1 min
AFC Wimbledon suffered their second league defeat of the season as Ryan Hardie’s composed finish just after half-time gave Plymouth Argyle a 1-0 victory at Plough Lane.
The first chance of the game fell to Aaron Pressley just inside the box in the ninth minute but the Dons striker couldn’t make clean contact to beat Plymouth keeper Michael Cooper.
Wimbledon nearly capitalised on Cooper’s misplaced pass soon after with an Ethan Chislett shot which was parried, moments before Will Nightingale’s header from a corner edged just wide.
The home side came close again after another Nightingale header forced a save from Cooper with Chislett unable to tuck away the follow up.
At the other end, Nik Tzanev denied a Plymouth free-kick before Cheye Alexander cleared James Wilson’s effort off the line just before half-time.
The start of the second-half saw a poor defensive mix-up from a simple ball over the top, allowing Hardie to take the ball around Tzanev to give Plymouth a 47th minute lead.
Wimbledon went in search of an equaliser with Ayoub Assal having the best chance after a perfectly threaded pass by Alex Woodyard but he couldn’t capitalise as the Dons were ultimately left frustrated.
Key Points
Check out all the key talking points and reaction from London Football Scene below…
Key Moment
Wimbledon fell asleep straight after the interval to concede what proved to be the winner – undoing all the good work from their opening 45 minutes of dominance.
Moan of the Match
The Dons dominated the opening half hour of the game, putting Plymouth on the back foot but failing to convert a number of excellent chances.
Talking Point
Wimbledon have conceded the second most goals in League One (13) – how is Mark Robinson going to sort out the defensive frailties without sacrificing his side’s free-flowing attacking play?
Man of the Match
Ayoub Assal – the 19-year-old proved a handful on both wings and was a bright spark throughout as his body feints and direct running put Plymouth’s defence on edge.
Tweet of the Match
Referee Watch
Tom Nield (West Yorkshire) – was tested with multiple penalty shouts, got numerous foul calls wrong and looked lost under the pressure at times.
Atmosphere
A packed Plough Lane crowd urged the Dons on throughout, despite going a goal down early in the second period and receiving very few referee calls in their favour.
Verdict
There will be positives to take from an impressive, free-flowing first-half, but defensive mistakes will need to be rectified if Wimbledon are to challenge the best sides in the division.
