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AFC Wimbledon 0-0 Ipswich Town - Match Report
Tuesday, 11th Feb 2020 21:46

Town’s first ever game at Kingsmeadow ended in a frustrating 0-0 draw with AFC Wimbledon. The Blues dominated possession throughout and hit the bar throughout James Norwood in the first half, while a number of better opportunities were spurned in the second.

Josh Earl was handed his full Town debut at left wing-back as the Blues made three changes from the side which lost 1-0 at Sunderland at the weekend for their first ever game at Kingsmeadow against AFC Wimbledon.

The on-loan Preston man, who came on as a sub at the Stadium of Light, replaced Myles Kenlock, who dropped to the bench, while Emyr Huws came into the midfield trio for Jon Nolan, who was also among the subs.

Kayden Jackson was up front alongside James Norwood with Will Keane on the bench.

Skipper Luke Chambers was making his 350th appearance for the club, while former Blue Shane McLoughlin was at right-back for AFC Wimbledon.

Town, wearing their Barcelona-style away kit but with yellow socks so as not to clash with the Dons’ blue and with owner Marcus Evans watching from the directors’ box, started positively, dominating the early possession.

The Blues continued to play keep-ball with the home side making the occasional foray forward but neither team created an opportunity in a stop-start freekick-heavy first 20 minutes.

The game progressed in a similar manner as the 30-minute mark passed with Town still having most of the ball but without being able to break through the Dons sitting back in their half.

On 39 Callum Reilly was shown the game’s first yellow card for a foul on Huws 25 yards out. The Welshman took the freekick himself and his low shot, which might have been destined for the corner of the net, caught a defender on the way through and went out for a corner.

From the resultant corner, Town went close to going in front. Skuse - who was taking all the set pieces - sent the ball in from the left, it was half-cleared to Norwood and the striker crashed it against the underside of the bar from 10 yards.


The ex-Tranmere man had another go as the ball bounced back to him but his second shot was scuffed wide and the danger was eventually cleared with home fans wondering how it had stayed out.

And that was that for a not overly entertaining half in which the Blues dominated the ball but were unable to find a way through the organised Dons happy to sit back.

A set piece always looked the most promising route from which Town would create an opportunity and they were unfortunate Norwood’s strike cannoned off the bar.

The Blues needed to show more guile and up the tempo of their passing in the second half, or perhaps look to go more direct, in order to claim the three points.

The second period began as the first had ended and on 56 Jackson hit a shot on the turn from 12 yards which Rod McDonald deflected wide. From the corner, the ball fell to Norwood at the far post and Wimbledon keeper Joe Day did well to save down to his left with the loose ball somehow falling safely.

A minute later, Norwood hit a 20-yard freekick low into the wall and then crossed behind the goal after the ball had been returned to him on the left.

On 62 Norwood sent Jackson away down the right and the ex-Accrington man cut the ball cross to Flynn Downes who turned the ball against a defender on the edge of the six-yard box.

The ex-Tranmere man had a golden chance to put the Blues ahead in the 67th minute when he picked up a loose Wimbledon pass five yards outside the Dons’ area and took the ball into the area one-on-one with Day. The striker might have played it left to Jackson but tried to chip the keeper, who saved.

Two minutes later, Downes was booked somewhat harshly for a foul, the midfielder’s ninth League One yellow card of the season, then Paul Osew hit Wimbledon’s first shot of the night well over from wide on the left.

As Tomas Holy prepared to take the goal-kick, Town switched Norwood, who will feel he ought to have taken his season’s total to at least 12 goals, with Will Keane, while Wimbledon swapped Reilly for Scott Wagstaff.

The Dons began to show more of an attacking threat with Joe Pigott heading wide from a 76th minute corner.

A minute later, Jackson was sent away on the right behind the Wimbledon backline and cut the ball back. It hit Keane with other players behind him and looped into Day’s arms.

Within seconds, Skuse knocked the ball into the area and Keane hit a brilliant shot on the turn which was flying into the top corner until Day superbly got across to tip it over.

Freddie Sears took over from full debutant Earl on 81, just before Terell Thomas shot wide for the home side.

Luke Woolfenden hit a low effort through to Day but without enough power on 85, then a minute later Wimbledon replaced Max Sanders with Jack Rudoni.

Day did well to push Sears’s 20-yard freekick past the post in the 87th minute, Huws having been fouled.

In the first of three additional minutes, Pigott hit a low shot across the face of goal and wide.

Town were forced to defend a couple of Wimbledon corners in injury time, which they did without a serious concern, before referee Craig Hicks brought a frustrating evening to an end.

The Blues had dominated possession throughout and in the second half certainly had enough chances to have claimed all three points, just as they did in the first half at Sunderland on Saturday.

Norwood will feel he should have taken at least one of his opportunities, while Keane was thwarted by the save of the night from Day, who also made a good stop from Sears.

The Blues remain seventh ahead of back-to-back home games against Burton Albion and Oxford United, who drew 2-2 at the Pirelli Stadium this evening.

AFC Wimbledon: Day, O’Neill, Osew, McDonald, Thomas, Hartigan, Reilly (Wagstaff 70), Sanders (Rudoni 87), Pigott (c), Pinnock, McLoughlin. Unused: Trott, Guinness-Walker, Roscrow, Lamy, Wood.

Town: Holy, Chambers (c), Wilson, Woolfenden, Donacien, Skuse, Downes, Huws, Earl (Sears 81), Norwood (Keane 70), Jackson. Unused: Norris, Nolan, Judge, Dozzell, Kenlock. Referee: Craig Hicks (Surrey). Att: 4,745 (Town: 789).


Photo: Pagepix



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herfie added 22:01 - Feb 11
The inexorable decline continues. ME hang your head in shame. PL are you honestly up to it? Players average or below.
6

londontractorboy57 added 22:02 - Feb 11
All the usual down voters yet none of you have a clue deluded
-12

BeattiesBackPocket added 22:02 - Feb 11
Before we start wanting the 6th manager out the club in 13 years maybe people need to see the common denominator in our decline and that would be the richest owner outside of the premier league Marcus Evans take a bow 👏🏻
It's about time our fans booed the owner let him know it's not good enough some serious questions need to be asked, why is he here!? Not a fan so why?? Why is it Brentford can compete in the top of the championship on 10,000 gates and pay the wages as well when we get twice as much and had the 6th lowest wage budget past 3/4 seasons in that league?? They're hardly in debt and moving to a new ground as well yet we have a huge debt how?? It's not been spent on the players so where is it??
Please Just one of you evans supporters tell me how Brentford are managed like this but we have such a huge debt and nothing to show for it??
20

dirtydingusmagee added 22:02 - Feb 11
Cant wait to see how Dolphin talks this one up .
5

Linkboy13 added 22:03 - Feb 11
Norwood needs four chances to score one probably why he's playing in Div one. With no threat from midfield it's always going to be a struggle with only Downes looking the part Huws is a pale shadow of himself and is no better than Nolan and creates absolutely nothing i expect Nolan to be back in on Saturday.
1

blueboy1981 added 22:03 - Feb 11
Face facts people, we wouldn't score in a brothel. Season over - bar some sort of miracle.

Some consideration for the fact we were playing against the might of WIMBLEDON after all - as good excuse as we're likely to get I guess.

Too easier a Club to mage, play for, and own, for the past 13 years - so what can we expect ?
Definitely NOT the true ITFC over the past decade.
The REAL ITFC needs to be found again, before it's too late - at this rate 10k gates next season, at best. A crock of sh#te, no more, no less.
8

Mingochutney added 22:03 - Feb 11
Team for Saturday has to be Holy, Edwards, Woolfenden, Wilson, Chambers, Garbutt, Downes, Huws, Dobra, Sears, Keane
0

Norwichbeater added 22:03 - Feb 11
The problem is are we now as supporters going to accept languishing in league one for the next 10 years. I believe Evans isn't bothered. There must be a reason. Same as giving Lambert a five year contract making it impossible to sack him. Why would he do that. Are we accepting this stagnation and constant demise?
9

blueboy1981 added 22:04 - Feb 11
..... should read ‘manage'.
-1

midastouch added 22:06 - Feb 11
I said a while ago that I wasn't convinced we'd reach the Play Offs. I really hope I'm wrong but nothing I heard tonight has made me think otherwise. Although we're still only 1 point off the Play Offs but 1 point from 12 is just nowhere near the required standard. Too many tried, tested and failed players still lingering from the McCarthy and Hurst eras that need to be sent packing once and for all. You know who I mean!
Check out Mizouni's goal tonight, see here:
outstanding! When are we finally going to ship out the old guard and bring in the young guns like Dobra, Mizouni and Morris?
Some of us wanted Burley back, he would of trusted in the youth and I'm convinced we'd be far better off for it right now. My dream was for Burley to save us from Mick's negative hoofball but instead we got Hurst and Lambert, you couldn't make it up. It's a case of out of the frying pan and into the fire with Evans. From Magilton to Keane from Hurst to Lambert! Evans has been clueless in appointing managers. When it comes to football knowledge, he's just not fit for purpose!
Please can somebody ask Terry Butcher for George Burley's mobile number and plaster it in a big black marker pen on Marcus Evans desk! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!
9

dirtydingusmagee added 22:08 - Feb 11
when do we play The Dog & Duck ? can some one give me a lift ,I shall need to get p#ssed.
1

Bezzer added 22:10 - Feb 11
Why are we playing 2 reserve team centre halves as our attacking wing backs? Also, let's face it, how much creativity do we have in the team? How much pace is their in the team? How many midfield goal scores are there in the team? How narrow is our team playing? Is this so called ‘best squad in the league' really that good? If Dozzell and Judge are that good, why aren't they playing? Have we really got great, young potential in the squad? Without even commenting on the owner and management team, I'm not sure we've addressed much on the field since Burley left as manager!!
2

WhoisJimmyJuan added 22:11 - Feb 11
That twice Evans didn't invest in a critical January (as in 2015) shows how little he really cares about the club compared to his wallet. That he can offer Lambert a 5 year contract just months after relegation shows how little judgement he has. The protests to get this cyst out of our club have to start in earnest. I don't know what his game is, and I no longer care. I want him out of our club now, dropping Lambert off on the A140 on the way.
7

Taricco_Fan added 22:11 - Feb 11
Managed decline.

Take a bow, Mr Evans.
9

skankerman added 22:11 - Feb 11
3rd rated team last year 3rd rated team this year
Mr Owner and Mr Manager where's the improvement
5

DifferentGravy added 22:11 - Feb 11
The lack of urgency at times, taking free kicks, throw ins, getting in the box. Only one who showed that was Downes.....who was superb. Why keep the same shape for so long? they barely had an attack, surely we had to throw more bodies forward far earlier. That was the poorest team i have seen us play all season(not including a youthful Bolton side). It was 3 point for the taking.

Does anyone think we look capable of beating Coventry, Fleetwood etc? Failure to get promotion and the team will be stripped of assets.

Oh.....i forgot we are not allowed to voice our frustration regarding the players/management/owner because it upsets a few of the regulars (bangalore/bobblehat/dolphin). Let me start again.....we were wonderful, Lambert is a tactical genius, we are tearing teams apart and looked nailed on for promotion.

Another stint in league one beckons......minus Garbutt, Woolfy and Downes......yikes
4

coolhand added 22:13 - Feb 11
Picking a loan player from Bolton and placing him straight into the first team tells me that selection is desperate irrespective of how good they think he is. This shows team selection Is
Limited and only relying on trying different combinations with the same 15 with only a fraction of the season left. Management must know that they have little hope of reaching play offs, it's their facing them full on.
1

VanDusen added 22:14 - Feb 11
Imagine if that's the point that makes the difference...

Frustrating is the word. As soon as the pinball didn't go in you knew we wouldn't score. Can only hope the home form.picks up but fluff up the next two Saturdays and we really do sink to mid-table. What happened to the all round performance against Lincoln which unbelievably was less than 3 weeks ago...
2

ChrisR added 22:15 - Feb 11
Lamberts record since leaving Norwich 8 years ago gets progressively worse , with each club booting him out more quickly until he gets to ITFC and lands a 5 year contract ! Why didn't Evans say "contract if promoted " , now we are stuck with this loser who seems to have zero motivational or leadership presence , just a string of incoherent irrelevant clichés. Bring back Paul Hurst who had a better record ! Its that bad folks!
7

blueboy1981 added 22:16 - Feb 11
londontractorboy57 - I see still has his head up his own posterior - nothing changes there either, anymore than we're likely to score.
2

midastouch added 22:17 - Feb 11
And I don't want 5 more minutes of this, let alone 5 more years!
3

londontractorboy57 added 22:17 - Feb 11
Pull the plug Marcus put the fans out of their misery.RIP ITFC
0

Tractorboy1985 added 22:17 - Feb 11
We done our bit by signing up for season tickets and pulled together.. and this is what we get.. a clueless owner who's not spending.. a manager who should have never been appointed in the first place due to previous connections.. how is this football any better than the mc carthy era? Pass pass pass pass pass pass no where near where it's going to hurt a side then SLUMP! No creativity.. no passion! We thought we had the league won after 15 games with the pathetic arm raising when we scrapped 1-0 wins... fast forward 16 games later.. 16 points from a possible 48.. a manager who gets a new 5 year contract.. a donkey signed on loan from Preston who Bolton didn't even want and kayden Jackson still falling over his own feet!! He hurts my eyes! I'm no longer prepared to support something that is not being reciprocated... Evans is taken this club from playoff contenders in the championship to mid table in league 1! The man is a fraud and I'm done with this football club! It's truly painful to watch the slide! RIP my beloved Ipswich
7

Hegansheros added 22:20 - Feb 11
Forget the play offs, tenth is where we will finish. Well done ME.
2

blueboy1981 added 22:21 - Feb 11
At ANY other Club, recently relegated, Lambert would have had to clear his desk by now.
An ambitious Club, focussed on success,would not tolerate this nonsense.
6


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