Not Just A Tennis Town - AFC Wimbledon (FIFA 14)

[southernmetalhead]

Girona FC vs. AFC Wimbledon

Preseason Friendly
August 1, 2013

Midson's Brace Stuns Girona


Jack Midson powered AFC Wimbledon to a surprise result in Spain.

Unlike their game against Auxerre, AFC Wimbledon made the most of their chances against Segunda División side Girona FC as Dons striker Jack Midson netted two of his three attempts for a brace that lifted Neal Ardley's men to a 2-0 win at the Estadi Montilivi on a muggy Spanish night. The first goal of the game came in the 20th minute when Luke Moore sent a cross into the Girona box and Midson out jumped his defender to direct a 6-yard header by Andrés Díez to send Wimbledon to an early 1-0 lead. No more chances materialized for either side the rest of the half, but the 29-year-old Englishman was ready to strike again just after halftime and did so in the 50th minute. Chris Arthur played a through ball into the Girona box and Midson made a perfectly timed diagonal run to leave himself open with only the goalkeeper to beat. He did just that, tucking a 10-yard shot calmly into the left corner of the net to prove that both he and the Football League Two side had come to play in Spain. Seven minutes later, Midson had a chance for a hat trick off of a corner kick, but his header was denied by an alert Díez. In the 81st minute, Girona should have made it a game again, but Jandro sent a 6-yard howler wide right of net with only Seb Brown to beat which left the Catalonia club off the score board. In the 90th minute, Midson's substitute Charlie Sheringham thought he had a goal of his own, but his bouncing volley rang off the crossbar and was cleared away. Nonetheless, it was a smashing performance by the Dons who will now head back to their home ground of Kingsmeadow to close out their slate of preseason friendlies against Mexican side CF Monterrey.

Aug 1, 2013 - Girona FC vs AFC Wimbledon
TEAM	1	2	SCORE
Girona FC (-)	0	0	0
AFC Wimbledon (-)	1	1	2

Goals
WIM - J. Midson 20'
WIM - J. Midson 50'

Bookings
None

Substitutions
GIR - Eloi Amagat/Timor 57'
GIR - Pere Pons/C. Rivoredo 68'
WIM - K. Sainte-Luce/H. Pell 81'
WIM - C. Fayers/S. Moore 81'
WIM - J. Midson/C. Sheringham 81'

[southernmetalhead]

AFC Wimbledon vs. CF Monterrey

Preseason Friendly
August 5, 2013

Dons See Another Scoreless Draw


Wimbledon's 17-year-old Chace Jacquart is denied by Luis Cárdenas.

AFC Wimbledon went back to their wasteful ways after the triumph in Spain against Girona FC, this time settling for their second 0-0 draw in three preseason friendly games in a showdown against Mexican club CF Monterrey. Neal Ardley's men got off 10 shots in this contest, but the 6 that were on target were all saved by Monterrey goalkeeper Luis Cárdenas. Although unable to convert on two of his chances, it was a solid day for Wimbledon's 17-year old central attacking midfielder Chace Jacquart. Jacquart first challenged Cárdenas with a 23-yard shot in the 13th minute that forced a diving right arm save from the Mexican, and the young Englishman almost won the game in the 75th minute on a 9-yard shot, only to be denied again. After the match Jacquart said, "Well I was happy with my performance overall, but my finishing touch let me down in the end. Especially on that last shot, I wish I could have sealed the deal. Hopefully though, my showing today will be enough to convince the boss to put me in some more matches." Other near misses by Wimbledon came from a 23-yard chance by Charlie Fayers in the 19th minute that was parried away, a Harry Cooksley 12-yard shot that went wide right of goal in the 60th minute, and Jim Fenlon's wide effort from 20 yards out in the 72nd minute. For Monterrey, their best chance came from a free kick in the 15th minute that Lucas Silva got a header on, but the Brazilian's effort went wide like many of the Dons' before mentioned opportunities. Still, Ardley can point to a sparkling defensive performance in his team's season warmups as Wimbledon failed to concede any goals in the three matches played. "The lads are working hard on the defensive side," Ardley said in post game interviews. "Of course as a manager I love that. Now if we can slot home some goals, I can see a good season ahead for us." That mentioned season will now start up for Wimbledon as the club will open Football League Two play against Hartlepool United who competed in Football League One a season ago but were relegated with a 23rd place finish.

Aug 5, 2013 - AFC Wimbledon vs CF Monterrey
TEAM	1	2	SCORE
AFC Wimbledon (-)	0	0	0
CF Monterrey (-)	0	0	0

Goals
None

Bookings
None

Substitutions
MON - M. de Jesús/H. Suazo 45'
MON - G. Moreno/J. Zavala 60'
MON - J. Hernández/N. Cardozo 62'
WIM - C. Sheringham/M. Smith 66'
WIM - K. Sainte-Luce/G. Francomb 89'
WIM - C. Fayers/H. Pell 89'

[southernmetalhead]

Hartlepool United vs. AFC Wimbledon

Sky Bet League 2
August 10, 2013

Wimbledon Strike Late for Victory


Wimbledon's Peter Sweeney celebrates his late game winner against Hartlepool United.

It looked as if once again AFC Wimbledon was doomed to another 0-0 draw, this time in their Sky Bet League 2 opener at Hartlepool United. However, two late goals in the final 5 minutes of the match would pull the Dons through for a 2-0 victory and a sweet first three points to their league campaign. It was the home standing Hartlepool who got the first chance of the match in the 12th minute, but a Luke James header from a corner kick went wide left of Ross Worner's goal. The rest of the chances in the first half belonged to Wimbledon, starting with a 28-yard blast by Harry Pell that had to be parried away by Hartlepool goalkeeper Scott Flinders in the 20th minute. Jack Midson then hit side netting in the 44th minute, and Peter Sweeney's headed shot in the 45th forced another Flinders save before the whistle blew. Sweeney continued to be dangerous and thought he had scored in the 60th minute, but the Scottish midfielder's shot instead clanged off of Hartlepool's left goal post. Six minutes later a Sweeney 10-yard effort was blocked by a Hartlepool defender, and Sammy Moore's resulting follow-up also failed to convert. The Pools nearly snatched the lead in the 71st minute despite being badly outplayed, but James again sent a shot wide of the target. Substitute Wimbledon striker Michael Smith forced an eighth save from Flinders in the 83rd minute and it looked as if the English goalkeeper and Hartlepool were just not going to be beaten on the day. Then in the 87th minute, Chris Arthur sent a through ball into the Hartlepool box for Wimbledon which Sweeney got on the end of and tucked into the left corner of the goal from 14 yards out to give Ardley's boys the long awaited and much deserved 1-0 lead with three minutes remaining. In the 90th, Wimbledon added a second goal for good measure when off of a Callum Kennedy corner kick, the 6'4 Smith towered into the air and headed a shot in from just outside the box. Now with their first league win from their opening match, Wimbledon will have to turn their focus quickly away from League 2 and prepare for an upcoming Capital One Cup 1st Round match against fellow League 2 side Morecambe FC in just a few days time.

Aug 10, 2013 - Hartlepool United vs AFC Wimbledon
TEAM	1	2	SCORE
Hartlepool United (0-0-1)	0	0	0
AFC Wimbledon (1-0-0)	0	2	2

Goals
WIM - P. Sweeney 87'
WIM - M. Smith 90'

Bookings
WIM - H. Pell 90'

Substitutions
HAR - M. Dolan/B. Walker 57'
HAR - A. Sweeney/G. Rutherford 70'
WIM - S. Moore/K. Sainte-Luce 71'
WIM - J. Midson/M. Smith 77'
HAR - J. Poole/S. Howard 85'
WIM - G. Francomb/W. Antwi 87'

[southernmetalhead]

Matchup Preview



AFC Wimbledon vs. Morecambe FC

Capital One Cup - Round 1
August 13, 2013


Kingsmeadow (cap. 4,850)
Norbiton, Kingston upon Thames, England





Formation: 4-5-1



League Position: 4th (League 2)
Goals For: N/A
Goals Against: N/A
Last Result: N/A
Goals Leader: N/A
Assists Leader: N/A
Clean Sheets: N/A






Formation: 4-1-4-1



League Position: 22nd (League 2)
Goals For: N/A
Goals Against: N/A
Last Result: N/A
Goals Leader: N/A
Assists Leader: N/A
Clean Sheets: N/A

[southernmetalhead]

AFC Wimbledon vs. Morecambe FC

Capital One Cup - Round 1
August 13, 2013

Dons Advance On Final Minute Winner


Wimbledon's Michael Smith heads home the first goal of the game.

AFC Wimbledon scored in the 87th and 90th minute of their Sky Bet League 2 opener three days ago to pick up their first points of the league campaign in a 2-0 win over Hartlepool United. Fast forward 72 hours and to the Capital One Cup Round 1 match up with Morecambe FC and Neal Ardley's boys again found a late winner with Michael Smith's second goal of the game in the 90th minute to knock off the Shrimps 2-1 for advancement in the cup competition. The 6'4 Smith wasted no time getting the goal scoring going in this one as the English striker leaped into the air above his defenders and headed in a 6-yard shot off of a Kevin Sainte-Luce cross in the 7th minute to quickly put the home standing Dons up 1-0. With the defensive form Wimbledon has been in during the preseason and opening match, one could have easily seen this goal as the game winner since the Dons have yet to conceded a goal in 2013-14. That changed though in the 21st minute when Morecambe sent a dangerous cross into the Wimbledon box that Marcus Marshall redirected onto goal with his right foot. Wimbledon goalkeeper Ross Worner made the initial save on the shot, but fumbled with the rebound, eventually trying to clear the ball out of bounds but instead gave it back to Marshall who tapped in an easy goal to even things 1-1. Frustrated but unrelenting, Wimbledon went on to dominate the rest of the contest but could never find that second goal they were looking for. That is until in the 90th minute when Chris Arthur sent a through ball into the Morecambe box which Smith caught up with on a perfectly timed diagonal run by the Shrimps' defense. One-on-one with the goalkeeper, Smith slotted home a 16-yard shot under the outstretched arms of Barry Roche to put Wimbledon back ahead 2-1 just before the final whistle blew. It was a fantastic capper for Smith's brace and gave Wimbledon a much deserved win as they now advance to Round 2 of the Capital One Cup. "The lads worked hard all match," Smith said after the game. "We gave away one cheap goal, but in the end the result was fair I believe. From start to finish we controlled the game, and I'm just glad I was able to supply two goals to pull us through to victory." Now with a league and cup victory already under their belt early this season, Wimbledon will redirect their focus back to League 2 where the Dons will face 12th place side Cheltenham Town (0-1-0) on August 17.

Aug 13, 2013 - AFC Wimbledon vs Morecambe FC
TEAM	1	2	SCORE
AFC Wimbledon (-)	1	1	2
Morecambe FC (-)	1	0	1

Goals
WIM - M. Smith 7'
MOR - M. Marshall 21'
WIM - M. Smith 90'

Bookings
WIM - M. Smith 27'
WIM - H. Pell 31'

Substitutions
MOR - R. Threlfall/K. Ellison 61'
MOR - J. McGee/R. Williams 71'
WIM - H. Pell/P. Sweeney 75'
MOR - J. Redshaw/P. Amond 75'
WIM - K. Sainte-Luce/G. Francomb 90'
WIM - S. Moore/G. Porter 90'




Capital One Cup - Round 1
Accrington Stanley 2-3 Burnley
AFC Wimbledon 2-1 Morecambe
Blackburn 1-0 Port Vale
Bournemouth 2-0 Brentford
Bradford City 3-0 Plymouth Argyle
Burton Albion 3-2 Leeds United
Carlisle United 3-0 Fleetwood Town
Charlton Athletic 1-2 Nottingham Forest
Cheltenham Town 2-1 Oldham Athletic
Chesterfield 2-1 Blackpool
Colchester 0-1 Rotherham United
Crewe Alexandria 2-2 (3-4 p.) Bolton
Derby County 3-0 Northampton
Exeter City 1-1 (3-4 p.) Bury
Ipswich Town 3-0 Hartlepool United
Leicester City 0-1 Sheffield United
Leyton Orient 0-1 Huddersfield
Newport County 2-0 Peterborough
Notts County 3-1 Swindon Town
Oxford United 1-0 Stevenage
Portsmouth 0-2 QPR
Preston 1-0 Dagenham
Rochdale 3-0 Mansfield Town
S****horpe United 2-1 Bristol City
Sheffield Wednesday 3-2 Millwall
Shrewsbury 0-2 Brighton
Tranmere Rovers 1-2 Gillingham
Walsall 0-3 Wigan Athletic
Watford 1-1 (5-4 p.) Reading
Wolverhampton 3-1 Southend United
Wycombe 0-1 Coventry City
Yeovil Town 2-2 (5-4 p.) Doncaster
York City 0-1 Middlesbrough
Barnsley 2-1 Crawley Town
Birmingham City 5-0 Torquay United
Bristol Rovers 1-0 MK Dons

[southernmetalhead]

AFC Wimbledon vs. Cheltenham Town

Sky Bet League 2
August 17, 2013

Pell's Brace Sinks Cheltenham Town


Wimbledon's Harry Pell blasts a shot by Cheltenham Town's Scott Brown.

Braces have been commonplace for Neal Ardley's AFC Wimbledon side this season. Jack Midson picked up the first two goal tally for Wimbledon at Girona FC in a preseason friendly, and last match in the Capital One Cup against Morecambe FC, Michael Smith did the same for the Dons. This time it was midfielder Harry Pell's turn to score two goals which were enough for Wimbledon to win their second consecutive Sky Bet League 2 game over visiting Cheltenham Town 2-0. Pell's first goal came in the 28th minute when Jack Midson played Pell into the Cheltenham box on a nice pass, and the 21-year-old Englishman made one touch and then rifled a 16-yard shot by the outstretched arms of Cheltenham goalkeeper Scott Brown. It was a fantastic finish to put Wimbledon up 1-0 and quite a first goal of the season for the young Pell. More chances would follow before half for the Dons as George Porter tested Brown from 15 yards in the 34th minute, and Peter Sweeney forced the English goalkeeper to make a diving parry save in the 45th minute. Moving into the second half, it was Pell who appeared on the score sheet again, this time in the 65th minute when he made a nice run into the box and coolly tucked a 6-yard rocket under the crossbar for the 2-0 Wimbledon lead. Cheltenham Town could mount no offensive response of their own to Pell's theatrics as the Robins had no significant chances to speak of for the entire game. In the 90th minute it could have easily been 3-0 Wimbledon, but Sweeney hit the crossbar on a rising shot from 19-yards out. Although early, Neal Ardley's men of Wimbledon sit 3rd in the League 2 table with their 2-0-0 record but will face a stern test up next when the Dons travel to 4th place side Chesterfield FC (2-0-0) on a quick turnaround just three days from now.

Aug 17, 2013 - AFC Wimbledon vs Cheltenham Town
TEAM	1	2	SCORE
AFC Wimbledon (2-0-0)	1	1	2
Cheltenham Town (0-1-1)	0	0	0

Goals
WIM - H. Pell 28'
WIM - H. Pell 65'

Bookings
CT - B. Harrison 36'

Substitutions
CT - B. Harrison/J. Cureton 57'
WIM - J. Midson/M. Smith 65'
WIM - H. Pell/K. Sainte-Luce 80'
CT - J. Taylor/B. Dale 80'

[southernmetalhead]

I went back and edited post #13 with all of the Capital One Cup - Round 1 results. I forgot to add those previously, and it is a ****load of games.

[southernmetalhead]

Chesterfield FC vs. AFC Wimbledon

Sky Bet League 2
August 20, 2013

Smith and Pell Lead Win In Chesterfield


Michael Smith's good form continued with an early toe poke goal.

Michael Smith had 2 goals a week ago in AFC Wimbledon's 2-1 Capital One Cup - Round 1 victory over Morecambe FC. Harry Pell notched 2 goals 3 days later in a 2-0 Dons win in League 2 play against Cheltenham Town. This time the on-form duo each scored a goal to lead Neal Ardley's club past Chesterfield FC 2-1 in a match up of top 4 sides. Smith wasted no time getting on the score sheet, but this go around the 6'4 striker used his foot instead of his head to toe poke a 15-yard shot by charging Chesterfield goalkeeper Tommy Lee in the 9th minute to send the Dons to a fast 1-0 lead. Remaining threatening, George Porter forced Lee to make a save on a shot in the 23rd minute before Pell broke onto the board himself in the 27th minute when he sent a 26-yard roller into the right corner of the net on a shot Lee really should have done better on but mistimed badly. Then in the 45th minute, Wimbledon had two great chances to add to their already strong lead but George Francomb was denied by Lee's leg from 12 yards out and a Smith header also failed to find the mark. Chesterfield would take advantage of sloppy Wimbledon defense in the 53rd minute to pull a goal back when Eoin Doyle was allowed to get a shot off that was parried by Ross Worner and then follow it up with a second shot that hit the back of the net. Seven minutes later Pell nearly restored the Dons lead to two goals, but the Englishman was stopped by a diving save on a 25-yard volley. No chances of substance were to materialize for either side after that, and Wimbledon left Proact Stadium with a quality road victory. Now the 3-0-0 Dons will return home to host 9th place side Plymouth Argyle in 4 days at Kingsmeadow looking to continue their early streak of good form.

Aug 20, 2013 - Chesterfield FC vs AFC Wimbledon
TEAM	1	2	SCORE
Chesterfield FC (2-0-1)	0	1	1
AFC Wimbledon (3-0-0)	2	0	2

Goals
WIM - M. Smith 9'
WIM - H. Pell 27'
CHE - E. Doyle 53'

Bookings
CHE R. Humphreys 21'

Substitutions
CHE - G. McSheffrey/G. Roberts 76'
WIM - G. Francomb/K. Sainte-Luce 76'
WIM - P. Sweeney/L. Moore 76'
CHE - S. Hird/I. Evatt 77'
WIM - B. Fuller/W. Antwi 81'
CHE - T. Darikwa/M. Richards 84'