retired_destiny1124

AFC Wimbledon Buys Bishop
AFC Wimbledon announced the transfer signing of 20 yr old DC Alex Bishop from Enfield for a reported 26K. Bishop has already been a 4-season full-time player for Enfield, but their financial woes and their inability to sign him to a contract extension was apparently what triggered the sale. The talks had been ongoing for quite some time, but AFC only recently was able to work out a contract to the satisfaction of Bishop's agent. Bishop admitted that the ongoing transfer speculation had impacted his play this season and was looking forward to earning regular playing status with the surprising AFC club.

DC- I had been trying to pry Bishop away from Enfield since the end of last season. He is the top young defender that I had seen who even entertained the idea of being willing to play for us. It took extensive and protracted negotiations to get him under contract, but now that he is- he should be one of our two starters in central defense. We are now way over the expected weekly budget, but the Board so far seems content that the money is being well spent and haven't harrassed me on the issue- especially since we remain well in the black.

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7.9.11
AFC Wimbledon (4) Southend (0)
AFC- P.Richardson 45,48,60 A.Charlton 75
Southend- None
MOM- Peter Richardson, AFC Wimbledon

AFC played superbly and gave struggling Southend no chances as they easily defeated the visitors to Kingsmeadow by a 4-0 score. Southend gamely battled in the first half as they appeared set to run out the half in scoreless fashion after blunting AFC's best scoring chances. That changed when in extra time Steven Murphy sent a ball forward for Peter Richardson. Richardson leaped and flicked it past Steve Payne. Ben Gill raced back to try and close down Richardson, but he was just too late and Richardson's low blast trickled through keeper Andy Brennan into the net for a 1-0 AFC halftime lead. AFC then came out more aggressive to open the second half and it paid off when Payne misplayed a long, looping pass by AFC's Chris Clarke. The miscue was costly when Richardson raced to the ball and had a simple time knocking it past Brennan into the left side of the net for his 2nd goal of the match. Southend's backline continued to struggle and Chris Connolly wasn't able to reach a long goal kick by Dean Delaney. That allowed Richardson enough space to blast a low shot inside the right post to complete his hat-trick with his 5th goal of the season. Alan Charlton, on for a slightly injured Fabien Brandy at rightwing, then sent a dribble far ahead and a miscommunication by the Southend defenders allowed Charlton to swoop in and fire it past a clearly frustrated Brennan to cap the scoring in the 4-0 AFC win.

DC- We were well on our game for this match and they really had no answers defensively for our offensive execution today. We need to keep breaking down defenses like this!

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17.9.11
AFC Wimbledon (3) Peterborough (0)
AFC- L.Peac@ck 29 T.Shields 46 A.Hogg 87
Peterborough- None
MOM- Tony Shields, AFC Wimbledon

AFC continued their strong play as they outworked visiting Peterborough in sending them off with a 3-0 loss. After Peterborough had a couple good chances saved by Paul Rachubka in the early going, AFC leaped in front. Anthony Hogg took a throw-in from Peter Watson and broke into the area before slipping a pass to Lee Peac@ck. There were three Peterborough defenders close to Peac@ck, but he was still able to turn with the ball and blast a shot inside the left post past Mark Tyler. AFC then squashed Peterborough's hopes of a quick equalizer to start the second half as Watson sprayed a pass into space in the left corner. Peter Richardson ran the ball down and sent a hopeful cross into the middle, but it was headed away by Chris Hogg. The loose ball bounced out to Tony Shields and he blistered a 25 yard blast that Tyler got a hand upon, but could not keep out of the net for Shields' 1st goal of the season. AFC clinched the match late in the second half as Hogg made a dazzling run from just inside midfield. He pushed hard into the Peterborough area and he caught Tyler leaning for a shot on the wide side as he blasted it off Tyler's right shin and inside the left post to make the final margin of the win 3-0.

DC- Another strong match where we started a bit slowly, but ground the other club under continual pressure. Shields' shot was a pretty one and should be on our highlight reel for the season.

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24.9.11
Luton (1) AFC Wimbledon (1)
Luton- M.Dixon 83
AFC- P.Richardson 74
MOM- Peter Richardson, AFC Wimbledon

In a match they well could have won despite their indifferent play, AFC allowed Luton to grab a late equalizer and was forced to settle for splitting the points in the 1-1 draw. Luton appeared to have all the momentum after halftime as they came close to scoring three times on Dean Delany in the opening moments of the second half. Steve Paul missed inches wide, Jamie Turner's wicked, curving 25 yard blast hit the inside of the post and bounced all the way across the open goalmouth before Delany leaped on it and Delany made a fantastic save on Martin Dixon's rising blast as he pushed it over the bar when it appeared to be a certain goal. The first half featured no moments like this for either side as both had only managed a handful of long range shots. AFC broke into the lead when Paul Dunn turned a centering pass from Luton into a long pass into space on the right side of the pitch. Lee Peacock outraced two Luton defenders and then sent a centering pass toward Peter Richardson. Richardson showed he is continuing to develop priceless instincts around the net as he leapt and twisted past Chris Coyne to head the pass by James Biitner. Luton scored the late equalizer for the home side as Neil Davies picked up a loose ball and threaded a pass through to Martin Dixon at the six yard box. Dixon wheeled and Chris Clarke missed a sliding tackle as he fired his shot past Delany to make the final score 1-1. Dixon's goal was the first Division 3 goal allowed by AFC since their first match of the season against Wigan.

DC- A missed opportunity for a win. We really hadn't played well enough to earn a win, but I was ready to take it if we could manage. Instead we couldn't survive their pressure when they threw everyone forward in the late stages to try and even it.

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27.9.11
AFC Wimbledon (1) Mansfield (0) League Cup 2nd round- Extra Time
AFC- L.Peac@ck 94
Mansfield- None
MOM- Gareth White, Mansfield

Division 2 Mansfield expected a tough tussle with AFC Wimbledon at Kingsmeadow and received exactly that as AFC edged them 1-0 in Extra Time to move on the 3rd round of League Cup play. AFC refused to let the visitors dictate the tempo of play and held them to a grand total of 3 shots for the match. AFC generated more shots, but between their poor aim and Gareth White's strong play in net for Mansfield, it appeared the match might go to penalties after a scoreless regulation. Instead, Mansfield handed AFC the win when a tired Richard Baker made a terrible decision to try and backpass to keeper White. Baker put no zip on the pass and Lee Peac@ck- the freshest and fastest player on the pitch after subbing on for tired Fabien Brandy- swooped in to pick up the pass and then fired a shot into the left side of the net past White for what would be the match winning goal. The goal seemed to cause the same reaction in both clubs as they seemed to have little energy left and the remainder of extra time passed quietly as AFC advanced on the 1-0 upset win. It wasn't even close to the biggest upset in the 2nd round as fellow minnow Division 3 sides Burton Albion (stunned Leicester 5-2) and Notts County (edged Wolves 1-0) both upset EPL clubs in their matchups.

DC- A win that was well earned, though we didn't finish very effectively today. It didn't help that I rested both Peac@ck and Richardson for this match and that meant pairing Fabien Brandy and Aaron McLean up front- their unfamiliarity showed a few times during the match. We played very strong defensively in the match.

retired_destiny1124

1.10.11
AFC Wimbledon (6) Dag & Red (1)
AFC- P.Richardson 7,10 A.Hogg 38 L.Peac@ck 61 J.Parker 65 A.Saunders 85
Dag & Red- S.Brooker 34
MOM- Peter Richardson, AFC Wimbledon

AFC Wimbledon put together another overwhelming effort in front of the appreciative home crowd at The Fans' Stadium as they blew past struggling Dag & Red 6-1. Early AFC pressure saw Dag & Red keeper Mick Hay forced into a hurried clearing kick and Jim Corbett turned that into disaster as his pass was perfectly placed for Peter Richardson to rifle a shot past Hay to give AFC the quick lead. Anthony Hogg's hard work resulted in a fast 2nd goal for Richardson. Hogg stripped Chris McGrath of the ball and sent it to Jamie Parker. Parker was sending the ball in for unmarked Richardson almost before it arrived and Richardson didn't stop the ball- only deflected it into the left side of the net. Dag & Red gained some momentary hope when Steve Brooker struck from inside the edge of the area as he caught Dean Delany leaning for the expected cross. AFC quickly put a damper on that hope as Hogg answered back when he took a flick on from Richardson and came in free before he blasted a close-in shot through Hay to return AFC to a 2-goal lead at halftime. The second half was all AFC as their swirling attack and pace advantage became evident. Hay lost the handle as he tried to gather in a long shot from Tony Shields and Lee Peac@ck made him pay for the mistake by whisking the rebound past him for his 10th goal of the season. Jamie Parker made it 5-1 as he deflected a corner from Corbett past Hay. Alex Saunders then capped the scoring with his 1st goal for AFC. Saunders took a throw-in from Alan Charlton and blistered a 25 yard blast past Hay from the far right edge of the area.

DC- A very strong showing and another demonstration of how every player stepping into the lineup has been contributing for us. That bodes well for the long season as so far we have been relatively injury-free, but those injuries are difficult to avoid and if all of our players are sharp it will make for a much more successful campaign.

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5.10.11
Boston United (0) AFC Wimbledon (1)
Boston U- None
AFC- T.Osborne 76
MOM- Peter Richardson, AFC Wimbledon

Everyone seems to be contributing when called on, and that allowed AFC Wimbledon to edge Boston United 1-0 at York Street. AFC used their pace advantage to put pressure on the home side both offensively and defensively as they held sway over a majority of the midfield play. Boston United survived early AFC pressure thanks to kind posts. Peter Wilkinson rattled one off the left post when it looked like his low shot had beaten Boston keeper Mark Barry midway through the first half. In the later stages of the half, it was Fabien Brandy who was denied when his scorching shot clipped the outside of the post. AFC's Peter Richardson struggled through the first half, but came out in the second half a different player. His runs pressured the Boston backline and he continually escaped coverage to be a thorn in the home club's side. He created a great chance as Boston left Tony Shields unmarked in front, but a key save from Barry kept the match scoreless. Midway through the second half it was Richardson again- as his left side run drew the defense and this time he found unmarked Tim Osborne in the area. Osborne, who subbed on for a slightly injured Richard Neville, made the most of his chance when his low shot eluded Barry and went into the left side of the net for what would be the lone goal in the match. Boston tried to rally, but the coverage of the AFC backline and midfield meant they only managed a couple fleeting chances in the late stages as AFC was content to close out the close road win.

DC- I am almost more encouraged by this win than the 6-1 rout. We played an excellent match defensively and kept them from getting good scoring chances- especially late in the match.

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8.10.11
Enfield (0) AFC Wimbledon (0)
Enfield- None
AFC- None
MOM- Peter Richardson, AFC Wimbledon

A difficult match for both sides was settled as Enfield and AFC Wimbledon battled to a well deserved scoreless draw. This wasn't a colourless match though as both sides staged some impressive passing and each had good chances- but Dean Delany and Neil Hall both played well and received plenty of support from their backlines in keeping the match scoreless. AFC's best chance came late in the second half when Peter Richardson and Lee Peacock played a superb give-n-go passing sequence, but Peacock's shot missed the right post by inches. Orient also saw Jamie Parker move in free on Hall, but Hall scooped up his low shot, leaving Parker with head in hands. Enfield had a great chance in the waning moments of the second half, but Delany was able to snare a rising shot from Steve Langley to preserve the 0-0 final score.

DC- It was a fair result, though we missed more good chances than they did overall. Our passing was a bit spotty in the match as they clamped down well on our wingers.

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22.10.11
AFC Wimbledon (5) Cambridge (1)
AFC- S.Murphy 6 J.Corbett 17,49 A.Charlton 42 L.Peacock 45
Cambridge- C.Roberts 30
MOM- Alan Charlton, AFC Wimbledon

AFC Wimbledon added to last placed Cambridge's woes as they defeated them by a lopsided 5-1 margin. From the outset, AFC blew past the Cambridge midfielders in 343 formation and the backline was inadequate to handle the pressure applied to them. Orient worked a splendid play off a corner to take the lead. Jim Corbett's corner was headed back to him by Alan Charlton and he immediately crossed to the far post and found Steve Murphy moving in to deflect the cross past Gary Montgomery for his 1st goal at AFC. Quick ball movement set up an excellent goal by Corbett to make it 2-0 as Lee Peacock showed good timing in moving the ball to an unmarked Corbett on the wing. The lone bright spot of the match for Cambridge was when they drew a goal back in the first half. Andy Hale sent a centering pass to Cristian Roberts in a crowd of defenders. Roberts showed his strength and timing as he leapt and knocked his header past Paul Rachubka to make it 2-1. That was the end of good news for the visitors as AFC quickly moved ahead 3-1. Alan Charlton was perfectly placed to head a short cross from Corbett after Corbett's brilliant run on the byline past two defenders. AFC finished out the half and likely finished Cambridge's hopes when Peter Richardson made an excellent flick on a long pass from Chris Clarke. Richardson's flick reached Peacock and he slipped past Neil Harris before snapping a shot past Montgomery inside the left post. AFC finished out the scoring early in the second half when Peacock again showed wonderful vision. Peacock's short header out to Corbett allowed him to walk in and fire a low shot from a sharp angle past Montgomery for his 2nd goal of the match. The 5-1 win could have been worse as Montgomery made several good saves later in the second half as the dispirited visitors appeared content to leave with the defeat. Bad news finished out the match for AFC though as midfielder Jamie Parker was stretchered from the pitch with an apparent serious leg injury.

DC- It was another accomplished win as our passing was sharp and our finishing was on the mark. Losing Jamie Parker will be a serious blow to us though as he will miss close to a year due to tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee.

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26.10.11
Torquay (0) AFC Wimbledon (3) Vans Trophy South 1st round
Torquay- None
AFC Wimbledon- A.McLean 5,52 A.Charlton 59
MOM- Alan Charlton, AFC Wimbledon

AFC used slashing counterattacks to ruin Torquay's hopes of moving further in the Vans Trophy South competition. Alan Charlton's timely block sent a ball into space down the middle and Aaron McLean turned on the jets to outrace Richard White to the ball before hitting a hard, low swerving 15 yard blast past Chris Adams to send Orient to an early lead. Torquay had some good chances for the rest of the first half as they tried to fight back, but suprise starter Tom Phillips kept the slate clean going into halftime for AFC. Richard Neville chipped the ball out to Pagguy Zunda moving down the left and Zunda lofted a centering pass to the middle. Adams tried to come out and grab the lofted pass, but McLean challenged him and flicked the ball past him for his 2nd goal of the match. AFC then closed out the home side as Anthony Hogg intercepted a pass and took the ball down the center of the pitch from inside the AFC end. White finally made a saving tackle just when it looked like Hogg was going to finish his fabulous run, but the ball bounced right to Charlton- who had kept pace with Hogg down the pitch and he had an easy chip into the open net to make the final score 3-0.

DC- Everyone contributing is a common theme for our success this season- and today was just another example. McLean's pace helped ruin the crowd's expectations and we played another solid defensive match when we had to in the first half.