DONS SUNK AT THE DEATH
... but manager Downes salutes troops after ‘devastating’ defeat
PROUD manager Wally Downes hailed the efforts of his AFC Wimbledon players despite succumbing to a heartbreaking defeat at table-topping Coventry on Tuesday night.
The Dons have endured a frustrating start to the season and went into the St Andrew’s showdown without a win from their opening eight games.
However, it looked as though they might shock the Sky Blues when Brentford loanee Marcus Forss scored from the spot on eight minutes after Liam Walsh brought down Michael Folivi.
Ex-Coventry loanee Folivi headed over from six yards as the Dons went in search of a second. However, Mark Robins’ men have proved their resilience this term and they were level on 27 minutes when Jordy Hiwula coolly netted from a tight angle.
Atoned
It still looked as though the visitors would earn a precious point until deep in stoppage time. Walsh atoned for giving the spot-kick away by drilling the winner past keeper Nathan Trott.
“I’m devastated for the boys because they really put a shift in,” lamented Downes. “They executed what we asked them to do with the way we played and I felt we were worthy of getting something from the game. I was proud of the performance.”
Ipswich remained second following a hard-fought 1-0 victory at MK Dons. Jon Nolan sidefooted home the winner in the 12th minute.
Delighted Tractor Boys boss Paul Lambert said: “We started really well and should have been more than a goal up. It was a well-worked goal and well taken.
“The second-half we weren’t as good with the ball as the first but we defended really well.”
Third-placed Wycombe had to settle for a share of the spoils at home against
Accrington Stanley. Dion Charles headed the visitors into the lead on 40 minutes following fine approach play from Jordan Clark.
However, the Chairboys rescued a point on 72 minutes when Nick Freeman kept his nerve to score from the spot after Stanley skipper Seamus Conneely was adjudged to have brought down Scott Kashket.
On a night of seven draws from 11 third tier games, Sunderland and Rotherham also played out a 1-1 draw.
The Black Cats got off to a dream start when Marc McNulty scored after just 31 seconds, slotting past Daniel Iversen.
And Sunderland had a golden chance to double their lead midway through the first
half. Rotherham’s Clark Robertson felled Lynden Gooch, but Aiden McGeady’s tame penalty was saved by Iversen.
Costly
It proved costly as Freddie Ladapo teed up Jack Hastie and the on-loan Rangers winger rifled his shot high into the net. Simon Grayson’s Blackpool climbed to fifth and ended Doncaster’s unbeaten start to the season with a last-gasp winner at the Keepmoat Stadium.
Armand Gnanduillet headed home in the third minute of stoppage time as Blackpool ended a run of five games without a win. There was also late drama at
Portsmouth – Brett Pitman netted a 95th-minute penalty to earn Pompey a 2-2 draw against Burton.
The visiting Brewers had stormed into a two-goal lead with just six minutes on the clock, courtesy of efforts from Joe Sbarra and Kieran Wallace. But their evening took a turn for the worse when JohnJoe O’Toole was sent off for two bookable offences with just 25 minutes played. Pompey halved the deficit through Ronan Curtis six minutes before the break, but had to wait until the dying embers to draw level following a foul on sub Ellis Harrison. New-look Bolton picked up just their second point of the season – to take them to -10 – with a battling goalless draw at home against Oxford. Lincoln collected their first point in the post-Cowley era with a 1-1 draw at Rochdale. Stephen Dooley swept Dale ahead on 13 minutes, but Tyler Walker glanced home an equaliser from Harry Toffolo’s fizzed ball across the face of goal with just four minutes left.
Pounced
Bristol Rovers and Gillingham also drew 1-1. Rovers led through Tyler Smith on 38 minutes, but the Gills struck back as Tom O’Connor pounced on a rebound with seven minutes to go.
Quickfire goals from Mo Eisa (54 mins) and Ivan Toney (56) seemed to have put Peterborough in control at Tranmere, but lowly Rovers hit back for a share of the spoils.
Liam Ridehalgh pulled one back on 65 minutes before Ollie Banks levelled things up with a majestic 30yard strike that flew into the top corner five minutes later.
The game of the night came at Shrewsbury, where the hosts edged out struggling Southend in a seven-goal thriller. Omar Beckles (19), Jason Cummings (27), Ollie Norburn (61) and Callum Lang (83) netted for the Shrews, while Stephen McLaughlin (29), Stephen Humphrys (77) and Simon Cox (90+1) replied.