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

blueboy1981 added 07:35 - Aug 29 One thing for sure the Owners WON’T be impressed thus far this season ……. you can rely on that !! Another embarrassing Cup Exit on the Club’s History Page - to WHOM ???
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BlueRuin69 added 07:44 - Aug 29 Do one joyousblue your the biggest muppet on this site! People keep saying it was inevitable that we would struggle with so many new players so why play that team then? Unless of course you don't want to win it. We will get stuffed on Saturday. McKenna has broken up what are main strength was......a band of brothers......
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Carberry added 07:57 - Aug 29 Chorleyboy You know what I mean. For the record, I am not questioning whether they are kind to their mothers or get cats out of trees, I'm suggesting they didn't show enough character to win this game against League 2 opposition. They were all smoking cigars after that first goal went in, making pretty patterns and being a Premier League team, nobody was pushing on to put the game beyond Wimbledon. That takes footballing character. And there are some odd responses on here about loyalty and support. Some people are very sensitive about what you can and can't say about our team and management. You don't understand, everyone has the right to an opinion, if it doesn't agree with yours then just go and read something else. There are a lot of 'high horses' cantering around this site, people with very high opinions of themselves by the way they put down others. We lost to a moderate League 2 side last night but let's take the positives away from that. Hahaha.

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warktheline added 08:23 - Aug 29 It’s looking like some are going to get eggs dripping off their faces again! I’ve never read so much rubbish! It’s a nothing result in a nothing cup which was useful to get more minutes on the pitch between players unfamiliar with one another. McKenna has recruited brilliantly, unfortunately it’s going to take time for him to blend this squad of players together, that said, there’s no doubt we will be competitive in the premiership and will start the following season in the same league!

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Marinersnose added 08:32 - Aug 29 A disappointing night for the club and it matters not whether this was 11 players thrown together we should’ve been putting this game to bed but the application imo was poor. Too many lazy passes . Wimbledon wanted it more. McKenna has a huge task now of getting them up for a very tough game against Fulham who took us apart last season in the Carabao Cup.
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Magic8 added 08:36 - Aug 29 Here we go..as soon as things go slightly wrong put come the moaners...KMc knows what he's doing and one thing he needs is the fans support...easy to be a fan when it's going well...when your team is under par that's when they really need you...just remember the bad times pre KMc ..the PL is different class and changes in the team is necessary to compete..the so called band of brothers were not up to the rask...it has been brilliant...it will continue to be brilliant...keep the faith in our club our staff and players ..stick together..the inky way.

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londontractorboy57 added 08:42 - Aug 29 Saturday matters not yesterday!!
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Sandman180 added 08:43 - Aug 29 I don't like to bang on with the same rhetoric, but this also applied last season as we fought for promotion, as in, we're (supporters) seemingly not allowed to post any negative comments or feedback following poor performances? Why have a small selection of supporters suddenly become the 'support umpires' - dictating what we can or cannot say.. the mind boggles. We've been on an upward trajectory for a while, and the lads (and management) have rightly deserved their flowers, but that shouldn't mean we can't also offer our opinions when stuff goes wrong, just like it did last night - that's professional sports, and it also applies in life too, within workplaces, relationships etc - if something doesn't go well, you seldom get a pat on the back without some form of criticism, either firm or constructive. But there we are! Anyway, on to last night - went into the game with a bit of trepidation, basically a whole new squad with a real lack of playing time together, but thought the class on the pitch (around 60-100 worth of talent on there) would see us through against a league two team, and for the first 20, it looked like we'd progress at a canter. Let's not split hairs, the dons weren't that good ; I've seen some bizarre comments on Twitter, about them being 'excellent' - they had literally two attempts, and yes, they defended resolutely, but that was by sticking 10 men behind the ball. It wasn't really a heroic home team display, we were just a little toothless going forward; maybe that's down to a lack of cohesion, which is understandable, but their keeper didn't really have a lot to do, and that was the disappointing element to it - after all, it's AFC Wimbledon, not Manchester City. Pro's - Townsend looked lively, offered more attacking presence than i thought he would, I'd also suggest he's probably defensively better than Leif, but expect his game time will be limited initially. Clarke looked dangerous on occasion, and Cajuste looked promising in parts, faded a little second half but needs time to adjust, perhaps the same applies with Phillips, we'll see. Con's - Burgess, at fault for both goals, and booked for a cynical challenge, lack of game time apparent and it's unlikely he'll see much more now going forward as Greaves has that place nailed down; aside from the goal, Al-Hamadi was largely ineffective, he looks as if he's always running with a limp; I'm unsure if that's just his form/gait but it never looks right, understand he's here as we're short on numbers but a year in the championship playing regularly is required. Taylor's penalty was, awful - for a man who's striking of the ball is one of this best attributes, why he decided to take a penalty in that style, is frankly bizarre - I'd loan him out too, we have four centre midfielders now, and he's not going to dislodge any of those four, realistically. I guess you have to take these results with a pinch of salt, but it's still a shame to have your cup run ended so prematurely; losing becomes a habit too, so it's important to put things right on Saturday with an improved performance. Appreciate the team will look a lot different, and the intensity will kick up a notch, but we need to take a point as a minimum i think leading into the international break, which won't be a given, against a good, solid Fulham side. Let's see how we go.

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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 08:45 - Aug 29 SickParrot: Whatever else we think about the performance, and there is a wide variety of opinions, I do agree that a PL team ought to be able to win a penalty shoot-out against a L2 team.
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dirtydingusmagee added 09:08 - Aug 29 oh dear, a deary dear, oh sh#t.That went well.I could handle people taking the P after first two losses , but it going to be hard to take after that result.Only positive imo was Ben Johnsons work rate .That really was a poor result, took me right back to the crap times before K M.We move on ,but my confidence re Fulham match has taken a hit .
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Billysherlockblue added 09:11 - Aug 29 Blueruin. The team we hadast yr wouldn't lSt in Premier so all the changes had to come to improve quality. Given time they will be a super team. Games are needed
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Ebantiass added 09:20 - Aug 29 We should have won on paper even though we are pretty much strangers last night. That said even if they worked their socks off and sat deep and only unlocked us from set pieces, this was a game we should have won.
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Philpomr added 10:02 - Aug 29 I have been reading through these messages - Yeah everyone should voice their opinion. But come on: Town were playing a side that are tricky and very good at set pieces who have been playing more weeks than Town.it would have been nice if Town had won and if the game had gone to extra time and not Penalties I believe they would have. But that game was not important. The FA this season isn’t important, Stay up is. If Town get just enough points to stay up, I will be happy. That does not mean I don’t want them To win cup games or most of the seasons games I do. It would be great if Town finished in the top 6. But I’m realistic.

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ImAbeliever added 10:11 - Aug 29 Dreadful result, just like Maidstone was. Over and done with, no harm done. Back to business Saturday, see you there?
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planetblue_2011 added 10:11 - Aug 29 Not happy at with the result, call ourselves prem league and can’t even take a decent pen. Taylor, Hutchinson hang your heads in shame. Defending is poor too!! They only had two shots & scored them both. Hope the team gels quick because Fulham won’t be an easy game at all, very difficult. Think we have signed too many players to be honest for them all to settle. Hope Saturday is different and they can get a good win.

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poet added 10:22 - Aug 29 McKenna put together a team of players that hadn’t had much time to get to know each other. In my opinion, he did the right thing. Ideally he would have preferred to have had these new players in pre season. That was not possible, so he had to roll the dice on this one, in order to evaluate his new players and their respective roles. He’s building a strong squad, it will take time, but I believe that ‘band of brothers’ psyche will return, and he’ll have a powerful squad to compete and do well in the PL.

0

WonTheCupin78 added 10:23 - Aug 29 Yes, it's been a poor start to the season. But let's wait a few games in before we start on-mass criticising the players!
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hyperbrit added 10:35 - Aug 29 the season ends in May not August!!
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Alphawhiskey added 10:35 - Aug 29 I have always, always said it. Start with your fittest, best starting Eleven, put the game out of reach and then make changes. Not the other way around. As the saying goes, we got what we deserved...........Nothing! Credit to the Wombles. We did the same against Maidstone etc. Walton was poor as were many others. I hope I'm wrong but I think we may have brought in way too many 'average' players all at once. We seem to have 'panic' bought in some areas. Should have just got 6-7 very good quality players in. Paul Hirst did a similar thing and it upset the whole dynamics of the squad for weeks. Now don't get me wrong, I am no way comparing Hirst with KMC, They are a million miles apart. I'm just saying I think we are bringing in too many players and struggling to find our best starting Eleven + subs etc. I really hope I am proven wrong though. Time will tell. Saturdays game is now massive, We can't afford to lose again. It won't do the players and fans any good at this early stage. As a previous post wrote, still a long long way to go. So lets all pull together as one.

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KMcBlue added 10:38 - Aug 29 It would be better on this site if people commented on the article rather than the other posters. it's becoming toxic on here, much like anti-social media!
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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 10:44 - Aug 29 Alphawhiskey: You might be right in that we could have bought fewer players and maybe then had more money for better quality. But McK's thinking was that this is a long hard season ahead, and he wanted two players for every position in case of injuries, suspensions etc. This does make it harder to get players used to each other and to the system, though. Anyway, that's the path we've chosen, so now we've got to make it work.

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bluemay77 added 11:00 - Aug 29 I don't comment much but I want to say to those those on hear who are calling out players names should be ashamed
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dirtydingusmagee added 11:22 - Aug 29 PlanetBlue i think hang your heads in shame. Is harsh it is disappointing but it can happen to the best and does .
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Sandman180 added 11:26 - Aug 29 @bluemay77 - these are professional footballers earning sums of money we can only dream off, criticism within the media, fan pages, social media etc is par for the course I'm afraid, nothing for anyone to feel ashamed about, we pay our money travelling to watch them up and down the country, opinions on valid. Nothing personal or derogatory has been said, it's comments on players performances on the pitch. We're a premier league team who has been knocked out by a league two side - doesn't matter how we fancy it up, or what excuses are made, it shouldn't happen. Let's pop this on the Maidstone pile and focus on Fulham..

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Maltster added 11:48 - Aug 29 Frankly I didn’t think that any of the newcomers are good enough for the first team. A five year old could have saved Taylor’s penalty kick! Get rid of him
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