retired_destiny1124

20.3.10
AFC Wimbledon (2) Southport (0)
AFC- G.Hardy 9 A.Hogg 70
Southport- None
MOM- Craig Sives, AFC Wimbledon

It was a rough match and there was clearly little love lost between the two clubs as 8 yellow cards were issued and there was a lot of skirmishing. AFC Wimbledon came out with a crucial 2-0 victory thanks to Paul Newton, who ably stepped in to play for James Bittner in the AFC net- after Bittner went down with an injury in the 12th minute of play. AFC already held the lead at that point thanks to a sizzling pass from Michael Houghton that Gary Hardy was able to stop and then rocket through Peter Middleton's hands into the net for an AFC lead. AFC's backline played much better today and rightback Craig Sives used his blazing speed to thwart several Southport attacks as they desperately tried to rally. AFC felt more comfortable after John Burton, who had subbed on for a tiring Houghton, made a superb pass to Anthony Hogg. Hogg made a sensational half volley lob which sailed over the stranded Middleton to give AFC the important 2nd goal. AFC worked hard to keep the pressure off Newton and he finished out the clean sheet with a good save on a Paul Byrne header. Bittner's injury was costly- a damaged hip that will keep him out until next season. The win leaves AFC still in 21st, but even Halifax on points and trailing by only a goal in differential. Both AFC and Halifax are a point astern of 19th place Hayes and 3 points behind 18th place Leigh RMI.

DC- They really don't like us! Very rough match. Really down once I heard the news on James Bittner. He was the one player we couldn't afford to lose- and now out for the season. I will have to try the transfer market to come up with a replacement- I don't think we can avoid relegation with Paul Newton in net- despite how well he filled in today.

***

DC- My hand is being forced! Both Michael Houghton and Frazer Toms want fairly large wage increases to stay at AFC. They are solid players, but not worth the sums they are asking for. I will have to dip into the transfer market anyway, so I guess now is the time to look for some replacements.

retired_destiny1124

DC- DAMM! Now Paul Liddle is out for the season! He had been our best backline player and I was going to play him every match, now we are left with patchwork again. I don't even know if I can find anything on the transfer market in our limited range, but since I have landed a few midfielders, just maybe....

***

Transfer Deadline Brings Several to AFC
AFC Wimbledon manager Dave Colley, in an all out attempt to help the club avoid relegation, has splashed out some of his scarce funds to strengthen the club for the final stretch of the season. The players coming aboard are:
Steve Croudson 30 yr old GK purchased from Mansfield for 2K. Should step into the starting role with the loss of Bittner.
Alan Fettis 39 yr old GK purchased from Hull for 2K. Looks like backup to Croudson and looks like there is little confidence in Paul Newton.
Demba Traore 27 yr old SC purchased from Notts Co for 10K. May move into the starting lineup up front, but may also be cover for Hardy-Hogg.
Jim Corbett 29 yr old AMFR purchased from Southend for 5K. Should move into starting rightwing role.
Mark Peers 25 yr old AML purchased from Dag and Red for 24K. The priciest purchase indicates two things- 1) Dave Colley really likes him and 2) The contract negotiations with Michael Houghton must be at a standstill.
Tony Shields 29 yr old DMC purchased from Grimsby for 2K. Looks like he will step directly into a starting role on the club, as a solid DMC was on the wishlist for Colley.
Bertrand Cozic 31 yr old French AMRC purchased from Telford for 1K. May either spell or displace Gareth Graham- likely will play in the middle and not on a wing.
Tim Osborne 22 yr old MC purchased from Walsall for 3K. After seeing him score against AFC, Manager Colley went out and actually purchased him when his loan was up. Midfield depth now, but a promising future.
Leon Brown 27 yr old SC purchased from Newton for 3K. Not highly regarded, but somehow caught Manager Colley's eye and will add depth up front.
Pagguy Zunda 26 yr old FLC purchased from Barnet for 4K. Appears to be depth for the front line, may get some starts.
Matthew Wicks 31 yr old DLC purchased from Burton Albion for 1K. Will move into starting and leadership role. Hopefully a better investment than Richard Hope.

DC- Lots of midfield help and some keepers, but only Wicks for the backline. There will be hell to pay if we don't stay up- we are now way over allotted player weekly budget, but hopefully all will be forgiven if we stay up. Have to hope all these additions gel quick- we can't afford any time.

retired_destiny1124

3.4.10
Bury (1) AFC Wimbledon (3)
Bury- T.Dunfield 29
AFC- A.Hogg 31 B.Cozic 51 G.Hardy 62
MOM- Gary Hardy, AFC Wimbledon

More questions were answered about the AFC Wimbledon staff as they somehow managed to get their new look lineup to play effectively as a team in a 3-1 upset win over 1st place Bury. Bury went ahead first after both clubs sputtered in the early going. Baldar Ingimar Adalsteinsson made a terrific run down the left side then stopped and wheeled the ball back to trailing Terry Dunfield. Dunfield took full advantage of Steve Croudson's inability to see through the scramble in front of him to rocket a 25 yard shot into the left side of the net, with Croudson not reacting until the ball was by him. AFC answered very quickly though as Mark Peers made a wending left side run and then passed to the middle. Anthony Hogg was waiting and his volley of Peer's pass went inside the right post to even things at 1-1. Neither side could get another goal before half, but AFC went ahead early in the second half. Jim Corbett danced through two defenders to break in from the right and passed to the middle. Peers halfhearted shot was blocked by David Tyrie, but it bounced to Bertrand Cozic and he didn't miss with his low shot to score on his debut. AFC felt more comfortable after Hogg made a blazing straight run down the left and then crossed to Gary Hardy. Defender David Cross had lost track of Hardy for a split second and paid for the mistake as Hardy headed the ball into the right side of the net to make it 3-1. AFC settled down to defend their lead at that point and their backline didn't let down today. Croudson was forced to make one more key save but AFC finished the 3-1 win. A glance at the standings after the match showed AFC Wimbledon had moved into 19th place! Manager Colley warned not to get too excited, since they were only ahead of 20th place Leigh RMI on goal differential and Leigh had a match in hand. Despite that comment, the fans of AFC were very encouraged by the road win and the performance of the new arrivals.

DC- They meshed well and we were finally able to pressure both wings with Peers and Corbett. Their outside presence gave Hogg even more room and he is an exciting player with room to create. I like our chances much more after this result.

retired_destiny1124

DC- Leigh RMI lost their match in hand! But Halifax won theirs. Five matches left...
18th- Hayes 38 pts (-16 goal diff)
19th- AFC Wimbledon 37 pts (-12 goal diff)
20th- Halifax 37 pts (-12 goal diff, less total goals than AFC)
21st- Leigh RMI 37 pts (-13 goal diff)
22nd- Woking 30 pts

Just have to win them all...

***

14.4.10
AFC Wimbledon (1) Exeter (0)
AFC- G.Hardy 45
Exeter- None
MOM- Craig Sives, AFC Wimbledon

A match with two halves and one mistake that was the difference that allowed AFC to edge Exeter 1-0. The first half belonged to AFC Wimbledon as they surged and attacked through most of the half. They had nothing to show for it though as Tim Dittmar was playing well in net for the visitors. AFC also shot a couple golden chances wide. It looked like the two sides were going to be headed to half scoreless when Tony Shields tried to thread a pass through to Gary Hardy. Both Hardy and defender Leon Johnson missed the pass and a surprised Dittmar was forced to parry it away. Hardy took full advantage of Dittmar being down to reach the loose ball first and push it into the net. Exeter regrouped and they came out and dominated the second half. AFC looked tired as the Exeter midfield surged- using crisp passing to push the ball quickly around. Steve Croudson made a sensational save when he pushed a close in shot from Kevin Davies over the bar. He had help too as Craig Sives, Steve Harvey and Matthew Wicks all made crucial interventions to ruin good Exeter chances. When the final whistle sounded, AFC still held their 1-0 advantage and had gained a crucial win. Another costly injury occurred for AFC, as newly acquired Mark Peers broke his arm and would miss the remainder of the season.

DC- I thought we would wind up with a draw against Exeter- they were really buzzing about our area the entire second half. The win left us in 19th- a point ahead of Hayes and even with Halifax (though they now held the favorable goal differential). Leigh RMI was 4 points back in 21st place. The loss of Peers was tough, but leftwing was the one position we had a lot of depth- as Toms and Houghton can start there.

***

DC- Another injury! Jim Corbett broke his wrist and will be out pretty much the season. A lot of good my transfers have done as they all seem to be getting hurt.

retired_destiny1124

17.4.10
AFC Wimbledon (2) Hayes (0)
AFC- G.Hardy 4 A.Hay 36
Hayes- None
MOM- Gary Hardy, AFC Wimbledon

It was a showdown match for survival between 20th place Hayes and 19th place AFC Wimbledon. AFC Wimbledon took full advantage of their chances and Hayes wasn't as fortunate and AFC is a bit more comfortable now for the 2-0 win. Anthony Hogg keyed the first chance with a run down the left sideline. Hogg reached the corner and crossed to the center. Hayes skipper Chris McDonald lost track of Gary Hardy and Hardy leaped and headed home Hogg's cross to give the important first goal to AFC. Gary O'Neill, who had replaced an injured Frazer Toms, made an exceptional long pass that picked out Alex Hay to the right of the six yard box. Hay never hesitated and Richard McKinney just missed the high shot over his shoulder for Hay's 1st goal at AFC to make it 2-0 for the home side. Hayes tried to rally, but were continually stymied by the good work of the AFC backline- led by Matthew Wicks. AFC missed a couple of excellent chances to increase their lead in the second half, but continued to play solid defense as they held off Hayes for the crucial 2-0 win. With the win, Halifax (17th, -7), AFC Wimbledon (18th, -9) and Macclesfield (19th, -17) are all tied at 43 points and holding the final 3 safe places. 20th place Hayes is now 4 points adrift of the three clubs, while Leigh RMI is 6 points away with just 3 matches remaining.

***

DC- Injuries are becoming a severe hinderence. We have lost Ian Jennings for at least the next two weeks with a sprained ankle. I was very proud of the effort against Hayes, we worked hard for that win and it was well deserved.

retired_destiny1124

24.4.10
Leigh RMI (2) AFC Wimbledon (0)
Leigh- J.Morrison 60 S.Thompson 83-P
AFC- None
MOM- Jamie Wright, Leigh RMI

Leigh RMI was fighting for their survival and it showed as they managed to get a pair of second half goals to dump AFC Wimbledon back into the mix with a 2-0 win. AFC played well in the first half but could not find a way to get anything past Leigh keeper Jamie Wright. The match was a taut one in the second half as every possession was contested. Leigh broke through when James Morrison and John Robson played a give and go in the center of the pitch. After passing to Robson, Morrison broke up the seam and neither Steve Harvey nor Matthew Wicks covered him. Robson got him the ball back and he fired a low shot past Steve Croudson into the left side of the net. Wright came up big moments later when he made a diving parry of a low shot from Anthony Hogg. Leigh put the match out of reach when Alex Hay was called for pushing Liam Cooper in the area. Steve Thompson made no mistake converting the penalty kick and AFC never really mounted a rally after falling behind 2-0. Hayes crushed Hereford 6-2 and that means AFC is currently 19th a point ahead of Hayes and 2 points ahead of Leigh RMI.

DC- We were playing well, then that one mistake. It killed us, both momentum and morale wise- very disappointing to see the lack of heart, but I guess that is one reason we are in the fight to stay up.

***

DC- As if we needed more bad news- now Steve Harvey is out for the rest of the season with a strained calf muscle. The grim reaper of injuries could quit calling on us any day now...

retired_destiny1124

1.5.10
Woking (2) AFC Wimbledon (1)
Woking- S.Stone 5 A.Smith 34
AFC- G.Hardy 15
MOM- Anthony Robertson, Woking

Woking may already have clinched relegation, but they were intent on taking AFC Wimbledon down with them and their 2-1 win puts AFC back into dire straits for their final match. Woking jumped on the AFC defense early when Anthony Robertson intercepted a Tony Shields pass and sent a looping pass back down the pitch. The replay shows that Steven Stone could well have been offside, but the referee ignored the flag as Stone drove a shot past Steve Croudson inside the left post. AFC equalized when Gareth Graham volleyed a pass forward for Gary Hardy. Hardy had a step on Robertson and though keeper Tom Williamson got a piece of the ball it went into the net to make it 1-1. AFC's poor luck continued on a booming Stewart Ferguson free kick. It hit the post squarely but spun out all the way to the left side of the area- where Andy Smith had an easy time tapping it into the net. AFC pulled out all the stops to try an even the match again, but Williamson had a fantastic match and in the late stages he stopped both Anthony Hogg and Hardy in one-on-ones. The 2-1 loss coupled with Hayes 2-1 win over Halifax leaves AFC and Halifax even with 43 points, but Halifax has a 3 goal edge in the differential. AFC faces the final match of the season knowing they need to win and needing some help from 3rd place Enfield, who are visiting Halifax for their final match. If both Halifax and AFC lose, then Leigh RMI could sneak up out of relegation with a win on the road against Hereford.

DC- Not only did we lose to Woking, we also lost dynamic rightback Craig Sives for the season. I can't help but feel gloomy after this match. All the breaks seemed to go against us and we aren't in control of our destiny going into the last match- we need help to avoid relegation. In my postgame talk to the boys- I explained that all we could do is take care of our business, the rest would have to take care of itself. I also told them I will not allow the scoreboard operator to update the Conference scores during our match- at least until after ours is over- because we have to concentrate on what we have control over and not be distracted by anything else.

retired_destiny1124

8.5.10
AFC Wimbledon (3) Nuneaton Borough (0)
AFC- G.Hardy 21,27 M.Houghton 58
Nuneaton- None
MOM- Michael Houghton, AFC Wimbledon

It was all on the line for AFC Wimbledon- they needed some help, but they had to take care of their own business to have a chance. It was a determined crew that set out and after seeing Stuart Gallagher stop two good chances it was finally AFC's time. Michael Houghton sent a ball into space on the left, which Anthony Hogg ran down. As Hogg was challenged he sent a smart cross into the middle and Gary Hardy was there to deflect it inside the left post to give AFC the lead. Tony Shields made good pass to find Bertrand Cozic just outside the area. Cozic blasted a shot past Gallagher, but it bounced squarely off the post. Hardy was in the right spot to pick the rebound off and fire it past Gallagher on the left side for his 2nd goal of the match and 15th of the season. Nuneaton Borough tried to rally to start the second half, but Steve Croudson made a good leaping save on Peter Banks and then Stuart Watkins just missed wide. AFC felt more comfortable when Matt Lockwood passed to Houghton and found with acres of space on the left. Before the defense could rotate over to challenge him, Houghton broke in and fired a hard shot inside the far right side post to make it 3-0. Hogg, who must have been feeling very unlucky had two more one-on-one chances against Gallagher, but the keeper saved both of them. When the final whistle blew, there was a roar from the crowd at The Fans' Stadium- Manager Colley would not allow them to post the updated scores during the match- he didn't want AFC distracted- but now the final score went up- Enfield had beaten Halifax 3-1 and AFC would finish 19th and avoid relegation.

DC- The roar of the crowd told me all I needed to know. I was proud of how hard the guys had played in the match, they knew that it might come down to goal differential and that anything we could gain might make the difference. Now that we are staying up- and the Board has asked me to stay for next season- I can really start to build a club that can challenge.

***

Very glad (and lucky actually) that the story didn't end with this match. Because of that- might as well carry it on...

retired_destiny1124

Summer 2010- From Dave Colley's Journal-

DC- The day after we survived to stay up, the Board asked me to stay on as Manager for next season. I told them I would be happy too, but that we would need more work on restructuring the club. They didn't have a problem with that, but they did let me know that I was way overboard on weekly wages and that I needed to find ways to at least get closer to balancing the bottom line. Some of that will just depend on getting rid of albatross contracts I inherited- and after we discussed it, they understood that it might take time. They did want to see progress in that regard though, so it will make for some tough decisions.

Two decisions bound to be unpopular among the fans- I will not re-sign either Michael Houghton or Frazer Toms. They both did well, but with our injuries healing up- and some other lineup moves- neither would have a confirmed space in next season's starting lineup. They both want more money than I am willing to pay them- another factor in the decision.

There are many players here that I would love to dump, but finding takers is the problem. Wayne Vaughan has the largest waste of a contract on the club, so I would be glad to let him go free somewhere, but that doesn't seem likely. James Bittner was solid enough in net for us, but his contract is also higher than what his actual worth is- so I will likely try to find another keeper to pair with Croudson and see if I can relocate Bittner. Joe Keith, Nick Hunt, Ian Jennings and Carl Holden also have contracts that I would like to move. John Burton is one I would like to keep- but he wants a high end contract and I don't think his skills merit it- so I will also see if I can get something for him. One mistake (of a few) I made in the desperate search for players to keep us up last season- was to give Gary O'Neill a too generous contract. He is a solid player, but not worth what we are paying for him- so he is another one I will try and sell. Ashley Marshall, Alex Hay and Aren Wilford are also players I will try and find new homes for- because they aren't worth what we are paying.

Where does that leave us? Searching for some newer, hopefully less expensive players. The core players that I don't plan on moving are:
GK- Steve Croudson
DL- Matt Lockwood
DC- Matthew Wicks
DC- Steve Harvey
DR- Craig Sives
DRC- Paul Liddle
AML- Mark Peers
DMC- Tony Shields
MC- Tim Osborne
AMFR- Jim Corbett
SC- Gary Hardy
FLC- Pagguy Zunda
AMFL- Anthony Hogg

Everyone else can be had, but there are some that won't gain any transfer attention so I will be welcoming them back after summer break.

retired_destiny1124

DC- My summer goals are two fold- to get closer to goal on weekly wages and to add quality to allow us to improve and avoid the relegation battle. I want to take a dual approach on adding quality players to- since there are some good players available on free (at least not too ancient ones) I will try to get a core of those and then layer the club underneath that steady veteran core with young players that I have hopes for. This will be my first summer ever working the acquisition side, and though it will be a challenge- it will also be fun to be in control of the club's makeup.



***

DC- Well, the summer has been interesting- actually enlightening- and somewhat successful for us. The success has come in the way of relocating many players that I really didn't want. These are the results of the transfer selling...

Culling-
Gareth Graham (100K to Div 2 Plymouth)
John Burton (Tribunal awards 160K, signed with Div 2 Luton- but won't take place until 1.10.10)
Demba Traore (7K to Div 3 Burton Albion)
James Bittner (20K to Div 3 Carlisle)
Ashley Marshall (6K to Div 2 Northwich Vics)
Gary O'Neill (7K to Div 2 Gillingham)
Joe Keith (7K to NC Canvey Island)
Wayne Vaughan (7K to NC Marine)
Ian Jennings (6K to NC Barrow)
Alex Hay (6K to NC Woking)

I am pretty happy with getting even the minimal amounts- any scraps of money will help me in the end.