester 5-2) and Notts County (edged Wolves 1-0) both upset EPL clubs in their matchups.

DC- A win that was well earned, though we didn't finish very effectively today. It didn't help that I rested both Peac@ck and Richardson for this match and that meant pairing Fabien Brandy and Aaron McLean up front- their unfamiliarity showed a few times during the match. We played very strong defensively in the match.

[Faramir]

1.10.11

AFC Wimbledon (6) Dag & Red (1)

AFC- P.Richardson 7,10 A.Hogg 38 L.Peac@ck 61 J.Parker 65 A.Saunders 85

Dag & Red- S.Brooker 34

MOM- Peter Richardson, AFC Wimbledon

AFC Wimbledon put together another overwhelming effort in front of the appreciative home crowd at The Fans' Stadium as they blew past struggling Dag & Red 6-1. Early AFC pressure saw Dag & Red keeper Mick Hay forced into a hurried clearing kick and Jim Corbett turned that into disaster as his pass was perfectly placed for Peter Richardson to rifle a shot past Hay to give AFC the quick lead. Anthony Hogg's hard work resulted in a fast 2nd goal for Richardson. Hogg stripped Chris McGrath of the ball and sent it to Jamie Parker. Parker was sending the ball in for unmarked Richardson almost before it arrived and Richardson didn't stop the ball- only deflected it into the left side of the net. Dag & Red gained some momentary hope when Steve Brooker struck from inside the edge of the area as he caught Dean Delany leaning for the expected cross. AFC quickly put a damper on that hope as Hogg answered back when he took a flick on from Richardson and came in free before he blasted a close-in shot through Hay to return AFC to a 2-goal lead at halftime. The second half was all AFC as their swirling attack and pace advantage became evident. Hay lost the handle as he tried to gather in a long shot from Tony Shields and Lee Peac@ck made him pay for the mistake by whisking the rebound past him for his 10th goal of the season. Jamie Parker made it 5-1 as he deflected a corner from Corbett past Hay. Alex Saunders then capped the scoring with his 1st goal for AFC. Saunders took a throw-in from Alan Charlton and blistered a 25 yard blast past Hay from the far right edge of the area.

DC- A very strong showing and another demonstration of how every player stepping into the lineup has been contributing for us. That bodes well for the long season as so far we have been relatively injury-free, but those injuries are difficult to avoid and if all of our players are sharp it will make for a much more successful campaign.

[Faramir]

5.10.11

Boston United (0) AFC Wimbledon (1)

Boston U- None

AFC- T.Osborne 76

MOM- Peter Richardson, AFC Wimbledon

Everyone seems to be contributing when called on, and that allowed AFC Wimbledon to edge Boston United 1-0 at York Street. AFC used their pace advantage to put pressure on the home side both offensively and defensively as they held sway over a majority of the midfield play. Boston United survived early AFC pressure thanks to kind posts. Peter Wilkinson rattled one off the left post when it looked like his low shot had beaten Boston keeper Mark Barry midway through the first half. In the later stages of the half, it was Fabien Brandy who was denied when his scorching shot clipped the outside of the post. AFC's Peter Richardson struggled through the first half, but came out in the second half a different player. His runs pressured the Boston backline and he continually escaped coverage to be a thorn in the home club's side. He created a great chance as Boston left Tony Shields unmarked in front, but a key save from Barry kept the match scoreless. Midway through the second half it was Richardson again- as his left side run drew the defense and this time he found unmarked Tim Osborne in the area. Osborne, who subbed on for a slightly injured Richard Neville, made the most of his chance when his low shot eluded Barry and went into the left side of the net for what would be the lone goal in the match. Boston tried to rally, but the coverage of the AFC backline and midfield meant they only managed a couple fleeting chances in the late stages as AFC was content to close out the close road win.

DC- I am almost more encouraged by this win than the 6-1 rout. We played an excellent match defensively and kept them from getting good scoring chances- especially late in the match.

[Faramir]

8.10.11

Enfield (0) AFC Wimbledon (0)

Enfield- None

AFC- None

MOM- Peter Richardson, AFC Wimbledon

A difficult match for both sides was settled as Enfield and AFC Wimbledon battled to a well deserved scoreless draw. This wasn't a colourless match though as both sides staged some impressive passing and each had good chances- but Dean Delany and Neil Hall both played well and received plenty of support from their backlines in keeping the match scoreless. AFC's best chance came late in the second half when Peter Richardson and Lee Peacock played a superb give-n-go passing sequence, but Peacock's shot missed the right post by inches. Orient also saw Jamie Parker move in free on Hall, but Hall scooped up his low shot, leaving Parker with head in hands. Enfield had a great chance in the waning moments of the second half, but Delany was able to snare a rising shot from Steve Langley to preserve the 0-0 final score.

DC- It was a fair result, though we missed more good chances than they did overall. Our passing was a bit spotty in the match as they clamped down well on our wingers.

[Faramir]

22.10.11

AFC Wimbledon (5) Cambridge (1)

AFC- S.Murphy 6 J.Corbett 17,49 A.Charlton 42 L.Peacock 45

Cambridge- C.Roberts 30

MOM- Alan Charlton, AFC Wimbledon

AFC Wimbledon added to last placed Cambridge's woes as they defeated them by a lopsided 5-1 margin. From the outset, AFC blew past the Cambridge midfielders in 343 formation and the backline was inadequate to handle the pressure applied to them. Orient worked a splendid play off a corner to take the lead. Jim Corbett's corner was headed back to him by Alan Charlton and he immediately crossed to the far post and found Steve Murphy moving in to deflect the cross past Gary Montgomery for his 1st goal at AFC. Quick ball movement set up an excellent goal by Corbett to make it 2-0 as Lee Peacock showed good timing in moving the ball to an unmarked Corbett on the wing. The lone bright spot of the match for Cambridge was when they drew a goal back in the first half. Andy Hale sent a centering pass to Cristian Roberts in a crowd of defenders. Roberts showed his strength and timing as he leapt and knocked his header past Paul Rachubka to make it 2-1. That was the end of good news for the visitors as AFC quickly moved ahead 3-1. Alan Charlton was perfectly placed to head a short cross from Corbett after Corbett's brilliant run on the byline past two defenders. AFC finished out the half and likely finished Cambridge's hopes when Peter Richardson made an excellent flick on a long pass from Chris Clarke. Richardson's flick reached Peacock and he slipped past Neil Harris before snapping a shot past Montgomery inside the left post. AFC finished out the scoring early in the second half when Peacock again showed wonderful vision. Peacock's short header out to Corbett allowed him to walk in and fire a low shot from a sharp angle past Montgomery for his 2nd goal of the match. The 5-1 win could have been worse as Montgomery made several good saves later in the second half as the dispirited visitors appeared content to leave with the defeat. Bad news finished out the match for AFC though as midfielder Jamie Parker was stretchered from the pitch with an apparent serious leg injury.

DC- It was another accomplished win as our passing was sharp and our finishing was on the mark. Losing Jamie Parker will be a serious blow to us though as he will miss close to a year due to tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee.

[Faramir]

26.10.11

Torquay (0) AFC Wimbledon (3) Vans Trophy South 1st round

Torquay- None

AFC Wimbledon- A.McLean 5,52 A.Charlton 59

MOM- Alan Charlton, AFC Wimbledon

AFC used slashing counterattacks to ruin Torquay's hopes of moving further in the Vans Trophy South competition. Alan Charlton's timely block sent a ball into space down the middle and Aaron McLean turned on the jets to outrace Richard White to the ball before hitting a hard, low swerving 15 yard blast past Chris Adams to send Orient to an early lead. Torquay had some good chances for the rest of the first half as they tried to fight back, but suprise starter Tom Phillips kept the slate clean going into halftime for AFC. Richard Neville chipped the ball out to Pagguy Zunda moving down the left and Zunda lofted a centering pass to the middle. Adams tried to come out and grab the lofted pass, but McLean challenged him and flicked the ball past him for his 2nd goal of the match. AFC then closed out the home side as Anthony Hogg intercepted a pass and took the ball down the center of the pitch from inside the AFC end. White finally made a saving tackle just when it looked like Hogg was going to finish his fabulous run, but the ball bounced right to Charlton- who had kept pace with Hogg down the pitch and he had an easy chip into the open net to make the final score 3-0.

DC- Everyone contributing is a common theme for our success this season- and today was just another example. McLean's pace helped ruin the crowd's expectations and we played another solid defensive match when we had to in the first half.

[Faramir]

29.10.11

Torquay (0) AFC Wimbledon (2)

Torquay- None

AFC- P.Richardson 61 A.Bishop 85

MOM- Peter Richardson, AFC Wimbledon

A scheduling twist saw AFC returning to Plainmoor for a Divisional match after defeating them in their Vans Trophy match. AFC broke open what had been a closely played match as they scored two second half goals to earn their second consecutive win at Plainmoor. The first half saw only a few good chances for either side and AFC wasted their best chance late in the half. Lee Peacack was away on a 2-1 with Peter Richardson wide open on the left. Peacack left it until too late though as David Sloan made the saving tackle and ruined the opportunity. AFC finally took the lead in the second half as Peacack and Richardson again combined on the break. This time Peacack made no mistake in slotting the ball to an unattended Richardson and it was an easy time for him to whisk it into the open left side of the net. AFC had a couple of excellent chances to clinch the match, but Chris Adams came up with big stops on both Peacack and Peter Wilkinson to keep Torquay in the match. AFC did clinch the match when Alex Bishop outleaped two defenders and made a powerful header on Tim Osborne's corner to score his 1st goal at AFC as they finished out the 2-0 win.

DC- I was really pleased with our effort- especially late in the match. We had better condition in the last ten minutes and it paid off in a win this time.

[Faramir]

2.11.11

Newcastle (3) AFC Wimbledon (1) League Cup 3rd round

Newcastle- I.Olic 19,55 C.Mason 48-P

AFC- P.Hooper 44

MOM- Lucio, Newcastle

AFC Wimbledon gave a valiant effort, but were overpowered in the end by Newcastle's skill and pace in the 3-1 loss at St.James. The early play belonged completely to the home side as they generated a lot of chances, but were slightly off the mark in their shooting. The AFC backline and midfield was guilty of running around too much and Newcastle finally made them pay when Steve Harvey misjudged a long pass from the Newcastle end. The ball sailed over him and allowed Ivica Olic to break in free and he rifled a low shot past Paul Rachubka for the lead. AFC managed to get back even just before half when Paul Hooper deflected an Anthony Hogg corner past Paul Thorpe. Newcastle took advantage of Hooper's mistake to open the second half, as Hooper was called for a handball in his own area. Impressive young Chris Mason converted the penalty kick to return the lead to Newcastle. Another defensive mistake allowed Olic to make a diving header that skidded past Rachubka to send the home side ahead 3-1. AFC tried to rally, but couldn't overcome Newcastle's solid backline play- led by their skipper Lucio.

DC- We spent too much of the match playing in awe of them. Still, it was a good effort- but our level of play would have had to have been much better for a chance to actually beat them.

***

Richardson Out

AFC Wimbledon's soaring young striker Peter Richardson will reportedly miss the next three months due to surgery. Richardson apparently suffered a training injury that was more serious than initially believed and the decision was made jointly by Richardson and AFC manager Dave Colley to opt for surgery to collect the leg problems. Manager Colley did not state who would move into the starting lineup in place of Richardson.

DC- Rotten break for Peter- especially since he has been the best player in Division 3 by far this season and really has been the catalyst to our success. We will just have to compensate for his loss. I think the first player I will try up front is Fabien Brandy- he hasn't been comfortable in a midfield role and this is a good time to evaluate his future with us.

[Faramir]

5.11.11

AFC Wimbledon (3) Yeovil (0)

AFC- J.Corbett 21 F.Brandy 33 R.Neville 68

Yeovil- None

MOM- Jim Corbett, AFC Wimbledon

AFC Wimbledon pleased their fans with a strong effort in seeing off visiting Yeovil in a highly spirited 3-0 win. AFC missed a couple chances early on when bad passing ruined what appeared to be certain goals, but Jim Corbett was in the right position to knock in a loose ball that deflected off two defenders and bounced over to him at the far post. Chris Clarke had sent a centering pass, but the ball appeared to ricochet off both Jimmy Oliver and Stuart Murray before bouncing to Corbett to slot home for his 5th goal of the season. Oliver's temper caused more trouble for Yeovil as he made an ill-advised trip of Corbett while already carrying the burden of an early yellow card. His sending off left more space for the AFC forwards and Fabien Brandy capitalized. Corbett intercepted a pass and broke down the right side. He reached the byline and sent a hard cross that Brandy was perfectly placed to deflect past Danny O'Brien. AFC clinched the match in the second half when Lee Peacock made a beatiful one-touch pass that allowed Richard Neville to drive a shot into the open left side of the net from just inside the edge of the area for his 1st goal of the season. AFC was content to keep another clean sheet from there and closed out the 3-0 win by maintaining control of the ball most of the rest of the match.

DC- We responded well to the loss of Richardson. I just hope we can maintain this level of play for a good long stretch.

[garno]

Excellent story from an excellant writer. KUTGW!

[Faramir]

garno- glad that you are enjoying it, it has been a fun one to do

***

9.11.11

AFC Wimbledon (0) Burton Albion (0)

AFC- None

Burton Albion- None

MOM- Mark Gibson, Burton Albion

The showdown match between 1st place AFC and 2nd place Burton Albion was everything the televised audience could expect. It was a gritty match with both clubs playing hard and sprinkled with a few excellent scoring chances and great work from both keepers. Burton Albion's keeper Mark Gibson was worthy of his MOM honour as he made a pair of sensational first half saves to stymie AFC. Gibson parried away Lee Peacock's scorching low blast in a one-on-one situation midway through the half. He also tipped a great chance from Fabien Brandy over the bar. Dean Delany was called on for a diving, smothering stop on Kevin Rooney early in the second half and Delany was also able to grab off a rising header from Michael Rankine midway through the half. Both sides worked hard defensively and the late stages of the second half featured only a few scattered long shots in the light rain that dotted the pitch. The scoreless draw was a fair result for both sides.

DC- We desperately missed Peter Richardson's game breaking presence in this match. His scoring ability might well have earned us a win had he been able to play.

[Faramir]

12.11.11

AFC Wimbledon (2) Chesham (0) FA Cup 1st round

AFC- A.McLean 70,88

Chesham- None

MOM- Aaron McLean, AFC Wimbledon

AFC Wimbledon dominated their FA Cup match with non-league Chesham, but it took a pair of late goals from Aaron McLean to finally see off the stubborn visitors in the 2-0 win. Chesham played a tough, physical first half and leaned on keeper Pat Whelan a lot- but it worked as the two sides went to half scoreless, despite AFC controlling the bulk of the play. The second half started out in a similar fashion. When Chesham finally made a defensive mistake though, AFC was able to capitalize. On a throw-in at midfield, Steve Murphy got the ball back and whipped a long through ball for Aaron McLean. Kevin Gray had wandered away and left McLean unmarked and it was a blistering shot from McLean that scooted past Whelan to give AFC the lead. AFC clinched the match in the late going when Whelan lost the handle when he was trying to collect a looping pass from AFC's Peter Wilkinson. The ball escaped his grasp and rolled right to McLean for an alert tap-in for his 2nd goal of the match and the final marker in the 2-0 win.

DC- The score could easily have been much greater, but our finishing was a bit spotty and Whalen played very well until the dying moments. They managed a handful of shots- but none of them were very troubling for Paul Rachubka.

[Faramir]

16.11.11

Dag & Red (0) AFC Wimbledon (1) Vans Trophy South 2nd round

Dag & Red- None

AFC- A.McLean 35

MOM- Anthony Hogg, AFC Wimbledon

By the end of the match, the packed house at Glyn Hopkin Stadium was muttering about the fates- as the home side fell to AFC 1-0 in a closely played match. Neither side generated many chances in the taut first half, but AFC capitalized on one of theirs. AFC worked a quick, concise play off an Alex Bishop throw-in, as Anthony Hogg made an immediate chip pass that Aaron McLean volleyed past Danny Lennon from just inside the edge of the area. Dag & Red missed a golden chance to even the match late in the first half when a screamer from Steve Brooker sailed inches wide past a diving Paul Rachubka. AFC had another good chance early in the second half, but Alan Dawson was wild with a shot at an open net and sailed it well over the crossbar. AFC certainly had to feel more comfortable when Chris Butler drew a redcard at 62 minutes for holding Dawson. That feeling changed when Bishop backed into and fouled Thom Kemp in the area on a cross. The home fans were left groaning when Andy Andrews drilled the penalty kick off the inside of the left post and Rachubka smothered the rebound. That seemed to take the last heart out of Dag & Red and AFC was able to close out the 1-0 win that keeps them moving on in the Vans Trophy competition.

DC- We dodged a bullet when the penalty kick bounced back off the post. We didn't play aggressively enough with our man advantage and almost let them back into a match we had in our pocket.

[Faramir]

23.11.11

York (0) AFC Wimbledon (3)

York- None

AFC- A.McLean 1,59 J.Corbett 90

MOM- Jim Corbett, AFC Wimbledon

Struggling York found themselves trailing in the opening moments of the match and struggled through another bad match as AFC defeated them 3-0 in front of their disgruntled fans. Peter Watson started AFC by winging a pass out to unmarked Alan Charlton on the left sideline. Charlton broke in and then sent a short, sharp cross that Aaron McLean quickly hooked past David Stockdale into the far right side of the net. AFC kept York under constant pressure through the remainder of the first half, but Stockdale steadied and with solid backline support limited the first half damage to the initial goal. The opening moments of the second half saw York trying to rally as they pressed hard in the AFC end, but Dean Delany knocked away two good shots and AFC caught them on a counterattack. Paul Dunn sent the ball out to Jim Corbett on the right and Corbett challenged the defense before sending a well-timed pass that McLean whisked past an off balance Stockdale for his 2nd goal of the match. Frustation was clearly the cause as defender Chris Smith earned a pair of yellow cards a moment later. Short a man, and down two goals, York played defensively. Following another quick pair of yellow cards- this time to David Browne- they spent the last stages of the second half battened down in their end. AFC grabbed a 3rd goal when a nice play off a corner resulted in Corbett breaking in from the right and drilling a precision shot inside the left post to make the final 3-0.

DC- York is struggling, but we played the type of match we needed to as we gave them no breaks in keeping their losing skid going.

[bartley_m]

I am addictied to this one, Division 2 here we come

I'm also enjoying your 'bet' story

[Faramir]

bartley- glad you are enjoying both of them- thanks for the support

***

26.11.11

AFC Wimbledon (2) Swindon (1)

AFC- A.McLean 8,90

Swindon- L.Watson 55-P

MOM- Aaron McLean, AFC Wimbledon

Visiting Swindon seemed content to accept the 1-1 draw they were playing for late in the second half. AFC Wimbledon wasn't content- and despite playing with only 10 men- struck for a dramatic winner in second half extra time to take a deserved 2-1 win. AFC dominated most of the match as the 5th place Swindon seemed lethargic. Alex Bishop sent a through ball that Matt Heywood was able to deflect, but the deflection turned into AFC's goal when Aaron McLean raced past Tim Butler to slot the loose ball home into the right side of the net past Brian Gallagher. Gallahger was the difference in the match and could well have received MOM honours as he made a three excellent saves to keep his side in the match. In a one-on-one with McLean, he managed to block the ball away and was able to recover and push Lee Peacock's blast on the rebound past the post. He also made a huge save on Fabien Brandy in first half extra time to buoy the visitors. Swindon rallied to start the second half and when Paul Hooper was called for bumping Danny Marney in the area- it was his 2nd yellow card. Liam Watson converted the penalty past Dean Delany and it was back to 1-1 with AFC fielding only 10 men. AFC continued to press- even with less men- and Gallagher came up with another sensational save that left Peac@ck shaking his head with only minutes remaining. AFC grabbed all three points when Tony Shields sent a superb through ball that went past Heywood and McLean was able to deflect slightly. That deflection was enough to leave Gallagher flat footed and staring hopelessly as the ball slid inside the right post for the dramatic match winner and McLean's 10th goal of the season.

DC- Aaron McLean has really taken advantage of the opportunity and his play has caused me to not look for another striker on transfer. I am looking for another central defender though, as neither Chris Clarke nor Paul Hooper have really played well paired with Alex Bishop and that appears to be the largest problem area in our lineup.

[Faramir]

30.11.11

Kidderminster (0) AFC Wimbledon (3)

Kidderminster- None

AFC- J.Corbett 34 L.Peac@ck 35 A.McLean 69

MOM- Jim Corbett, AFC Wimbledon

Kidderminster dearly wanted to slow AFC's attack down, but after an early redcard found themselves unable to stem the AFC wave as the visitors won easily 3-0. A pair of yellow cards to Nathan Stanton sent him to the showers at the 20 minute mark, and it was clearly difficult for Kidderminster to cope with the AFC pacey attack less a man. AFC took the lead when Richard Neville sent a ball into space on the right side. Jim Corbett ran it down and then slipped past Andy Oliver on the dribble before firing a sharp angled shot past Gary Marshall into the far left side of the net. Corbett also keyed a 2nd goal less than 2 minutes later when he made another strong right side run and this time crossed sharply to Lee Peac@ck. Peac@ck had an easy time deflecting the cross past Marshall into the left side of the net. With Paul Rachubka nursing a minor injury, Tom Phillips subbed on as AFC keeper in the second half and earned a well deserved assist on the last AFC goal. Phillips picked out Aaron McLean in full stride with a long goal kick and McLean drilled a rising shot past Marshall into the far left corner of the net to finish off the 3-0 AFC road win.

DC- Another strong performance. What was especially encouraging was that we took full advantage when Stanton was sent off- and his 2nd yellow card was a direct result of our opportunistic pressure as he tripped Peter Watson after Watson had moved up into the area during a counterattack.

Standings- (Most with 18 matches)

1- AFC Wimbledon 48 pts (+44, 6 GA)

2- Burton Albion 41 pts (+20)

3- Stevenage 38 pts (+14)

4- Kidderminster 36 pts (+13)

5- Cheltenham 34 pts (+23)

6- Enfield 34 pts (+19)

7- Swindon 33 pts (+12)

8- Yeovil 29 pts (+5)

9- Rushden 27 pts (+8)

10- Colchester 26 pts (+1)

[Faramir]

November Division 3 Awards

Player of the Month- Aaron McLean, AFC Wimbledon

Young Player of the Month- Michael Abbott, Enfield

Manager of the Month- Martin Ling, Enfield

***

AFC Wants Woodward

AFC Wimbledon announced the transfer purchase of 21 yr old DC David Woodward from conference side Scarborough. Woodward has the reputation as a young hard working, hard tackling central defender and it seems likely that he will see significant time on the Senior side after a period of training in the AFC style of play.

DC- Woodward seems to be exactly what I wanted as a partner with Bishop. He is a good tackling youngster with moderate pace. He has no problems in the air and looks to be a proper fit for our backline. The key ingredient was that he was willing to accept a moderate salary for assurances that he will start- something that wasn't true of a couple other defenders I had inquired about.

[Gr81]

You've signed me!!

I accepcted low pay as i wanted to be in this great story!

Keep it up and i hope help you to glory!

[Faramir]

Gr81- Well of course I did Let's get you right into action, shall we?

***

3.12.11

AFC Wimbledon (2) Rushden (0)

AFC- A.Hogg 28 A.Charlton 53

Rushden- None

MOM- Alan Charlton, AFC Wimbledon

AFC used their wingers to key a close 2-0 win over visiting Rushden. Both sides started fast and it was flowing attacks by each up and down the pitch in the early going of the first half. Both sides were undone by poor shooting though. AFC took the lead when an Anthony Hogg free kick from the center at 25 yards took a slight deflection off Richard Watts in the wall, and that was enough to tuck it inside the right post past David McNeill. Lee Peac@ck's fine awareness earned AFC their 2nd goal. Peac@ck stepped in front of a pass from rightback Ryan Gordon to Alton Thelwell and then superbly crossed to the right side. As both defenders concentrated on Aaron McLean, Alan Charlton slipped in slightly behind him and picked up the pass from Peac@ck before slotting the ball home inside the right post. With the 2-0 lead, AFC staunchly defended their end and kept Rushden from earning any good late second half chances.

DC- Another workmanlike effort and a pretty nice debut for David Woodward in defense. Our wingers were the key in the match as they completely shut down Rushden's 352 attack.

[Faramir]

10.12.11

AFC Wimbledon (3) Swindon (0) FA Cup 2nd round

AFC- S.Murphy 33 P.Zunda 58 A.Dawson 71

Swindon- None

MOM- Steve Murphy, AFC Wimbledon

A trio of unlikely scorers led AFC Wimbledon to a 3-0 win over Swindon at Kingsmeadow in their FA Cup tilt. The first half was closely played and neither club was gaining good scoring chances in the early going. AFC took advantage of a corner to gain the first half lead. Anthony Hogg's inswinging corner went to the far post and Chris Clarke made a strong header. Brian Gallagher made a superb reaction save on Clarke, but Steve Murphy was in the right spot to knock the rebound in for the only goal of the first half. Gallagher made two good saves in the early going of the second half- stopping Peter Wilkinson's blast and tipping a hard shot from Alex Saunders over the bar. Peter Wilkinson started the AFC second goal when he chipped a pass by Matt Heywood to Aaron McLean. McLean broke down the left side and as Tommy Green tried to close on him, crossed sharply to the left side. Pagguy Zunda slipped inside of Nick Patterson to head McLean's pass into the left side of the net for his 1st goal of the season. AFC then clinched the win when Gallagher made a good stop on McLean's hard, low shot, but Alan Dawson made a sliding hooked shot of the rebound past him for his 1st goal at AFC. The 3-0 win moves AFC on to the next round in the FA Cup.

DC- Everyone is contributing. We didn't have close to our 1st team lineup out there, but they all played well and we notched another win. We did lose Chris Clarke for the next couple months with a severely broken jaw- so the win wasn't without cost.

[Faramir]

14.12.11

Wycombe (1) AFC Wimbledon (4) Vans Trophy South Quarterfinal

Wycombe- D.Hutchinson 80

AFC- J.Ashton 3-OG L.Peac@ck 60,84 R.Neville 70

MOM- David Woodward, AFC Wimbledon

Division 2 Wycombe was favored in their Vans Trophy tilt hosting AFC Wimbledon, but got off to a nightmare start and never recovered as they fell in front of their disappointed fans 4-1. Alan Charlton's blistering pace triggered the horrible start for Wycombe. Charlton raced down the left side of the pitch and broke in before sending a cross to the far post. Despite the fact that no AFC players were near the ball, Jonathan Ashton tried to head it over the net- and instead it caught the upper right corner of the net for an own goal. With the early lead, AFC played conservatively and worked hard in the midfield keeping the frustrated home side in check. Early in the second half, AFC gained the important second goal when Peter Watson's throw-in put Lee Peac@ck in free. Peac@ck didn't miss as he blasted a low shot to the right side of the net past Ben Cole. AFC moved ahead 3-0 when Richard Neville deflected an in-swinging corner from Jim Corbett past Cole. Wycombe received a glimmer of hope as AFC skipper Charlton dribbled backward in his zone, but twisted his knee and went down. Ryan Johnston picked up the loose ball and crossed to Dean Hutchinson. Hutchinson had an easy time deflecting the ball past Dean Delany for his 10th goal of the season. Charlton was stretchered off and will likely miss a couple weeks recovering. AFC fought right back to clinch the match as Watson zipped a long pass by two defenders and Peac@ck again converted with a scorching shot inside the near left post to finish off the 4-1 win that will send AFC to the South Semifinal.

DC- Another superb match where we made the most of our chances. The own-goal was a gift that really helped set the tone for the match.

[Faramir]

17.12.11

AFC Wimbledon (0) Stevenage (1)

AFC- None

Stevenage- A.Elding 50

MOM- Jim Corbett, AFC Wimbledon

AFC Wimbledon fell to their first loss in Division 3 when they lost a hard fought 1-0 match to 3rd place Stevenage on a rain slicked Fans' Stadium pitch. Despite more numerous and better chances, AFC failed to convert on good opportunities while Stevenage made the most of their best chance to gain the win. The heavy rain and slow pitch played to Stevenage's advantage as the AFC pace was much less of a factor in the match. The AFC passing also suffered in the conditions and it was obvious that the home side was still a bit leg weary from the win over Wycombe as well. AFC generated one excellent scoring chance in the first half, but Ian Wilson managed to steer Aaron McLean's shot past the post. Stevenage struck for the lone goal in the match on a huge effort from Anthony Elding. Elding battled Alex Bishop and outworked him for an errant pass from Paul Dunn in the AFC end. David Woodward did a nice job moving over to challenge Elding and he sent the ball back for Robert Griffiths. Elding never quit working after sending the pass back as he moved away from Bishop and was perfectly placed when Griffiths sent a hard pass skittering back to him. Elding half volleyed the pass and it sailed past Dean Delany inside the right post for the key goal. AFC tried to rally and Wilson made a trio of brilliant saves on McLean, Jim Corbett and Anthony Hogg to preserve the 1-0 win for the visitors.

DC- I can't fault the effort. Our execution was not good enough today and though the weather and Wilson were factors- we just weren't sharp enough at key moments today.

[Faramir]

21.12.11

Notts County (6) AFC Wimbledon (1)

Notts Co- S.Mason 1,33,41 A.Ross 56 D.May 65-P P.Austin 78

AFC- A.Bishop 5

MOM- Simon Mason, Notts County

After not losing in Division 3 play until their last match, AFC Wimbledon lost their 2nd straight match as they were crushed 6-1 at Meadow Lane. Notts County had the jump and Simon Mason hit a swerving blast past Paul Rachubka after a bad giveaway pass from Alex Bishop put him in free for an immediate goal. AFC answered that goal when Bishop headed a Peter Wilkinson free kick past John Gardner moments later- but that was the last bright moment for AFC as Notts County outshot them 24-3 in the match. Mason hit a pretty half volley past Rachubka after Mike Rae had found him unmarked in the area. Despite AFC trying to put the clamps on him with closer marking, Mason shook free to complete his hat-trick when Rae flicked a back ball back for him and he rifled it into the right side of the net. The second half was even worse for AFC as Adam Ross was credited with a 30 yard goal- when it appeared to be Bishop who directed it into his own net while trying to deflect it. Paul Dunn earned a redcard shortly after and Notts earned a penalty kick as Wilkinson pushed Tony Simpson in the area and Dave May converted the kick. Notts finished off the rout as Chris Martin- forced into a backline role with Dunn's redcard- misplayed a ball and Paul Austin broke in to fire a low blast past Rachubka to cap the 6-1 final score.

DC- Nothing went right today. Partly it was injuries causing several reserve side players to be in the starting lineup- but we really didn't do anything right. It was just a match to forget as we will try to rebound with our next weekend match.

[Faramir]

26.12.11

AFC Wimbledon (2) Colchester (0)

AFC- L.Peac@ck 56 A.McLean 71

Colchester- None

MOM- Aaron McLean, AFC Wimbledon

AFC Wimbledon recovered nicely from the Notts County drubbing by dumping Colchester 2-0 at Kingsmeadow. It was a very workmanlike effort for AFC as they were in control most of the match. The first half remained scoreless due to AFC misfiring on several good scoring chances. That changed in the second half as Tony Shields sent a perfectly placed pass that put Lee Peac@ck in free and he blasted a shot past Matt Clarke into the far right side of the net for his 15th goal of the season. Aaron McLean recovered from a horrible first half performance to earn MOM honours. After Clarke had made two good saves on him in good scoring chances, it was McLean's turn for revenge as he clinched the AFC win. Jim Corbett flicked a header on that put McLean away and Darren Beckford could not run McLean down before he blasted a shot inside the right post past Clarke. AFC closed out the win by limiting Colchester to one late scoring chance.

DC- Very encouraging recovery for us. We didn't play well in the first half, but rebounded to take the win in the second. Now we must turn around and play again in two days- that will be a test.

[Faramir]

28.12.11

AFC Wimbledon (3) Bristol Rovers (0)

AFC- A.Charlton 4 A.McLean 12 A.Jenkins 45-OG

Bristol- None

MOM- Alan Charlton, AFC Wimbledon

A stirling performance by winger Alan Charlton helped AFC Wimbledon to a comfortable 3-0 win over Bristol Rovers at Kingsmeadow. It was clear from the opening whistle that Charlton, just returning from a minor injury, was happy to be back in the lineup. He streaked down the right side, went past Adam Barrett on the run and fired a scorching low shot past Nick Culkin to send AFC off on a flyer. AFC then converted a corner as the ball was headed back out to corner taker Anthony Hogg and he perfectly laid it off for Aaron McLean to blast away from the edge of the area. McLean's rocket shot went in just under the crossbar to give AFC a 2-0 lead. Charlton continued to cause havoc for Bristol and Culkin was called on to make a pair of excellent saves on the roaming Charlton. Charlton was the cause of more Bristol misfortune when Adam Barrett tried to head away his sizzling cross- and instead headed it into his own net after Culkin had made a good initial stop on Charlton. With the 3-0 lead, AFC played more conservatively in the second half and was content to grind out the remainder of the match for another clean sheet for Dean Delany and a 3-0 win on the books to keep them in 1st place at the midpoint of the season.

DC- We passed the test with flying colours- thanks to a dynamic performance from both Charlton and Anthony Hogg. Our wings dominated the match and we received excellent backline play in helping us to the win.

Division 3 Standings (most with 23 matches)

1- AFC Wimbledon 57 pts (+45)

2- Burton Albion 54 pts (+30)

3- Stevenage 50 pts (+20)

4- Enfield 47 pts (+22)

5- Cheltenham 43 pts (+28)

6- Yeovil 41 pts (+12)

7- Kidderminster 41 pts (+8)

8- Swindon 38 pts (+7)

9- Colchester 38 pts (-2)

10- Torquay 36 pts (+5)

11- Rushden 34 pts (+9)

[Faramir]

Corbett Crashes

AFC Wimbledon announced today that due to a training injury and surgery to repair the damage- team leader Jim Corbett will miss the next three months of play. The initial injury was thought to be somewhat minor, but an exhaustive exam yielded problems that led the player and AFC Wimbledon manager Dave Colley to decide upon surgery to correct the problem.

DC- OUCH. We now have our two best players- Peter Richardson and Jim Corbett (also the top 2 average rated players in Div. 3) out for long periods of time. We have managed to survive so far and will just have to keep on battling. It might be time to dabble in the transfer/loan market for some help though.

***

Brentford Bags Wilkinson

AFC Wimbledon today announced the transfer sale/exchange of promising winger Peter Wilkinson to Division 2 Brentford. Besides the reported fee of 35K, AFC Wimbledon will reportedly receive future fees based on Wilkinson's future sale. AFC also will receive 21 yr old AMLC Nicky Roberts from Brentford in exchange. It is expected that Roberts will work into the AFC rotation soon, as injuries to wingers have been a problem for the club as of late.

DC- I was loathe to sell Wilkinson, who I think will turn into a tremendous talent. I felt I had little choice though, because despite continuing negotiations, we weren't even in the ballpark on his wage demands. It was either sell him or lose him with his contract expiring at the end of the season. At least this way we received a solid winger back and some more cash to put away.

***

December Division 3 Honours

Player of the Month- Michael Rankine, Burton Albion

Young Player of the Month- Neil Davis, Luton

Manager of the Month- Nigel Clough, Burton Albion

[Faramir]

1.1.12

Cheltenham (1) AFC Wimbledon (1)

Cheltenham- G.Pugh 77

AFC- L.Peac@ck 53

MOM- Alan Charlton, AFC Wimbledon

AFC Wimbledon and Cheltenham battled to a sloppily played, but entertaining 1-1 draw at Whaddon Road to open the New Year. The first half was more a comedy of errors than any semblence of effective football as both sides missed passes, missed shots and were offsides numerous times in the patchwork play offered by both clubs. Early in the second half, Alan Charlton made a blistering right side run from the AFC end. Charlton raced past Russell Anderson and as the rest of the Cheltenham backline adjusted, he crossed back to Lee Peac@ck. Peac@ck had come in behind the play and had an easy time chipping the ball into the left side of the net for a 1-0 AFC lead. Cheltenham finally started counterattacking with execution themselves and Dave Lynch made a superb long pass to pick out Gareth Pugh as he split the seam between David Woodward and Alex Bishop. Pugh struck a pretty 20 yard swerving shot that curled past Dean Delany for the equalizer. It looked like it was Cheltenham's match when Peter Watson was yellow carded for holding Pugh in the area at 82 minutes. Daniel Worthington stepped up to the penalty kick and blasted away- but Delany blocked it and then was able to dive on and smother the rebound to preserve the 1-1 draw for AFC.

DC- A match we could have won, a match we could have lost. The draw was a fair result as we didn't really play well enough to earn anything better.

[Faramir]

4.1.12

Hartlepool (0) AFC Wimbledon (3)

Hartlepool- None

AFC- A.McLean 16 L.Peac@ck 50 A.Hogg 55

MOM- Anthony Hogg, AFC Wimbledon

The difficult portion of AFC Wimbledon's schedule began with a trip to Victoria Park as their match with Hartlepool is the second of 3 in a row away matches. AFC used their pace to win out over a determined home side 3-0. Hartlepool nearly had the early lead when Jason Stanley hit a booming free kick, but it hit the inside of the right post and bounced to Dean Delany. Aaron McLean scored the lone goal of the first match and it was a sensational one. McLean took a pass from Anthony Hogg just inside of midfield and rocketed down the pitch. As McLean reached the Hartlepool area he moved past both Lee O'Neill and Simon Downer before drilling a sharp angled shot past Gary Owen inside the far left post. AFC missed a couple other chances to add to the lead as Owen made diving stops against Hogg and Alan Charlton. McLean setup the second AFC goal early in the second half with another long run before he fired a sizzling pass into Lee Peac@ck. Peac@ck had his volley away before O'Neill could react and it went past Owen into the right side of the net. Hogg then burned Hartlepool with a determined left side run that took him past both Garry Monk and James Ford before he struck a low shot past Owen for his 5th goal of the season and the final goal in the 3-0 AFC win.

DC- Another strong road performance and we were infinately more polished than in the draw with Cheltenham. Lots of options in the transfer market, but we haven't quite gotten any offers/contracts fully settled yet.

[Faramir]

7.1.12

Millwall (1) AFC Wimbledon (0) FA Cup 3rd round

Millwall- M.Quigley 17

AFC- None

MOM- Mark Quigley, Millwall

AFC Wimbledon gave a good account of themselves at the New Den as they battled Millwall hard before being edged 1-0 in FA Cup action. The difference in the match was that Nicky Weaver came up with every save needed- and Paul Rachubka missed one on the AFC side. Millwall struck for the lone goal in the match when Thomas Gravesen's pass into space on the right side found both David Woodward and Steve Murphy a step behind Mark Quigley. Quigley smashed the ball just inside the near right post for his 10th goal of the season. AFC generated the better chances for the remainder of the match, but all for naught as Weaver stopped them time and again. Aaron McLean missed just wide of the left post, Weaver tipped a shot over the net from Tony Shields, Weaver smothered a shot from Lee Peac@ck and Fabien Brandy missed a wide open net after Weaver had parried McLean's shot directly to him. It all added up to a sigh of relief from the Millwall fans as their club escaped to move to the next round.

DC- Brandy's miss was a killer. He had almost the whole net and just plain missed high and left. Weaver deserved MOM honours and we just didn't have what it took to solve him today. Losing Tony Shields midway through the match cost us as he had been playing well and with him being out for a couple weeks means a lot to the defensive makeup of our lineup.

[Faramir]

Another Shields

AFC Wimbledon announced the transfer purchase of 27 yr old FC Robbie Shields today. Shields was purchased from Wycombe for a reported cost of 16k and will help the depleted forward rotation of AFC.

DC- We needed another solid forward, preferably a veteran, and Shields was transfer listed and available. He wasn't too costly either in purchase price or wages.

***

11.1.12

AFC Wimbledon (3) Wigan (3)

AFC- R.Neville 5 L.Peac@ck 27,38

Wigan- C.Rhodes 21 P.Edwards 54 A.Bishop 70-OG

MOM- Richard Neville, AFC Wimbledon

It was a clearly disappointed AFC Wimbledon squad that left the pitch after allowing visiting Wigan to come back and gain a 3-3 draw at the Fans' Stadium. AFC was very sharp from the opening whistle and capitalized for an early lead when Alan Charlton's nicely placed pass was on a platter for Richard Neville to drive past Paul Craig. AFC buzzed around Craig more for the next few minutes and he was called on to make good stops on Lee Peac@ck and Anthony Hogg. Wigan equalized when a loose ball off a free kick in the AFC zone wound up with Craig Rhodes. Rhodes broke in as the defense didn't challenge him and he blasted a shot past Dean Delany inside the far right post. AFC regained the lead minutes later. Peter Watson's through ball zipped past Paul Talbot to Peac@ck, and he wheeled and ripped a shot past Craig into the left side of the net. AFC led expanded to 3-1 at halftime as Peac@ck played a give-and-go with Charlton and Peac@ck snapped home the return pass for his 2nd goal of the match. Wigan rallied in the second half thanks to poor work by the AFC backline. Mark Kennedy, on for slightly injured Paul Hooper, made the cardinal sin of trying to be fancy with the ball when unsupported by other defenders behind him. Paul Edwards made him pay for that mistake by taking away the ball and then driving in close before slipping the ball past a diving Delany. Wigan's equalizer was a gift of epic proportions as Delany came out to collect a long centering pass from Wigan, only to see Alex Bishop leap and deflect it over him into the net. AFC had a chance to come back and win the match as Peac@ck was perfectly setup with an open net- but missed his hat-trick when he fired over the bar of the wide open net and AFC had to settle for the 3-3 draw.

DC- A hugely frustrating match- we didn't even make them work hard to come back and earn the draw. Assistant Manager Nick English and I had it out in the office after the match when he took exception to my harsh comments about the backline's play. I don't know if we can avoid the growing rift between us and I may be forced to seek a new Assistant Manager following the season- if not sooner.

[Faramir]

AFC Arrivals and Departures

AFC Wimbledon announced the transfer sale of DC Steve Harvey to Bury today. Harvey was sold for 1K and reportedly a significant sell-on clause. Harvey had clearly wound up the odd man out in the backline and was pleased to have a new opportunity. AFC also announced the transfer purchase of 24 yr old MC Ryan Shawcross from Portsmouth for a reported 22K. Shawcross, who has appeared on the Wales Under-21 side, was on the outs at Pompey after several seasons as a starter and was pleased to have a new location.

***

14.1.12

AFC Wimbledon (1) Lincoln (0)

AFC- A.Saunders 90

Lincoln- None

MOM- Alex Saunders, AFC Wimbledon

It was a dominating performance, but as the match moved into second half injury time it appeared AFC would be left with another disappointing draw. The culprit was Lincoln's keeper Chris Watson as his anticipation and quickness had already saved what appeared to be three certain goals on excellent crosses. Watson's heroics combined with a first half of spotty play had left AFC staring at the zero on the scoreboard with frustration. Lincoln hadn't managed a shot in the match and had only sparingly even managed to push the ball into the AFC end. The frustration turned to joy though when young Alex Saunders boomed a 30 yard kick past Watson after collecting a loose ball in the frenzied midfield play. The goal meant AFC would retain their 1st place table location above surging Burton Albion and it also pushed AFC 15 points clear of 4th place Yeovil in the race for promotion to Division 2.

DC- We managed to earn a needed win with Saunders last second strike. Before that our forwards were feeling snakebit as Watson seemingly read their minds in his diving saves on good crosses from Alan Charlton.

[Faramir]

18.1.12

Stockport (0) AFC Wimbledon (1)

Stockport- None

AFC Wimbledon- R.Neville 90

MOM- Alan Charlton, AFC Wimbledon

Stockport generated no offense themselves in the match- to the displeasure of the Edgeley Park crowd- but they also had stymied AFC Wimbledon and it appeared a scoreless draw was in the works. AFC caught a break when Stockport keeper Steve Bates couldn't grab a slow moving flick on from Aaron McLean and Richard Neville was right there to hammer the ball home for the match winner in second half extra time. AFC accomplished the win with only 10 men, since Alex Saunders had received his 2nd yellow card for comments to the referee at the 82 minute mark. The win punctuated AFC's hard work as they had continual pressure in the Stockport zone, but little to show for it thanks to stubborn work by the Stockport backline and keeper.

DC- It was an unexpected win- an innocuous play that turned into a match winner because Neville kept working.

[Faramir]

21.1.12

Southend (1) AFC Wimbledon (4)

Southend- A.Rundle 61

AFC- R.Neville 16 P.Zunda 56 A.Charlton 67 L.Peacock 87

MOM- Dean Delany, AFC Wimbledon

AFC Wimbledon completed their two match road sweep of the two worst clubs in Division 3 with a win at Roots Hall over last placed Southend. Despite the final score, this wasn't an easy match and AFC owed their win to MOM Dean Delany- who made several spectacular saves with AFC clinging to a one goal lead in the first half and the early moments of the second half. AFC had taken a first half lead thanks to the hard working Richard Neville. Neville stepped in front of a backpass intended for John Simpson and then fought past a challenge from defender John Reynolds before firing a shot past diving Matt Whitehead into the far left side of the net for his well deserved 5th goal of the season. Delany was forced to come up big as the AFC backline play was spotty in the first half. Delany stopped a close-in blast from Alan O'Callaghan and also managed to leap on a rebound after he stopped Chris McPhee on a good chance. AFC began to put the match away when Pagguy Zunda, on for a slightly injured Aaron McLean, snapped home a rebound after Southend let Anthony Hogg make a run from midfield to the area and Whitehead made a good save on his shot. Southend drew a goal back when Adam Rundle scored his 1st goal of the season as he was camped on the far right post and rapped home the loose ball after Scott West's free kick bounced off a couple players. Hogg showed wonderful vision as he sent a sharp cross that Alan Charlton had little trouble driving into the open right side of the net to return AFC's 2-goal lead. Nicky Roberts, who had come on for Charlton, sent a scorching through ball that put Lee Peac@ck in free and he took his time before drilling a low shot inside the right post past Whitehead from 20 yards out for his 20th goal of the season to finish off the 4-1 win.

DC- I hadn't realized until a reporter told me after, but Peac@ck's 20th goal broke the season record at AFC. We were much more efficient offensively than they were and Delany held the fort long enough for our superior fitness to make the difference in the late stages of the match.

[Faramir]

25.1.12

AFC Wimbledon (3) Rushden (0) Vans Trophy South Semifinal

AFC- A.McLean 6,8 A.Hogg 22

Rushden- None

MOM- Anthony Hogg, AFC Wimbledon

AFC Wimbledon made fairly quick work of visiting Rushden in their Vans Trophy South Semifinal as they scored three early goals and sailed on to the Final with their 3-0 win. Rushden had little luck keeping Aaron McLean marked early and paid the price. Peter Watson's 40 yard pass to Aaron McLean zipped past Darren Ryan and McLean struck a rising shot into the right side of the net past keeper David McNeill for McLean's 15th goal of the season. Moments later, Alan Charlton picked up a loose ball and wheeled it up the pitch. His pass found McLean rocketing between Ryan and Kevin Ridley before blasting a 20 yard shot into the right side of the net for his 2nd goal of the match. Anthony Hogg made it 3-0 when he picked up a loose ball and hit a booming 25 yard shot past McNeill into the left side of the net. With the three goal margin, AFC was content to back off and control the midfield and they successfully kept their clean sheet for Paul Rachubka as they limited Rushden to 2 shots for the match.

DC- It shouldn't have been this easy, but McLean's precision shooting took away a lot of Rushden's spirit and made the win comfortable for us.

***

DC- Gillingham offered me a job as Manager, but once again the situation made turning them down fairly easy. They are currently 22nd and struggling to avoid relegation- not to mention they are bankrupt. With AFC sitting well for promotion to Division 2 and with our books very much in order- it was an easy decision to stay here.

[Faramir]

28.1.12

AFC Wimbledon (2) Boston United (0)

AFC- R.Shields 31,54

Boston- None

MOM- Robbie Shields, AFC Wimbledon

Robbie Shields' quickness in the area was the deciding matter in the close 2-0 home win for AFC Wimbledon. Shields proved his scorer's instincts and his agility by scoring once in each half in bringing home the win. Ryan Shawcross started the first goal with a strong sliding tackle that sent the ball to Paul Dunn. Dunn sent the ball into space on the left and Lee Peac@ck ran it down before sending a looping centering pass. The ball eluded several players trying to put a head on it and bounced in the area. Robbie Shields seemed to know exactly where it was coming down as he whirled away from his marker and was right there to hit a half-volley winner for his 1st goal at AFC. In the second half, Shields scored a similar goal as Peac@ck, bunched against the post- hit a chip pass back into space in the area. Shields was first to the ball and hooked it past Mark Barry for his 2nd goal of the match. AFC then offered a steadfast defense to prevent Boston from coming back and the final stayed 2-0. Tony Shields return from injury for this match was a big boost to the club.

DC- Nice dividend as Robbie Shields pots two to get us a much needed win. I was impressed with how well we controlled the ball defensively in the late stages of the match.

***

DC- They are keeping the news very quiet, but leaks from Swindon staff say that their key striker- Liam Watson- will miss the rest of the season (they estimate 5 months) recovering from a serious virus infection.

***

January 2012 Division 3 Honours

Player of the Month- Nick Patterson, Swindon

Young Player of the Month- Kevin Brown, Kidderminster

Manager of the Month- Dave Colley, AFC Wimbledon

[Faramir]

1.2.12

AFC Wimbledon (5) Luton (0)

AFC- A.McLean 25 A.Saunders 36 A.Charlton 60 P.Zunda 86,90

Luton- None

MOM- Alan Charlton, AFC Wimbledon

When Luton tired in the second half, AFC scored three times to clinch the win over the tired visitors. Luton had played with 10 men after the 31 minute mark when Chris Coyne was redcarded for a vicious tackle on Anthony Hogg that put him out of the match. AFC led 1-0 at that point due to Peter Watson's long pass that Aaron McLean ran onto and then fired past James Biitner inside the right post. AFC took advantage of Luton's disorganization after Coyne's card as Pagguy Zunda (on for injured Lee Peac@ck) sent a pass out that found Alex Saunders alone on the left side. Saunders, filling in for Hogg, broke into the area cleanly and had plenty of time to pick his spot as his shot sailed past Biitner. Luton gamely tried to rally and Dean Delany was called on for a couple good saves as the AFC backline was a bit lax. Luton's players were obviously tired in the second half and the superior fitness and pace of AFC took hold. Ryan Shawcross made an excellent, unselfish pass back that found Alan Charlton able to snap a shot inside the right post to make it 3-0 AFC. Charlton stole the ball from Mark Yates and then broke down the right side before his timely cross was whisked into the left side of the net by Zunda. Zunda then scored his 2nd of the match when Saunders made a perfect curling pass in from the left sideline that Zunda volleyed past Biitner to cap the 5-0 win.

DC- We really took advantage when they got tired- we continue to show excellent 'killer instinct' when the other club is on the ropes. The injury to Hogg was a serious one- he will be out for the next three months due to surgery on his hip. On the good news side- Andrew Holt has finally recovered from his lengthy injury and will finally be back playing for the first time this season.

***

DC- We could ill afford to lose another winger, but Nicky Roberts went down with a leg injury. He will likely miss at least two weeks and it means we are very thin on cover for either winger at present- I will be forced to put Holt right into the starting lineup.

[Faramir]

4.2.12

Dag & Red (1) AFC Wimbledon (1)

Dag & Red- L.Pearson 61

AFC- R.Neville 54

MOM- Richard Neville, AFC Wimbledon

One defensive misplay wound up costing AFC Wimbledon dearly as Dag & Red scored their goal on their only shot on goal of the match to split the points with visiting AFC in the 1-1 draw. AFC was clearly off its game in the match as the execution was spotty, but they still held sway over the midfield for most of the match. In the opening moments, AFC's stellar keeper Dean Delany had to come off and the reports are that he will miss a couple of weeks due to a twisted knee. AFC finally was able to grab the lead in the second half when Richard Neville knifed in and drove a header past Mick Hay on an Alan Charlton corner. AFC gave that back when they allowed a counterattack that saw Michael Morrison loft a pass over Alex Bishop to Lee Pearson. Pearson, on loan from Swindon, scored his 1st goal at Dag & Red when his low shot skimmed past Tom Phillips for the equalizer. AFC couldn't get another good chance against the stubborn home backline and were forced to settle for the 1-1 result.

DC- The result just emphasizes that you can't make those kind of mistakes defensively. We didn't play particularly well- but we did work hard to keep the pressure on them the entire match.

[Faramir]

11.2.12

Peterborough (2) AFC Wimbledon (2)

Peterborough- C.Murray 78,90

AFC- D.Woodward 21 A.Bishop 74

MOM- Paul Dunn, AFC Wimbledon

Peterborough roared back from a 2 goal deficit to equalize in second half injury time and leave AFC with the bitter taste of a 2-2 draw for the trip back to Kingsmeadow. AFC had played well in the first half and to the midway point of the second half. David Woodward's excellent deflection of a Ryan Shawcross corner had given them the first half lead. Alex Bishop added his header on another Shawcross corner to make it 2-0 before the wheels fell off defensively. Gary Khosla flicked on a long pass from Tony Crane and found Chris Murray unattended in front of the AFC net. Murray drilled a shot past Paul Rachubka to draw a goal back for the home side. With time winding down, Peterborough staged a counter attack off an AFC free kick. Rachubka was able to block Leon McKenzie's close-in blast, but the rebound bounced away and Murray pushed it into the net as Peter Watson and Woodward were caught flat footed to salvage the 2-2 draw.

DC- Paul Dunn was picked as MOM, but he certainly didn't deserve it. It was his mistake on the free kick that set up the counter attack to even the match. All he had to do was kick the ball down the right side of the pitch- to an unmarked Andrew Holt. Instead he tried a cross to the right wing, which they intercepted and were away on the attack. It was a match we should have won and I am disappointed with our failure to finish it out.

Division 3 Standings (33 matches)

1. AFC Wimbledon 79 pts (+60)

2. Burton Albion 72 pts (+36)

3. Stevenage 67 pts (+26)

4. Enfield 59 pts (+27)

5. Swindon 57 pts (+20)

6. Kidderminster 57 pts (+13)

7. Cheltenham 56 pts (+30)

8. Yeovil 56 pts (+16)

9. Torquay 52 pts (+6)

10.Rushden 50 pts (+10)

[Faramir]

18.2.12

AFC Wimbledon (4) Enfield (0)

AFC- A.McLean 3 L.Peac@ck 8,69 A.Charlton 51

Enfield- None

MOM- Aaron McLean, AFC Wimbledon

AFC Wimbledon was out to make their point early to 4th placed Enfield and took control of the match in the opening moments of the first half. A quick thinking Ryan Shawcross sent a pass into space on the left as he saw Lee Peac@ck racing down the pitch. Peac@ck was able to reach the ball first and quickly lofted a centering pass. Aaron McLean, also racing down on the counterattack, showed excellent timing as he reached the pass and deflected it inside the left post past Neil Hall to give AFC a quick lead. AFC quickly added to Enfield's misery when McLean was able to flick on a long pass from Alex Bishop and Peac@ck volleyed the ball past Hall to make it 2-0. With the lead, AFC started the second half with a more defensive outlook, but still added to their margin. Paul Dunn made a nice throw-in and Alan Charlton collected it with two Enfield defenders pressuring him. Charlton once again demonstrated the explosive speed and acceleration that make him a Fans' Stadium favorite as he rocketed away from Robert Payne and Neil Moran to roar down the right side before breaking in cleanly on the net. Charlton drilled a low shot inside the left post past Hall to remove a lot of the spirit from the visiting side. AFC put one more in for good measure as Andrew Holt showed good vision in slotting a ball back for Tony Shields. Hall made a wonderful parry of Shields' sizzling blast from outside the area- but Peac@ck drove the rebound past the stranded Hall for his 2nd goal of the match to cap the 4-0 win.

DC- Aaron McLean deserves a lot of credit for stepping up his play when we lost Peter Richardson. We have managed to accrue a lot of success this season despite having lost key players Richardson, Jamie Parker and Jim Corbett for much of the season- which is a strong testament to the solid play of our backlines and keepers and the fact that other players have stepped up and demonstrated we have good depth.

[Faramir]

22.2.12

AFC Wimbledon (7) Reading (0) Vans Trophy South Final Leg 1

AFC- L.Peac@ck 1,6-P,10 R.Shawcross 30 A.McLean 72 P.Zunda 73 A.Saunders 77

Reading- None

MOM- Lee Peac@ck, AFC Wimbledon

Reading may have been 3rd place in Division 2, but they showed no semblence of that level of skill or ability as they were routed by AFC Wimbledon 7-0 in the first leg of their Vans Trophy South Final. AFC dominated the match from the opening whistle and their quick start helped them crush the spirit of the visitors. A corner in the opening moments provided the setup for AFC's first goal. Alan Charlton blocked a loose ball back to Ryan Shawcross and Shawcross made a perfect lay off pass to Lee Peac@ck just inside the edge of the area. Peac@ck's nicely timed volley sailed past Stuart Gray before he could react and The Fans' Stadium crowd was roaring. Andy Hall then tripped Peac@ck after a perfect flick on from McLean set him up in the area. Peac@ck converted the penalty kick for his 2nd goal of the match. Charlton then made a dazzling move past Mike Nolan before slotting the ball for Peac@ck. Peac@ck again volleyed past Gray for his both his hat-trick and 25th goal of the season- all by the 10 minute mark of the match. Shawcross added to the Reading woes when he blasted home a 30 yard free kick for his 1st ever AFC goal to make the halftime margin 4-0. AFC was playing a more conservative approach in the second half, but continued to take advantage of their counterattacks and unsteady play from Gray. Richard Neville, on for a tiring Tony Shields, keyed the next AFC goal. Neville took the ball away from forward Christian Kabeya-Mbaya and sent it to Peter Watson. Watson chipped it out on the left wing to Alex Saunders. Saunders sent a smoking cross by two defenders and Aaron McLean overpowered Nick Shorey to deflect the cross past Gray. Paul Dunn's long pass was headed down by McLean for Pagguy Zunda. Zunda, on for Peac@ck as Manager Colley tried to avoid a yellow card problem, took the head-on and moved past Ashley Hill before firing the ball into the left side of the net for his 5th goal of the season. Alex Saunders then capped a sensational win for AFC with a brilliant move past two defenders before he blistered a rising shot past Gray to finish out the 7-0 win.

DC- Everything worked for us today- crisp passing, good shooting and excellent defensive coverage. Reading really had problems with Gray struggling, but played a bit better than the score line indicates. We may be the only Division 3 side left in the Vans Trophy- but we proved we belonged today.

[Faramir]

AFC Moves Murphy

Announcers at The Fans' Stadium are breathing a deep sigh of relief as AFC Wimbledon announced the transfer sale of 22 yr old DL Steve (not to be mistaken with Steven) Murphy to Division 2 Aldershot. Aldershot, struggling to avoid being relegated, reportedly paid an initial fee of 5K, with other amounts to be doled out over the next 12 months for the promising fullback. Murphy, who had played very well at AFC since arriving on a free signing after being released out of the Stockport youth system, was pleased with what likely will be a chance to play regularly. With Peter Watson considered the starting leftback for AFC, Murphy had seen only occasional duty at Kingsmeadow.

DC- It made sense to accept their offer for Steve Murphy. He is a good youngster- but Watson is better and I already had indications from Murphy and his agent that they would not accept a new contract offer from us. With Watson signed for a longer term, it was time to cash in and try and help our bottom line a bit.

***

Charlton Nicked

Alan Charlton suffered a severe gash in his leg that required stitches to repair during AFC Wimbledon's afternoon practice session. Charlton is expected to miss the next two weeks recovering from the wound.

DC- As if we didn't have enough problems with wingers being injured... Charlton's loss means Andrew Holt will have to fill one side for now- and likely Alex Saunders the other- though Nicky Roberts should finally be back to playing fitness shortly.

[Faramir]

25.2.12

AFC Wimbledon (1) Torquay (0)

AFC- A.McLean 3

Torquay- None

MOM- David Woodward, AFC Wimbledon

It was good that AFC Wimbledon capitalized on an early flurry of chances, as that goal turned out to be the only one in a rugged defensive 1-0 win. AFC pressured Torquay in the opening moments and Chris Adams came up with saves against Lee Peac@ck and Alex Saunders. AFC struck gold when Ryan Shawcross made a hard half-volley off a pass from Peter Watson and though Adams was able to block the shot- Aaron McLean pounced on the rebound and hammered it home for his 20th goal of the season. From that point on the two clubs waged a bitter defensive battle and shots were at a premium as both sides battled for every pass. AFC only managed one more good chance- early in the second half- but Adams was very sharp in smothering the shot by McLean. Torquay had their best chance late in the second half, but David Graham drilled a shot off the outside of the left post- to Dean Delany's relief. AFC closed out the close win and pleased their fans with the gritty 1-0 win.

DC- A very strong defensive effort and a fortunate post placement saved us a win today. We didn't play very cohesively on offense- except for the opening moments of the match, but it was enough to eke out another close win.

***

DC- Good news finally on the injury front. Nicky Roberts is back. Peter Richardson began light training and might be ready at the beginning of April for our stretch drive. Jamie Parker came back to full training, but is likely a week or two from regaining full playing fitness. All of which bodes well as we try to close the season strong.

[Faramir]

29.2.12

Reading (2) AFC Wimbledon (2) Vans Trophy South 2nd Leg (AFC Wimbledon advances on 9-2 aggregate)

Reading- D.Graham 38 M.Brennan 79

AFC- R.Shields 45, 60

MOM- Robbie Shields, AFC Wimbledon

Reading went into this leap year match with AFC Wimbledon trying to regain a little respect after the 7-0 walloping AFC handed them at The Fans' Stadium in the first leg. AFC was content to let Reading dictate the early play and Paul Rachubka made a couple good saves that prevented them from grabbing the early lead. David Graham picked up a loose ball just inside the edge of the area and whipped it past Rachubka to give the home fans something to cheer about. Just before halftime, AFC crushed any remaining Reading hopes. Rachubka's long goal kick was flicked on by Aaron McLean and that allowed Robbie Shields to take the ball around Stuart Gray to even the match at 1-1. The away goal eliminated any faint chance for the home side and only the dedicated fans stayed to root on Reading. Shields made a nice one-on-one move past Gray to score his 2nd goal of the match after Nicky Roberts gave him an excellent centering pass. Reading fought back and Mark Brennan's looping header on a Steve Sidwell free kick got over Rachubka for the equalizer. Neither side scored in the late going and the 2-2 draw was enough to advance AFC to the finals against Port Vale- which defeated Hull on penalties to win the Northern section.

DC- We played a patchwork lineup today as I tried to rest some players and we played a bit disorganized because of it. 17 yr old David Hughes made his debut as he subbed on for a slightly injured David Woodward. It was a pleasing draw considering all the players who were playing.

***

February 2012 Division 3 Honours

Player of the Month- Daniel Worthington, Cheltenham

Young Player of the Month- Kevin Rooney, Burton Albion

Manager of the Month- Nigel Clough, Burton Albion

[fergusdacat7]

Good story Faramir. Good Luck trying to win the title.