AFC Wimbledon 0 Burton Albion 2 – League One survival prospects look bleak for Dons
BY MAX HALL
As the second annual London Lovecraft Week comes to an end, a suitably grim, foreboding atmosphere has settled over the Cherry Red Records stadium as Wimbledon slip nearer an increasingly inevitable-looking relegation.
In a bright start for the hosts, the Dons fans in the John Green Stand were screaming for handball after just 39 seconds, when Dylan Connolly’s lightning break from deep in his own half ended in a cross from the right that was blocked by Jake Buxton, the home supporters believed illegally.
Burton were ahead 14 minutes in, though, after Marcus Harness twisted free of his markers in the middle and advanced before supplying a lovely blind-reverse pass to set up Jamie Allen in acres of space on the left of the area and the midfielder had time to pick his spot under home keeper Aaron Ramsdale.
Wimbledon manager Wally Downes was forced into a change in the 18th minute when injury-prone striker Kwesi Appiah broke down and was replaced by Joe Pigott.
Photograph by Keith Gillard
Photograph by Keith Gillard
Photograph by Keith Gillard
Little improved for the Dons after the break and it was 2-0 – and game over – in the 57th minute, when Allen turned away from Scott Wagstaff too easily and found Liam Boyce. The Burton targetman rolled the ball to David Templeton to his left and the winger had time to fire it under Ramsdale and into the bottom right-hand corner.
The visitors almost added a third in the 90th minute, when Stephen Quinn fired wide after a barnstorming run from stand-in right-back Lucas Akins down the right.
Wimbledon (4-2-3-1): Ramsdale, Watson, Thomas (Sibbick, 84), Oshilaja, Seddon, Nightingale, Wordsworth (Folivi, 53), Connolly, Wagstaff, Pinnock, Appiah (Pigott, 18). Subs not used: McDonnell, Barcham, McDonald, McLoughlin.
Photograph by Keith Gillard
IMAGES BY KEITH GILLARD
