Coventry City

Sordell pounced to fire the Sky Blues into the early before Jon Meades headed past Reice Charles-Cook to level the scores. Ten minutes from time Lyle Taylor had the easiest of finishes after an initial Reice Charles-Cook save fell to him on the goaline. It looked to be game over, but following a scramble in the Wimbledon box Andre Wright was able to bundle the ball home to leave the scores level.

After just two minutes, City made the perfect start to the game. Chris McCann cleared an AFC Wimbledon corner that fell to Kyel Reid on the halfway line. The winger drove at the visitors defence, turning one way and then another before firing at goal - James Shea could only parry the ball into the path of Marvin Sordell to smash the ball into the back of the net from close range.  

After a frantic start, the game began to settle, as City seemed happy to control possession and be patient in their attempts to extend the lead. McCann, on his return from injury, was orchestrating move after move in the middle of the park, and it was his pass that found a marauding Lewis Page down the left. The full back’s wicked low ball went through a host of bodies to find Marcus Tudgay at the back post, but the striker couldn’t quite add the finishing touch.  

City’s passing game was beginning to cause AFC Wimbledon problems, as the ever-present Reid was again part of a Sky Blues attack. He drove at his defender, again turning him inside out, and chipped a ball to the back post. Gael Bigirimana showed lovely composure to chest it to Ben Stevenson, who via a deflection, fired over the crossbar.    

Despite being second best the majority of the half, the Dons had a five-minute spell at the half hour mark as they came close to an equaliser. Firstly, Barry Fuller’s low cross was nearly diverted goalward by Lyle Taylor, and from the resulting corner the ball fell to Jake Reeves who fired over the bar from just inside the City box. 

The Wombles’ pressure soon told as they were level. A free kick was cleared to near the halfway line and when the ball was loaded back into the City box Jon Meades beat ‘keeper Reice Charles-Cook to the ball to head in an equaliser. 

Despite the disappointment of being pegged back, City came close to retaking the lead just moments later. A cross into the box found Tudgay in space at the back post but the striker fired over from close range. Shortly after, Tudgay was involved again. His smart flick over the defender fell to Sordell, but his volleyed effort was saved well down to his right from Shea. 

As the game progressed it was becoming a tight affair with both sides finding chances difficult to come by. Reid tried his luck from distance, but a deflection off a Wimbledon defender took the ball narrowly past the post. 

Both manager’s attempted to freshen up their side’s chances of winning the game with multiple substitutions in the second-half, and it was Dom Poleon who nearly made the desired impact. From a City corner, Poleon showed his speed to race away from the Sky Blues defence. With only Lewis Page for company, the attacker found space but couldn’t beat Charles-Cook in the City goal. 

It was not long after that AFC Wimbledon took the lead. The Wombles looked a threat from set-pieces all game, and an initial Paul Robinson header from a Tom Beere corner fell to Taylor to head in from close range. 

City went in search of a late equaliser but it looked to be in vain as they struggled to create any clear-cut chances that threatened Shea in the Wimbledon goal. Substitute Jodi Jones cut inside onto his favoured left foot but dragged an effort wide, before City were rewarded for their persistence. A scramble inside the Wimbledon box cannoned off the shins of Andre Wright and into the net for his first Sky Blues goal.

AFC Wimbledon: Shea (GK), Fuller (C), Meades, Robinson, Charles, Parrett (Beere '72), Reeves, Bulman, Barnett (Elliott 62'), Taylor, Barcham (Poleon 78').

Subs: McDonnell (GK), Whelpdale, Kelly, Robertson.