Town’s Carabao Cup run ended at the first hurdle after an embarrassing 4-2 on-penalties defeat to League Two AFC Wimbledon after a 2-2 draw. Ali Al-Hamadi gave the Blues the lead against his old club in the third minute but Omar Bugiel levelled just before half-time. The Dons went in front via Mat Stevens and the home side looked on their way to victory until Conor Chaplin scored four minutes from the end but that proved only a stay of execution.

Six new signings were handed their Blues debuts, Dara O’Shea, Conor Townsend, Kalvin Phillips, Jens Cajuste, Chiedozie Ogbene and Jack Clarke, while Ben Johnson was the only player remaining from the side which started at Manchester City on Saturday.

Wimbledon made six changes from the team which won 1-0 away at Cheltenham on Saturday. Former Blues striker Joe Pigott was on the bench.

Town almost went ahead in the third minute. Chaplin fed in Ogbene on the right, the Irish international cut across but it wouldn’t fall for Al-Hamadi, one of six full internationals in the Blues XI. However, Chaplin seized on it but his effort deflected wide.

But the travelling Town support didn’t have to wait too much longer for a goal. Townsend sent over the corner from the right and Al-Hamadi lost his man and powered in a header.

The Iraqi international made it very obvious he wasn’t celebrating the goal and, unusually given they had just conceded, was warmly applauded by his old supporters.

Having gone in front, the Blues dominated and on 14 Ogbene cut the ball back to Cajuste on the edge of the box but the Swedish international’s shot was blocked.

On 19, Town claimed a penalty when Phillips was felled by Bugiel as he was taking the ball into the box but referee James Linington waved the protests away, while Wimbledon claimed a free-kick for handball by the on-loan Manchester City man as he fell, similarly without success.

Five minutes later, Bugiel felt he should have been awarded a penalty at the other end having been challenged by Phillips, however, it appeared the ball had been won cleanly.

Other than that incident, it had been all Town with the Blues dominating and passing the ball around confidently, despite having so many new faces in the line-up. On 26 Johnson shot well over from distance.

A minute later, Bugiel had the ball in the net for the Dons but with the linesman’s flag having been raised as the cross from the right had been whipped in, incorrectly replays suggested.

Town continued to see all the ball and look very comfortable and on 35 the lively Clarke cut in from the left and struck a low shot which Wombles keeper Owen Goodman saved low at his near post.

Having been harshly denied his earlier goal, Bugiel eventually levelled in the 41st minute. Dons’ captain Jake Reeves’s free-kick, awarded for a Townsend foul on Huseyin Biler, was sent over from the right and the Lebanese international found space between Town defenders to nod past Walton.

That was the last action of a half in which the Blues had been very comfortable for the most part having gone in front so early, perhaps too much so with the Dons more involved towards the break.

Town hadn’t really threatened again, aside from Clarke’s shot at Goodman’s near post, before Bugiel’s disallowed goal, the linesman too hastily flagging a player who played no part in the creating or scoring the goal, which should have served as a warning.

But the Blues were subsequently unable to deal with Bugiel, who seemed to get away from Burgess with the Australian international appearing to claim he’d been fouled, as Reeves’s pacy free-kick was whipped in.

However, for the most part, it was a positive first-half display from the somewhat scratch Town XI - albeit without creating enough - with Clarke direct on the left, Ogbene showing his pace down the right and Cajuste and Phillips looking assured in the middle.

Ahead of the second half, Town swapped Ogbene, who had been quieter towards the end of the first period and may have picked up a knock, for Marcus Harness.

The Blues began the second half brightly and on 49 Clarke played in Townsend on the left and his low cross was cleared. Moments later, Al-Hamadi sent a shot well over the stand housing the Town support.

But in the 56th minute, the Dons took the lead. Once again it came from a free-kick out on the right, this time conceded by Cajuste. Reeves’s high ball curled into the box and Mat Steves rose high to nod past Walton to his right.

Town set about getting themselves back into a game which they had been dominating. On the hour, Joe Lewis was booked for tripping Al-Hamadi as he chased a threaded ball just outside the area, although the former Don seemed unlikely to reach it in any case. Townsend’s free-kick flew well over.

Four minutes later, Clarke brought the ball through the middle and tried to feed Al-Hamadi on his left in the area but it was taken away from the Iraqi. The ball ran loose to Townsend on the edge of the box, but again the left-back’s strike was very much too high.

On 66 Town swapped Cajuste and Phillips for Jack Taylor and Massimo Luongo with the duo short on recent match action. Both showed glimpses of what Blues fans can expect from them in the season to come once they’re up to speed.

Four minutes later, a Townsend corner from the right reached Luongo at the far post with his back to goal. The Australian tried to backheel it goalwards but it was forced away and beyond the lurking Al-Hamadi for a flag-kick on the opposite side.

The Wombles made their first changes moments later, Alistair Smith replacing James Ball and ex-Blues frontman Pigott coming on for Bugiel.

On 75 O’Shea headed powerfully but into a crowd of players from a deep corner from the left.

Town made a double change with 12 minutes left as they sought to avoid an embarrassing cup exit at the hands of League Two opposition, Liam Delap and Omari Hutchinson replacing Al-Hamadi, who was again given an ovation by the Dons support, and Clarke, who did much to suggest he will become a fans’ favourite in his time at the club.

It had been a scrappy second half from the Blues with few chances being created, with many of the new signings tiring with many of them short on game time.

However, the Dons hadn’t threatened to add to their goals until the 81st minute, when Stevens made the most of a Burgess slip just inside the Town half but was felled by the Australian international as he was about to break away towards goal. Referee James Linington decided a yellow card would suffice, much to the annoyance of the home support.

Town had been huffing and puffing but without looking like scoring, but on 86 they equalised.

After a Taylor ball in from the left had been nodded out, O’Shea looped a cross back in from the other flank. Burgess mistimed his header well away from goal but inadvertently found Chaplin, the shortest man on the pitch, who somehow beat Goodman in the air and headed into the net, much to the relief of the Town support behind the goal.

As the game moved into its penultimate scheduled minute, Hutchinson appeared to be hauled over on the right of the area but referee Linington showed no interest.

Town attacks were by now coming in waves as the Blues went looking for a late winner. Wimbledon swapped James Tilley for James Furling for the final seconds of normal time and four additional minutes.

Seconds before the whistle, Delap made a powerful run forward with the ball before losing his feet and showing his frustration by catching a Wimbledon player with an arm. The striker was fortunate only to see a yellow card. The referee’s whistle blew moments later to signal a penalty shoot-out.

Former Blues striker Pigott sent Walton to his left and the ball to his right with the first kick before Delap smashed his powerfully to Goodman’s right and into the net to make it 1-1.

Stevens also sent Walton the wrong way, although in the opposite direction, before Burgess belted his to Goodman’s left and into the net.

Up to then, the penalties had all been excellent but Dons skipper Reeves put his over the bar to give the advantage to the Blues.

However, Town failed to take it with Taylor stuttering as he ran up before hitting a low shot to Goodman’s right, which the keeper saved.

Biler made it 3-2 to the home side with his kick hit low to Walton’s right with the keeper getting a hand to it.

Hutchinson shot straight down the middle but Goodman saved with his feet to give Isaac Ogundere the chance to confirm the Dons’ victory, which he did with a spot-kick hit high into the right top corner of Walton’s net.

An embarrassing cup exit for the Blues, who had been well in control in the first half but without creating enough chances having gone in front via Al-Hamadi’s early goal.

They allowed the Dons back in the game towards half-time before a scrappier second-half display in which they conceded their second set-piece goal of the game with their defensive organisation presumably impacted by the number of new signings in the side.

Chaplin took the game to penalties with his determined goal but the Blues, as so often over the course of their history, were second best in the shoot-out.

While the Carabao Cup is far from the priority this season, a win would have been a boost of confidence after defeats in the very tough opening Premier League games, while a run would have given the players on the fringes opportunities to play regularly in the opening months of the season.

Town: Walton, Johnson, O’Shea, Burgess, Townsend, Phillips (Luongo 66), Cajuste (Taylor 66), Ogbene (Harness 46), Chaplin (c), J Clarke (Hutchinson 78), Al-Hamadi (Delap 78). Unused: Slicker, Tuanzebe, Woolfenden, Davis.

AFC Wimbledon: Goodman, Johnson, Lewis, Ogundere, Tilley (Furling 90), Ball (Smith 72), Reeves (c), Maycock, Biler, Bugiel (Pigott 72), Stevens. Unused: Ward, O’Toole, Kelly, Neufville, Hippolyte, Williams. Referee: James Linington (Newport, Isle of Wight). Att: 7,934 (Town: 1,834).

Photo: Action Images via Reuters

fifeblue added 22:00 - Aug 28 Embarrassing.
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gkroon89 added 22:00 - Aug 28 New players or not, we are a Premiership club and that wasn’t a good performance unfortunately.
28

RobsonWark added 22:02 - Aug 28 Anyone surprised by the result? Not me. 6 debutants and 5 others who haven't played together much. That's putting 11 individuals onto the pitch, not a team. You need to play 20-30 games at least together to form a team.
17

BlueRuin69 added 22:03 - Aug 28 McKenna has destroyed this team in a few short weeks by adding too many new players and not trusting the band of brothers that got us here. Why play players who have just walked through the door, joke.
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leftie1972 added 22:03 - Aug 28 With the quality of the players on the pitch, this should’ve been a formality. Just goes to show what a lack of playing together can do to a game. Better now than in the league I suppose.
20

Stato added 22:03 - Aug 28 The lack of chances created was really disappointing
28

DifferentGravy added 22:04 - Aug 28 Blimey Clarke a very good player and only one who looked dangerous until Omari came on. Really need another forward and not Al Hamadi. We created very little. Oh the joys of marking space from set pieces. Beaten by a team who were direct and worked very hard. Once again, need more than one tactic. It happened last season (and the season before) when we come up against hard working teams that sit deep. Bit fed up with that result

11

TimmyH added 22:04 - Aug 28 Well a lot of strangers playing together for the first time...but few proving tonight to McK that they should go straight into the side on Saturday. Avoided 90 minute embarrassment but still went out. I know nobody expected to do anything the first 2 games but we need to start winning ASAP, losing becomes a habit as much as winning...food for thought for Kieran.
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BlueRuin69 added 22:04 - Aug 28 McKenna clueless tonight, very poor management....
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Edmundo added 22:05 - Aug 28 This season is starting slowly. Long way to go though.
4

rnblue63 added 22:07 - Aug 28 Laclustre, inept, incohesive a collection of strangers.
4

d77sgw added 22:08 - Aug 28 Credit to Wimbledon - defended very deep, very little space for our attacking players and took advantage of two (should have been 3!) Set plays. Town could have moved the ball a bit sharper but generally they didn't play badly - and would have won this game 9 times but of 10.
13

Jesney_Havoc added 22:09 - Aug 28 Was that the most expensive town team ever ? Ignoring the full time result, a team with that sort of pedigree should not get ‘out penaltied’ by a team so many places below.
15

Boocat added 22:09 - Aug 28 Not a surprise with so many changes. Don’t think we need to call out McKenna and the new signings, this was an opportunity to get some match time into the legs. How many times did Ferguson rebuild Manchester United and they still kept winning. The new players will be used as subs, except, perhaps for Philips, against Fulham and then during the international break, we can start forming a team.

12

Bezzer added 22:10 - Aug 28 That’s 8 goals conceded in 3 games, albeit two world class teams, however, Wimbledon aren’t! We desperately need goal scorers of proven quality, however, we will never stay up unless we can stop leaking goals!
12

TubbyToast added 22:11 - Aug 28 I watched the FA Cup in 1978 aged 7, watched the UEFA cup and leagues games standing on my wooden stool in Churchmans. Was there in the numerous Burley play off failures. Was at Wembley in 2002 and for the PL Burley days and a number of years afterwards so before anybody under 35 marks me down, I have seen a bit: You CAN’T buy a team 3 games and 3 losses. Before anyone says yes but 2 were against English and European Champions, tonight wasn’t. If we need to gel – there is no hope against Fulham – 2 games, 4 points. We don’t need gel, we need superglue. I hate to say it, but this promotion has come too early.

-13

blueytops added 22:11 - Aug 28 There will be a lot of players who will be looking for a loan / transfer, probably some surprises just to get a game! The band of brothers are moving on. Still bring back in Greaves, szmodics, Davis and Morsy with Clarke, O’Shea, Phillips, Hutchinson and Delap and we may well start the new era and a new beginning
12

Dutchman1 added 22:12 - Aug 28 This is where KM will earn his salary. He has had the best part of 2 years with tremendous success and has coached a team to the top flight with just a few tweaks of personnel here and there. He now has to develop the ability to mould a winning outfit with a much more valuable squad. I am confident he will do that too but the odd early glitch has to be expected. Disappointing to go out but we aren’t much of a cup team anyway and I liked what I saw from Johnson, Townsend, Phillips, Cajuste and particularly Jack Clarke. The trick now is to not get too far off the pace as Ipswich develop as a unit.

33

Saxonblue74 added 22:12 - Aug 28 Get a grip people! A bunch of individuals out there tonight, and they looked good. They are NOT a team! Clarke, Cajuste, Johnson and Ogdebe looked class and O'Shea showing leadership. Its going to take time, give them a chance! Remember Maidstone? That season turned out OK didn't it?!
32

Westy added 22:13 - Aug 28 Angry and frustrated. What is it about us? - Barrow, Maidstone, others and now Wimbledon. Three successive defeats. Puts the pressure on the players for a result on Saturday and probably will dim the atmosphere a little. With less games in the Premiership so important to progress in cup games to give players game time. KMcK must be so frustrated. I would be surprised if he has lost three successive games in his playing or managerial career. What was Jack Taylor thing with such a tepid penalty? A chance to put us in the lead, so 'leather it' man so if the keeper goes the right way he still has to work to save it. not a poorly struck shot theat the keeper will definitely save if he goes the right way - there is a fifty per cent chance he will! KMcK will now find it much harder to keep the group 'happy' with game time now at a premium and no FA Cup until January. Very, very, very angry.

8

jas0999 added 22:13 - Aug 28 Phil - sent you a personal note. Please respond. After 10+ years on this site, unless you can accept this embarrassing result or a Labour supporter sadly you are no longer accepted on this site. Please cancel my membership. The abuse you get on the forum is shocking. I’m done. If this is good. Wow.
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VanDusen added 22:13 - Aug 28 Least we didn't go out in the first round this year...
8

Broadbent23 added 22:15 - Aug 28 Anxiety with all the players. Players debuts, players having limited playing time, trying to mix a new line up. Wimbledon was a settled side. Town thought it would be easy. Wimbledon wanted blood and they earned it. Forget and move on and learn to survive in the PL. Tonite D -.
3

Saxonblue74 added 22:17 - Aug 28 Never cease to amaze me how quickly fans can turn on their club.
24

Bezzer added 22:17 - Aug 28 What’s our best starting 11 and what formation suits best? I’m not convinced McK knows yet, which is understandable, however, he must have a plan, having bought all of these players in! I know it’s a squad game, but we need a solid and consistent starting 11!
1

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