Full time: Crawley Town 2 AFC Wimbledon 1

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Blue Square Premier

Crawley Town 2

AFC Wimbledon 1

 

 

CHARLIE Ademeno’s second half strike sealed three vital points for Crawley Town as they finally beat AFC Wimbledon at the fourth time of asking.

Earlier Danny Forrest had cancelled out Danny Kedwell’s opener after Town had recovered from the worst possible start.

The Reds were behind after just 45 seconds as Danny Kedwell lobbed Simon Rayner from 18 yards. The new centre-back partnership between Karl Broadhurst and Matthew Langston seemed to be unsure of their roles and the big forward ghosted between them to give the Dons the perfect start.

It was a torrid beginning for Langston, who otherwise gave an assured performance at the back, but a worse start for Crawley who knew that nothing other than a win would be enough to keep them in contention for a play off place.

But, just as it looked as though the Reds were going to have one of those nights, they did what they have done all season and defied what was expected of them and turned the game on it’s head.

Wimbledon half cleared a corner to Sam Rents who whipped the cross back in for Langston to nod the ball back across goal for Danny Forrest to drive the ball home.

The game slightly had the feel of a cup tie to it and Will Hendry drilled in a lowe free kick which forced a smart save from Rayner on 24 minutes.

At the other end Sam Rents made a good run into the Dons box, only to have his deflected cross blazed over by Thomas Pinault.

Charlie Ademeno created some space in the box but he too did not test James Pullen as he blazed over the bar on 36 minutes.

By now the forward was making quite a pest of himself inside the area and he fed Barry Cogan who hit a fierce shot that was palmed away by Pullen.

Right on the strike of half time Cogan sent a free-kick over the bar.

The Reds domination continued after the break and Ademeno fired his side ahead with a classy finish on 51 minutes. The forward received the ball on the edge of the area before turning and slipping the ball to the right of Pullen.

Crawley continued to have the better of the play but wee unable to find the third goal that would have killed the game as both Smith and Cogan squandered good opportunities.

With time running out Wimbledon started to enjoy some pressure of their own, although Rayner’s goal was rarely threatened until the final few minutes when it was backs to the wall defending for the Reds.

 

Crawley Town: Rayner, Rusk, Langston, Broadhurst, Rents, Forrest (Killeen 90), Pinault, Wilson, Cogan, Smith, Ademeno (Malcolm 69).

Unused subs: Jordan, Napper, Carter.

 

AFC Wimbledon: Pullen, Judge, Hatton, Taylor (Godfrey 53), Kedwell, Duncan, Gregory, Lorraine, Hendry, Poole, Elder (Moore 64).

Unused subs: Brown, Wellard, Moore, Blanchett.

 

Attendance: 1,569