AFC Wimbledon 3-4 Accrington Stanley, League One: report, ratings and verdict

Posted 30th April 2022 1 min Read Time By
VS.

AFC Wimbledon 4-2-3-1

3

4

Accrington Stanley 4-5-1

Half Time: 0 - 3 Kingsmeadow ( Attendance: 7,839 (314) )
1 min

AFC Wimbledon’s relegation from League One was confirmed after they lost a frenetic 4-3 encounter against Accrington Stanley at Plough Lane.

The visitors took the lead in the 18th minute as defender Jay Rich-Baghuelou marauded forward and unleashed a venomous 25-yard effort into the top corner.

Ten minutes before the break the Dons failed to clear their lines and after some scrappy play were punished by Colby Bishop to make it 2-0.

Accrington then made it 3-0 just before half-time through a simple corner which Michael Nottingham headed in, forcing some Dons’ fans to boo their side and leave an hour early.

However, a silent Plough Lane erupted into life ten minutes after the interval as Ayoub Assal tapped in Dapo Mebude’s square ball to make it 3-1.

Two minutes later, Luke McCormick whipped in a free-kick with Jack Rudoni leaping to head home and halve the deficit.

Wimbledon’s faint hopes of a comeback was subdued just four minute later though when John O’Sullivan was left unmarked to nod in and make it 4-2.

And despite Rudoni scoring his second from the edge of the box to make it 4-3 with nearly 25 minutes to play, they couldn’t find an equaliser.

Key Points

Check out all the key talking points and reaction from London Football Scene below…

Key Moment

Michael Nottingham’s goal on the stroke of half-time put the nail in the coffin for Wimbledon with heads dropping both on and off the pitch.

Moan of the Match

Dons fans will be frustrated by their abysmal first-half performance which left them with a mountain to climb.

Talking Point

Could 17-year-old Alfie Bendle, making his professional debut, be a key part of Wimbledon’s League Two campaign next season?

Man of the Match

Jack Rudoni – the exciting midfielder lit up a dismal display and took the game by the scruff of the neck with a brace.

Tweet of the Match

Referee Watch

David Rock (Hertfordshire) – in a game that had nearly everything, controversial refereeing decisions did not feature with few complaints from either side.

Atmosphere

It’s fair to say most Wimbledon fans knew their fate before this game leaving Plough Lane relatively silent until Ayoub Assal’s second-half goal.

Verdict

The second-half performance had positives from Wimbledon’s young players and gave a glimpse of what fans could see in League Two.

Line Ups

AFC Wimbledon 4-2-3-1

Tzanev; Osew, Heneghan, Nightingale (Csoka, 46), Brown; McCormick, Bendle (Chislett, 83); Adjei-Hersey (Cosgrove, 46), Rudoni, Assal; Mebude

Subs not used:

Broome, Hartigan, Guinness-Walker, Kalambayi

Accrington Stanley 4-5-1

Isherwood; Clark, Sykes, Nottingham, Rich-Baghuelou; O’Sullivan, Leigh (Butcher, 68), Coyle (Conneely, 76), Hamilton, McConville; Bishop

Subs not used:

Hood, Rodgers, Procter, Nolan, Woods

Booked

Rich-Baghuelou, Butcher

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