Johnnie sees red as ref justice ends up costing his side
AFC WIMBLEDON boss Johnnie Jackson was left seething after Harry Pell’s sending off killed his team’s chances of an upset.
Dons midfielder Pell was sent off by referee Matthew Donohue in the 59th minute at Plough Lane for his second yellow card, as he clashed with Ipswich defender George Edmundson.
At the time, League Two Wimbledon were only 2-1 down and still in the game.
But a late goal from Jack Taylor finally killed off their gallant efforts.
Jackson said: “It was never a sending off in my book. Harry had his eyes on the ball the whole time and catches him – but he did not lead with his elbow.
“There are aerial duels all day.
“If you are going to give yellow cards for that all the time there will be no one left on the pitch.
“And that robs us of our chance – but even with 10 men we were pushing.
“We competed with a top team and stayed in the game for 90-plus minutes.
“I thought we were very hard done by.”
Many in attendance would have been at the old Wembley Stadium the day that Wimbledon defeated giants Liverpool in the 1998 final to produce one of the biggest FA Cup shocks in history.
It was memories from days like that which undoubtedly inspired the fans to reclaim the club as their own when unpopular owner Peter Winkelman relocated to Milton Keynes.
And the chance to take on Championship high-fliers Ipswich must have been one of the hottest tickets in town for the south-west London club. The Tractor
Boys, lying second in the Championship, took an early lead when the excellent Nathan Broadhead flicked on Taylor’s corner, and the ball deflected in off Josh Davison.
But the Dons, without several key players, levelled when Taylor handled from Jake Reeves’ corner.
Reeves then stepped up to ram home the penalty after 17 minutes. Five minutes before half time though, Wimbledon failed to clear Broadhead’s corner and Axel Tuanzebe nodded in at the near post.
Ipswich should have had a third when Cameron Humphreys’ shot was deflected on to the post – but Alex Bass kept his team in the game with a string of fine stops.
Pell’s sending off snuffed out any real Wimbledon hopes – and Ipswich capitalised against the 10 men as substitute Wes Burns’ shot was pushed out by Bass and Taylor slammed in the rebound.
Ipswich boss Kieran Mckenna (above) said: “We gave away the penalty and the game was a bit on edge.
“We could never be 100 per cent comfortable.”
AFC WIMBLEDON: Bass 7; Biler 6 (Ball (89) 6), Pearce 6 (Kalambayi (34) 6), Johnson 6, Currie 6; Reeves 7, Little 7, Lemonheigh-evans 6 (Tilley (76) 6); Pell 6; Davison 6; Sasu 6 IPSWICH: Walton 7; Tuanzebe 7, Woolfenden 7, Edmundson 7, Humphreys 7; Morsy 7 (Ball (89) 6), Taylor 6; Hutchinson 7 (Burns (80) 6), Harness 7 (Buabo (81) 6), Broadhead 8 (Aluko (80) 5); Ladapo 6 (Sarmiento (56) 6) STAR MAN: Nathan Broadhead – Wimbledon simply could not cope with his trickery and blistering pace. REF: Matthew Donohue 7