AFC Wimbledon Pegged Back By League Rivals Oldham


AFC Wimbledon 2 v Oldham 2

AFC Wimbledon’s League One future is still in the balance after a scrappy relegation encounter saw them twice squander the lead against fellow strugglers Oldham Athletic to draw 2-2 on Saturday (21 April).

The Dons started on the front foot but were forced into the first significant defensive moment of the match when George Long did well to save after Craig Davies latched onto a knock-down and unleashed a half volley.

But after just 10 minutes it was Wimbledon who were ahead. Dean Parrett’s corner was only partially cleared and it fell to Jon Meades who had time to steady himself before his shot took a deflection and ended up in the back of the net.

More goals could have soon followed, with Andy Barcham being denied by a last-gasp challenge, Lyle Taylor forcing a save from Johny Placide, and Joe Pigott sending a chip narrowly off target.

But as the match progressed Oldham came more into things, none more so than when Anthony Gerrard flicked on Dan Gardner’s corner and the ball ran along the goal line with no visiting player able to apply the finishing touch.

A change in formation at half-time brought more Oldham progress and five minutes after the restart the visitors were deservedly level. Tom Hamer’s long throw from near the corner flag somehow made its way all the way across to Duckens Nazon who made no mistake as he fired back across the goal to restore parity.

That goal prompted Wimbledon to change shape themselves, with Meades pushing into midfield and ‘forgotten man’ Callum Kennedy coming off the bench and slotting in at left-back, and both were involved in Wimbledon’s almost instant goal to take the lead again. Kennedy played a delightfully weighted chip pass to Meades in the box, and the Welshman held off the attentions of two defenders before squaring the ball to the lurking Pigott who made no mistake.

But that goal was pretty much the end of Wimbledon’s attacking threat for the remainder of the match as the visitors took a grip. Indeed, Oldham were soon level and again it was Nazon with the goal. This time he received the ball in the D and was given time to compose himself before slotting home.

And Nazon could have rounded off his hat-trick and sealed the points for Oldham as the match neared its conclusion, but his placed shot following a well-worked attacking move was deflected just inches wide of the target as Wimbledon held on.

Nevertheless, in the circumstances a point for the Dons was hardly to be sneezed at, particularly following subsequent midweek results that saw Oldham and Rochdale both lose.

‘I expected a really tough, nervy game,’ manager Neal Ardley told iFollow Dons afterwards. ‘It was never going to be free flowing. We gave it our best and we could have ended up with three points, but we could have ended up losing – there were chances for both teams near the end.

‘You could see the nerves in the players in the second half, trying not to lose the game and to stay in front. It’s only natural and now we need to train hard and do the best to get what we can.’

The Dons travel to title-chasers Wigan Athletic on Saturday 28 April before a midweek trip to out-of-form Doncaster Rovers. They then round off their campaign with what could be a crucial match against already-relegated Bury on Saturday 5 May.

League One table (after games played 24 April)

Pos

 

Pl

GD

Pts

17

Gillingham

44

–8

52

18

AFC Wimbledon

43

–11

50

19

Rochdale

44

–8

48

20

Walsall

43

–12

48

21

Oldham Athletic

44

–17

48

22

Northampton Town

44

–33

46

23

Milton Keynes

44

–25

42

24

Bury

44

–31

32

AFC Wimbledon: Long, Fuller, Oshilaja, Charles, Meades, Parrett, Abdou, Trotter (Francomb 66), Barcham (Kennedy 66), Pigott (Appiah 76), Taylor. Subs not used: Robinson, Sam, Kaja, McDonnell.

Goalscorers: Meades 10, Pigott 68.

Booked: Oshilaja 95.

Oldham: Placide, Haymer, Gerrard (Wilson 78), Edmundson, Hunt, Obadeyi (Byrne 45), Gardner, Fane, Nazon, Doyle, Davies (Holloway 62). Subs not used: de la Paz, Pringle, Nepomuceno, Benteke.

Goalscorer: Nazon 50, 74.

Booked: Doyle 45, Byrne 83.

Att: 4,850.

By Rob Crane

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April 25, 2018