Walsall welcomed AFC Wimbledon to town on Saturday afternoon as Mat Sadler's side looked to bounce back from last weekend's disappointing defeat to Swindon Town.Going four games without defeat before they slipped to Michael Flynn's Robins, the Saddlers were looking to build upon their recent spell of good home form and get back into the top half of the League Two table.
Both sides enjoyed good spells with the ball in the early goings, thought neither were able to create anything to test the opposition defences. However, with just six minutes on the clock, Connor Lemonheigh-Evans picked up the ball just outside the area and fired home to give his side an early advantage.
Things settled again after the goal, with both sides seeing plenty of the ball, with little action to trouble either goal.
There was a brief halt to proceedings in the fourteenth minute, after Oisin McEntee picked up a knock, but he was soon back on his feet and able to continue.
Play resumed, but was paused again just three minutes later, allowing Priestley Farquharson to receive attention from the medical team.
It was soon determined that Priestley Farquharson would be unable to continue and Joe Riley was entered the fray in his place in the twenty-second minute.
Wimbledon saw much of the ball as the game continued, but struggled to create opportunities to double their advantage, though, as we reached the half hour mark, Josh Neufville did fire in a shot on goal, with Donervon Daniels blocking the effort to keep his side just the one goal behind their visitors.
Walsall struggled to really create anything of note, but thirty-six minutes into the contest, they were awarded a free-kick in a dangerous position, just outside the box, as Isaac Hutchinson was fouled by Jake Reeves, though ultimately nothing would come of the opportunity, as the midfielder struck the crossbar with his effort.
The Saddlers were reduced to ten men in the thirty-seventh minute, as Taylor Allen received his marching orders after he caught Omar Bugiel in the midriff with raised studs.
Wimbledon won a corner late in the first-half, as Daniels turned the ball out of play, but nothing would come of the set-piece as Reeves' cross was turned wide by Ryan Johnson.
Seven additional minutes were added to end the first-half, during which time the visiting side won a corner as Ryan Stirk put the ball behind following a free-kick, but nothing would come of the flag-kick.
Wimbledon continued to seek a second goal before the break, with Joe Foulkes denying them before Neufville fired an effort high and wide.
There was little further action of note, and the sides headed off to enjoy their half-time refreshments with Wimbledon leading by one-goal-to-nil.
Walsall opted to make a double change as the teams returned, with Joe Foulkes and Danny Johnson sitting out the second-half, as Harry Williams and Aramide Oteh took their places.
The second-half got underway, and almost immediately play was paused after Daniels and Bugiel collided. Fortunately both were fine to continue and the action resumed.
Wimbledon began the second-half brightly, winning a corner just three minutes in, as McEntee turned the ball out of play, but nothing would come of the flag-kick.
The visiting side continued to press, with Reeves crossing the ball in for Joe Lewis, whose headed effort from the centre of the area was blocked.
Wimbledon were awarded a penalty in the fifty-fifth minute, as Stirk was adjudged to have handled the ball inside the area as a Lemonheigh-Evans cross struck his arm. Armani Little stepped forth to take the spot-kick, but Walsall shot-stopper, Owen Evans went the right way and made the save to deny him.
With fifty-eight minutes on the clock, Walsall levelled the scores, as Hutchinson crossed the ball to Freddie Draper, who fired home from the centre of the box.
Parity was restored for just three minutes, as Ali Al Hamadi crossed the ball in for Jack Currie who restored Wimbledon's earlier lead, in the sixty-first minute, with the help of a deflection off Williams which took the ball past Evans.
Isaac Ogundere became the first player to see yellow, as he was cautioned following a foul on Draper in the seventy-second minute.
Wimbledon almost further extended their lead in the seventy-third minute, as Al-Hamadi raced into the box and got a shot away, but Evans was alert to the danger and did well to make the save.
With seventy-six minutes on the clock, the visiting side opted to make their first change of the afternoon, with Josh Neufville making way for Aron Sasu.
Connor Lemonheigh-Evans joined Ogundere in the referee's notebook in the seventy-eighth minute, as he was cautioned following a foul on McEntee, which left the Walsall man requiring treatment from the medical team.
It was eventually determined that Oisin McEntee would be unable to continue, and with ten minutes left to play, Jamille Matt took his place.
Wimbledon all but put the game to bed in the eighty-third minute, as Reeves crossed the ball to Al-Hamadi, who fired a powerful effort home from outside the box.
Wimbledon chose to make two further changes to their line-up in the eighty-ninth minute, with Omar Bugiel and Ali Al-Hamadi making way for Harry Pell and Josh Davison.
Eight additional minutes were added to end the match, during which time, Wimbledon briefly thought they had scored again, as a Sasu cross was turned past Evans by Davison, but an infringement of the offside rule meant the goal would not stand.
There was little further action of note, and the contest was brought to it's conclusion with Wimbledon winning by three-goals-to-one.
| DRAPER (58') |
LEMONHEIGH-EVANS (6') CURRIE (61') AL-HAMADI (83') |
| AT | POUNDLAND BESCOT STADIUM |
| REFEREE | DECLAN BOURNE (NOTTINGHAMSHIRE) |