Balham
S24SU Seer
Bit of an odd game really. We played well in parts and could conceivably have been 4-1 up yet found ourselves hanging on in the tiny Cherry Red Records stadium.
We lined up 3-5-2 with the only change from last Sunday being Ebanks-Landell coming in for Wilson.
The game was fairly even for the first 15 minutes before United began to exert some pressure which culminated in DUFFY showing some excellent composure, twisting and turning in the Wimbledon box before putting an effort into the corner.
SHARP put us 2-0 up from Done's cross (I'd love to describe it in more detail but I was queueing for food!) and we looked comfortable. However, with the half petering out a fortuitous rebound off Freeman left the Wimbledon winger with the time and space to find an unmarked Poleon 8 yards out and he planted a header past Moore for 1-2.
The second half saw an enforced change with Fleck coming on for Basham and in the first 20 minutes of the second half United carved out enough chances to put the game to bed. Duffy bent a shot over the bar with keeper Clarke in no man's land, before the same player put another shot wide of the post after Done's clever stepover had put him clear 20 yards out. Done then went clean though from Fleck's through ball, rounded Clarke buy could only find the side netting and it looked like we wouldn't make our dominance pay but the same two players combined again with the difference being that DONE was able to roll the ball in this time around.
That should have been that but a soft free kick given on the edge of our area saw a clever routine fund a free man at the back post and he steered a volley back across Moore for 2-3.
We then sat off but had a couple more chances with substitutes Clarke and then Scougall showing a lack of composure. We saw the game out with little fuss but it was far closer than it should have been.
United ratings:
Moore 6: didn't have a lot to do: claimed a couple of crosses, best away one ambitious effort and picked the ball out of his net twice
Ebanks-Landell 7.5: nothing for past him. Excellent in the air and strong on the ground. It looked harsh to drop Wilson but EEL did well
Wright 7.5: one excellent block and marshalled the defence well. Made sure he was never exposed to the Dons quick forwards.
O'Connell 7: did the simple things well.
Freeman 6: quiet game, didn't get forward much at all
Lafferty 6: same as Freeman
Basham 5: off injured at half time but he gets caught under the high ball far too much. Didn't do much in possession either.
Coutts 6.5: tidy with the ball and at the forefront when we were on top. Faded when Wimbledon came back into it.
Duffy 6: scored one, missed two and was generally peripheral
Sharp 5.5: scored, booked and taken off after an hour. Needs to do more with his back to goal.
Done 7: non-stop. Two superb runs off the ball resulted in one bad miss and one goal.
Subs:
Fleck (for Basham, h/t) 7.5: night and day on the ball compared to Basham. Gets his head up and picks a pass
Clarke (for Sharp, 65) 5: didn't look interested
Scougall (for Done, 80) n/a: not on long enough to make an impression
I should point out that my view wasn't the best - I couldn't see anything down the right touchline in the second half!
We lined up 3-5-2 with the only change from last Sunday being Ebanks-Landell coming in for Wilson.
The game was fairly even for the first 15 minutes before United began to exert some pressure which culminated in DUFFY showing some excellent composure, twisting and turning in the Wimbledon box before putting an effort into the corner.
SHARP put us 2-0 up from Done's cross (I'd love to describe it in more detail but I was queueing for food!) and we looked comfortable. However, with the half petering out a fortuitous rebound off Freeman left the Wimbledon winger with the time and space to find an unmarked Poleon 8 yards out and he planted a header past Moore for 1-2.
The second half saw an enforced change with Fleck coming on for Basham and in the first 20 minutes of the second half United carved out enough chances to put the game to bed. Duffy bent a shot over the bar with keeper Clarke in no man's land, before the same player put another shot wide of the post after Done's clever stepover had put him clear 20 yards out. Done then went clean though from Fleck's through ball, rounded Clarke buy could only find the side netting and it looked like we wouldn't make our dominance pay but the same two players combined again with the difference being that DONE was able to roll the ball in this time around.
That should have been that but a soft free kick given on the edge of our area saw a clever routine fund a free man at the back post and he steered a volley back across Moore for 2-3.
We then sat off but had a couple more chances with substitutes Clarke and then Scougall showing a lack of composure. We saw the game out with little fuss but it was far closer than it should have been.
United ratings:
Moore 6: didn't have a lot to do: claimed a couple of crosses, best away one ambitious effort and picked the ball out of his net twice
Ebanks-Landell 7.5: nothing for past him. Excellent in the air and strong on the ground. It looked harsh to drop Wilson but EEL did well
Wright 7.5: one excellent block and marshalled the defence well. Made sure he was never exposed to the Dons quick forwards.
O'Connell 7: did the simple things well.
Freeman 6: quiet game, didn't get forward much at all
Lafferty 6: same as Freeman
Basham 5: off injured at half time but he gets caught under the high ball far too much. Didn't do much in possession either.
Coutts 6.5: tidy with the ball and at the forefront when we were on top. Faded when Wimbledon came back into it.
Duffy 6: scored one, missed two and was generally peripheral
Sharp 5.5: scored, booked and taken off after an hour. Needs to do more with his back to goal.
Done 7: non-stop. Two superb runs off the ball resulted in one bad miss and one goal.
Subs:
Fleck (for Basham, h/t) 7.5: night and day on the ball compared to Basham. Gets his head up and picks a pass
Clarke (for Sharp, 65) 5: didn't look interested
Scougall (for Done, 80) n/a: not on long enough to make an impression
I should point out that my view wasn't the best - I couldn't see anything down the right touchline in the second half!
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