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Ipswich Town 2-1 AFC Wimbledon - Match Report
Tuesday, 20th Aug 2019 22:02

Kayden Jackson’s goal deep, deep in injury time saw Town come from behind to claim a dramatic 2-1 victory over AFC Wimbledon at Portman Road. The Dons went ahead via Nesta Guinness-Walker in the 41st minute in a poor first period from the Blues. But Town were much better in the second half, equalising through James Norwood in the 81st minute before Jackson smashed in the late winner.

Skipper Luke Chambers dropped to the bench as Blues boss Paul Lambert made three changes for the first ever visit of AFC Wimbledon.

James Wilson came into the back four alongside Luke Woolfenden with Janoi Donacien and Myles Kenlock the full-backs and Tomas Holy in goal.

Lambert switched to a central midfield three with Andre Dozzell making his first League One start of the season alongside Flynn Downes and Cole Skuse, who wore the captain’s armband.

In the front three, Idris El Mizouni started for the first time this season on the left with Danny Rose on the right and Norwood in the centre.

Gwion Edwards and Jackson also dropped to the bench, alongside new loanee Anthony Georgiou. Kane Vincent-Young missed out, presumably due to the toe injury he was suffering from at the weekend.

For AFC Wimbledon, ex-Blues Shane McLoughlin and Dylan Connolly were among the subs, while there was a late change of referee with Antony Coggins taking over from Robert Jones.

The first 20 minutes passed uneventfully with neither team creating an opportunity. The Blues had had spells of possession without hurting the Dons, but more of the game had been in the Town half, although with the visitors equally unable to conjure a chance against the home backline.

A short spell of head tennis on the edge of the box led to an opening for Norwood in the 29th minute, Rowe hooking the ball into the area in front of the former Tranmere man but he scuffed his strike and El Mizouni was unable to reach the loose ball ahead of Wimbledon keeper Nathan Trott.

Four minutes later, Downes chipped a cross towards Norwood from the right but beyond the Town striker.

After their slow start, the Blues gradually began to put the Dons under pressure, winning back-to-back corners in the 35th minute. From the second, Skuse headed goalwards but Trott claimed.

A minute later, they should have gone in front. Dozzell played Norwood in on goal with a trademark threaded pass and the striker seemed set to score his first goal at Portman Road but Trott stood up well and forced it wide.

The Blues seemed to be getting on top, however, it was Wimbledon who would take the lead with their first serious shot of the evening.

Following a long kick forward by Trott, Michael Folivi held off his man with his back to goal on the edge of the box, then fed Guinness-Walker, who was breaking from deep on the left unchecked, and he smashed a shot past Holy to his left.


Town were unable to create another chance before the break with the whistle greeted by loud boos from the home support.

The Blues had started slowly but seemed to be find their feet as the half moved into its final 10 minutes with Norwood’s chance one the frontman will feel he should have taken.

However, they were caught by a sucker punch with the Dons breaking and then Guinness-Walker in acres of space as he joined the attack on the left and beat Holy with his low strike.

Town needed to improve significantly in the second half and manager Lambert made one change, handing Georgiou his debut and withdrawing El Mizouni.

A minute after the restart Donacien was booked for a foul on Luke O’Neill midway inside the Town half as he challenged following a loose pass out of his area by Holy. O’Neill took the freekick himself and the ball flashed across the area beyond the Wimbledon players in the box.

The Dons continued to look the more dangerous side with a low cross from the left forced out off a visiting player by Wilson at the near post.

Georgiou forced a foul from O’Neill in the 51st minute, the Dons man joining Donacien in the book. The Cypriot international took the freekick himself and Woolfenden’s header was blocked.

Town finally started to put the Dons under pressure and on 56 Georgiou sent in a low ball from the left which Paul Kalambayi deflected to Trott, who claimed just as Norwood stabbed a foot towards it. The keeper stayed down for a moment or two and there was a bit of pushing and shoving between the Town striker and two defenders before the game continued.

Downes went close to a brilliant equaliser in the 59th minute, the midfielder rolling his man midway inside the Wimbledon half before taking it on and hitting a shot which flew only just over. Seconds later, Lambert swapped Dozzell, who had been in and out of the game, for Jackson as the Blues moved to 4-4-2.

Town, with the fans in the Sir Bobby Robson Stand getting louder by the minute, were by now encamped in the Dons half and on 61 Georgiou sent a powerful low ball across the six-yard box but with no one able to add the final touch.

The Blues claimed a penalty a minute later when Norwood fed in the pacy Jackson on the right and the striker was felled by a combination of Trott and Rod McDonald, however, the keeper grabbed the ball and referee Coggins waved away the protests. Soon after, Kalambayi was booked for a foul on Norwood.

On 64 Georgiou, who had made a big impact having come on, whipped over a freekick from the left and the ball was cleared to Downes, who shot over from just outside the box.

The Dons reminded Town that they still had defending to do at the other end in the 68th minute after Downes failed to take down Holy’s pass out of the area. Fortunately, Wilson was able to cut out the pass through to Folivi.

The Blues broke to the other end and Norwood flashed a ball across the area with no Town player again able to get a touch.

Rowe shot wide from a Downes pass a minute later, then Kenlock cut in from the left and hit a low shot which Trott claimed at the second attempt with no Town player able to get on to the loose ball.

The Blues swapped Rowe for Alan Judge, while Wimbledon replaced Folivi with Mitchell Pinnock.

On 76, Jackson’s flick sent Judge away into the area but a Wimbledon boot intervened and the ball was kicked out for the first of two corners, neither of which came to anything.

With nine minutes remaining, the Blues finally found a leveller. After a contentious corner award on the left led to Dons skipper Scott Wagstaffe picking up a yellow card for dissent, Judge sent over a deep ball and Norwood powered a header into the net at the far post to claim his first Portman Road goal and his second in two matches. For Judge, it was only his second assist since joining Town in January.

From there, with the crowd having upped the volume even further, the Blues went looking for the winner as Wimbledon replaced Kwesi Appiah with Joe Pigott.

The Town pressure was increasing as the game reached its final scheduled minute. Georgiou saw a shot blocked, then Jackson was played in by Skuse but the ball was stabbed behind.

From the corner, the ball ran loose to Woolfenden but the defender fell as he tried to divert it goalwards. It subsequently squirmed out to Skuse but his snapshot screwed out for a throw on the far side.

In five minutes of injury time, Pigott was booked for kicking the ball away as the Blues prepared to take a freekick.

And in the aftermath of the set piece, the Blues scored their winner. After a number of balls into the box were headed clear, Skuse hooked the ball over McDonald into the path of Jackson inside the area and the substitute lashed into the net to trigger wild celebrations on the field and the terraces, while manager Lambert appeared to be booked by referee Coggins after running down the touchline.

The downcast Wimbledon players tried to get themselves back on terms in the remaining moments without success and the final whistle was met by loud cheers rather than the boos of the first half.

The two periods couldn’t have contrasted more with the first as dull as they come, the Blues finding themselves behind to a poor goal.

Town took a few minutes to find their feet in the second half but once they had done so they kept the Dons pinned back in their half and eventually got their opening via Norwood’s header before finally grabbing Jackson’s winner right at the death.

It was a victory which showed great character, particularly in the wake of so many disappointments last season, the Blues having come behind to win for the first time since Swansea away in October last year.

The three points take Town up to fifth in the early season table, two points behind new leaders Blackpool ahead of Saturday’s visit to crisis club Bolton Wanderers.

Town: Holy, Donacien, Woolfenden, Wilson, Kenlock, Skuse (c), Dozzell (Jackson 60), Downes, El Mizouni (Georgiou 46), Rowe (Judge 72), Norwood. Unused: Norris, Chambers, Huws.

AFC Wimbledon: Trott, O’Neill, Thomas, McDonald, Kalambayi, Guinness-Walker, Reilly, Hartigan, Wagstaff (c), Folivi (Pinnock 72), Appiah (Pigott 86). Unused: Tzanev, Roscrow, Connolly, McLoughlin, Osew. Referee: Antony Coggins (Oxfordshire). Att: 18,778 (AFC Wimbledon: 667).


Photo: TWTD



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delias_cheesy_flaps added 22:03 - Aug 20
News flash for Mr Lambert.....1 up front doesn't friggin work!!
30

Lightningboy added 22:04 - Aug 20
Doesn't matter what division you're in,there's nothing better than getting a winner 4 minutes into added time.

Hope Lambert realises that we have to play Norwood & Jackson together from here on.
32

Dozzells_Bobblehat added 22:05 - Aug 20
Well that was hard work .
Good spirit and great to get the three points , but a huge left off .
Very poor team selection in my opinion . Don't know if PL thought we were going to cruise to victory but hopefully lesson learned. Sooner we get our new right back in the side the better too.
12

DifferentGravy added 22:07 - Aug 20
YEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!! Kayden Jackson, thank you for making me eat my words on this occasion. Long may your goalscoring run continue!!

Totally agree, cant play one up front at home against Wimbledon (no disrespect to them). They had 4 shots and only 1 on target.

Well done lads, persistence (and a change of formation/subs) paid off. GET IN!!

Anyone who went to the game, how did the new lad play? Thanks
5

Bluearmy_81 added 22:07 - Aug 20
Massive win. I was gutted at the thought of losing or even drawing it.
13

ITFCsince73 added 22:08 - Aug 20
Poor team performance. Thought Kenlock had a great game. Woolf ok. Skuse ok, embarrassing shot at goal from him, going out for a throw in.
AFC who were extremely poor, luckily as any one better, would have whipped us.
Massive improvement needed.
0

martin587 added 22:08 - Aug 20
😓 well done lads.At least we fight to the end and don't give up.Should have started with two up front but I'm not complaining.Three points will do for me.Roll on Saturday.
5

warktheline added 22:09 - Aug 20
A massive pat on the back for the boys for that second half turn around, after a poor first half hindered by a wrongful selection and formation from Lambert! Brilliant!👍
9

bigolconnor added 22:09 - Aug 20
Strange tactics first half. Lovely win and good finishing from both strikers. some good performances and then Donacien. I'm not damning him but my god he is a tough watch most of the time. Well played Wolf and Wilson.
6

Kulturarv added 22:09 - Aug 20
I really liked the pack of energy from Cyprus. And our two goals of course. Donacien... the bench needs some warming up. Let's leave the RB-position to Vincent-Young.
4

TimmyH added 22:11 - Aug 20
Please Mr Lambert lets play the 4-4-2 with Norwood and Jackson upfront and start Saturday with the 11 that finished this game minus Donacien to be replaced by Vincent-Young - a far more attacking side with Georgiou's positivity (who could be a real handful at this level) as soon as he came on with greater impetus something which was seriously lacking in the 1st half.

We have the players to beat most League One teams but must stop fiddling around with systems and over rotating players, made this far more difficult than it should have been. Again great support tonight which could of ended in a terrible defeat but the subs changed it.
14

Welshblue72 added 22:11 - Aug 20
Be still my beating heart, glad we won but god we sure make a meal of it. Well done boys. On to the next and 3 more points please. COYB ⚽️
3

RobsonWark added 22:12 - Aug 20
So all you haters that have been marking me down for saying, since all of last season, "that we will never win a game with our GREAT Captain Chambers in the team" should maybe open your eyes! PL finally has the balls to drop him. We've won two games this season...the first against Burton when Chambers was banned and the second tonight when PL dropped him. But hey...all you Chambers worshippers will still want your GOD to play at the weekend!! FOOLS!
-24

algarvefan added 22:15 - Aug 20
Dear Paul, Poor team selection, poor tactics, awful first half but thank God for the changes in personnel and tactics.

Please can we have some consistency in team selection.

Don't play players where they don't have the skill set.

If players have a lot of games, give them rest time, send them home to rest and not train. We should always play our best players.

Lets keep the momentum going, I think we have the players, the rest Mr Lambert is up to you and your staff.
10

Dozzells_Bobblehat added 22:15 - Aug 20
Robson Wark - we have just won in the last minute and all you can do is come on here and slag off your own teams fans.
Take a look at yourself .
14

warksonwater added 22:17 - Aug 20
Don't do that, Ipswich. Just ...don't...do ...that. Do they like to make us suffer? Proof, if ever it were needed, that we can't take ANYONE, ANYONE, for granted. 42 cup finals to go.
3

algarvefan added 22:19 - Aug 20
RobsonWark I agree re Chambers, think Woolfy is a nailed on choice now, we have N'siala to come back and even Donacien makes a good CB but not a full back, he's no ball player. Wilson looks steady too.
2

RobsonWark added 22:20 - Aug 20
Dozzells_Bobblehat - I LOVE our fans and the magnificent support that we had tonight but still some think that Chambers is THE man to take us back up to the Championship.
0

ITFCsince73 added 22:20 - Aug 20
Bobble that's not fair re Robsonwark. He's only referring to a tiny minority
0

1psw1ch added 22:22 - Aug 20
Ohhh happy days ,,,great turn around ,,,sleep a lot better tonight ,,well done lads ,,,,coyb ,,,great to see will Keane heading back to us as well,,,,all in all a great bloody night
0

Gatehouse added 22:22 - Aug 20
At last !!!! Poor performance at times but great result. 2 up front please Mr lambert. 2 things tonight 1 we need a right back and 2 is it me but what does Dozzell offer ? Oh and lastly hope it's not a trend for away teams to be negative and waste time as much as the dons they were shocking but a win is a win and a real confidence boost up the town
2

blue86 added 22:22 - Aug 20
Couldnt make the game tonight! but well done lads for sticking with it. We do seem a better side and more of a threat with two strikers, 442 or 352 as alternative might work. Not getting carried away, but scoring late goals is a good sign. Nothing better than a last minute winner! COYB!
2

Tangledupin_Blue added 22:23 - Aug 20
Danny Rose - just the sort of player we've been crying out for.
2

ITFCsince73 added 22:24 - Aug 20
There will be no promotion with Chambo playing and gifting goals left right and centre.
Long may he stay as far away as possible.
Change the right back, and it's less heart attacks alround when the opposition attacks.
-8

RobsonWark added 22:25 - Aug 20
algarvefan - I'm not convinced about Donacien.
5


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