Last-gasp goal hits latecomers of York
RUSS Wilcox was left cursing York’s luck after a Jack Smith’s last-gasp volley consigned them to defeat at Wimbledon.
The visitors preparations were hampered by a traffic delay and they got off to a slow start when Adedeji Oshilaja headed in his first professional league goal for the Dons.
Jake Hyde equalised on the stroke of half-time but Wilcox’s side spurned several opportunities to leave them only two points off the drop zone.
“It’s a cruel game. A very, very cruel game,” Wilcox said.
“We talk about lastminute goals and beat the drum with it but what can you do about that? I’m not sure what you can do about that?
“For me, over 90 minutes, we’ve been the best side by a long chalk.We had the better of the chances to win the game so to not win is disappointing, to come away with nothing is devastating.
“We were eight miles from the ground and it took an hour and 15 minutes from there, and we didn’t arrive until 2.20pm, so preparation was poor.
“It was a horrible game with a horrible pitch and it was about playing percentages, trying to turn them around and put pressure on.
“Individual people have got to do their jobs better, as we did on Tuesday. Be better than the man you’re up against.
“It’s so disappointing but it’s my job to pick the players up and go again for a huge game next weekend against Carlisle.”
A lively first half saw the hosts go in front when Cardiff loanee Oshilaja rose to head in George Francomb’s corner.
Parity was restored when Dons keeper Joe McDonnell fumbled sub Emile Sinclair’s cross and Jake Hyde converted after a frantic scramble.
Sinclair was left ruing a glaring miss, after he had rounded McDonnell, when Smith’s strike from the edge of the box was deflected past Bobby Olejnik.
Dons boss Neal Ardley said:“The pitch is the worst it’s ever been and everything when we play at home at the moment seems to be a scrap.
“When the players are trying to play they keep giving it away and playing it in wrong areas, so at half time I said they need to play a scrappy game.
“We shot ourselves in the foot conceding just before half time but I think 1-1 probably would have been a fair result.
“Obviously, when you’re down there that happens, but we’ve played really, really well on several occasions and not what got we deserved so I’ll happily take this.
“I want to entertain, I want the fans to say wow we were good, like the first half at Luton.
“Here we scrapped and scrapped and got a great moment late on.”