Dons Off Top Following Fleetwood Draw

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Fleetwood 1 v Wimbledon 1

The Dons slipped off the top of the table as they drew 1-1 at Fleetwood Town on Tuesday night (18 January), their fourth league draw in a row. Crawley’s win at Bath City means that the Sussex side leapfrog the Dons at the top.

Wimbledon had the better of the first half of this game, with Ryan Jackson’s pace causing problems for the home defence, but it was Fleetwood who had the best early opportunity when Jamie Stuart was caught in possession, Seb Brown saving well to deny Jamie McGuire.

And, minutes later, the Dons were ahead when Jackson’s cross was steered home from six yards by Danny Kedwell, chalking up first league strike for two months.

The Dons went on to dominate the rest of the half, with Scott Davies saving well from Jackson as Terry Brown’s men continued to press.

Four minutes before half-time, Kedwell squandered an excellent chance to double the Dons’ lead but shot straight at Davies.

And, as with Fleetwood earlier in the half, the Dons were made to pay as on the stroke of the break Magno Vieira capitalised on approach play by George Donnelly and Sean Clancy to net the equaliser.

While the Dons had had the better of the first period, it was the hosts who had the better of the second. Clancy hit the woodwork – albeit while the offside flag was raised – and Gareth Gwillim had to be alert to head clear the danger from a Clancy cross as Seb Brown was kept busy.

Jackson had a rare Wimbledon second-half chance, firing over when well placed, but it was Fleetwood who ended the game on the front foot, with Brown pulling off a good save from Vieira with 10 minutes left.

Manager Terry Brown was happy with a point, telling the club’s official website: “It was a very hard, well-earned point. I am delighted with the attitude and work rate in all four [of the league draws] as they were a particularly trying sequence of games.”

The Dons will look to return to winning ways on Saturday (22 January) when they entertain Southport at Kingsmeadow.

Attendance: 1,808

Fleetwood: Davies, Beeley, Barry, McNulty, Clancy (Mullan 77), Vieira, Brown, McGuire, Seddon, Donnelly, Gregan. Subs not used: Pond, Hurst, Thorpe, Connors.

Goalscorer: Vieira 45.

Wimbledon: Brown, Hatton, Gwillim, Gregory, Yakubu, Stuart, Mulley, S. Moore (Yussuff 88), Kedwell (Nwokeji 82), Hudson, Jackson (L. Moore 78). Subs not used: Franks, Turner.

Goalscorer: Kedwell 15.

Referee: Mark Heywood (Cheshire).

Rob Crane

January 20, 2011