JACKSON: WE ARE TAKING ON THE TOP SIDES AND WINNING
TWO weeks ago AFC Wimbledon sent second-placed Mansfield home pointless and they once again showed they were too strong for a visiting team – despite Barrow arriving at Plough Lane in third place in League Two.
First-half goals from Ronan Curtis and Omar Bugiel earned a deserved victory for the Dons manager Johnnie Jackson, who saw his side pick up another scalp on their own patch, keeping them firmly in the mix for the League Two playoff places.
Only a late winner for Harrogate stopped the Wombles rising into the top seven, while Barrow, who had Jamie Proctor sent off, dropped to fourth, a point behind Crewe.
Jackson said: “We’ve managed to find consistency with our form and results, and I think if we concentrate on performance, points will follow.
“Obviously, we’re still picking them up against good teams – we beat Mansfield here and they’d only lost twice. Barrow, I think, had only lost five games all season.
“These are good results against good teams and we just want to find that consistency because we’re on the bus to Accrington on
Monday and that ain’t one of the easier places to go.”
Wimbledon were ahead after 16 minutes when Paul Farman’s clearance ahead of Josh Kelly ran for Curtis, who thumped the ball past a stranded goalkeeper from 25 yards.
The lead was doubled 10 minutes later when Bugiel headed in Armani Little’s cross, with Dons goalkeeper Alex Bass making a good save to deny David Worrall early in the second half.
Farman prevented Kelly from opening his account with Wimbledon before Proctor saw red allegedly for kicking out at Kofi Balmer.
Barrow boss Pete Wild said: “The fourth official says as he hit the floor he kicked out. He hasn’t, but we just need to be clear from the officials before analysing what to do.”
Of the match he added: “It’s easy to play when you’re 2-0 down and from 30 minutes onwards we dominated the game, but for all that, how many times did we make their keeper work?”
Wimbledon were ahead after 16 minutes when a headed clearance from Paul Farman went as far as Curtis, who controlled the ball before lashing it past the stranded Barrow goalkeeper from 25 yards.
The Dons doubled their lead 10 minutes later when Armani Little’s superb cross was headed in by Bugiel at the back post.
David Worrall almost pulled one back for Barrow seven minutes into the second half, when his header from Elliot Newby’s cross had to be pushed behind by Wimbledon’s goalkeeper, Alex Bass.
Farman then made an excellent save from Kelly after James Tilley played him clean through on goal before Proctor was shown the red card with three minutes of the game to go, thanks to the off-the ball incident. AFC WIMBLEDON: Bass 7, Ogundere 7, Balmer 6, Brown 6, Currie 6, Tilley 8, Little 7, Ball 7 (O’Toole 81), Curtis 7 (Sasu 68, 6), Kelly 6 (Davison 81), Bugiel 8 (Pell 68, 6). Subs not used: Tzanev, Pearce, McLean.
BARROW: Farman 6, Chester 6 (Telford 73, 6), Ray 7, Canavan 6, Worrall 6, Spence 6 (White 36, 6), Campbell 6 (Gotts 73, 6), Stephenson 5 (Foley 36, 6), Newby 6, Whitfield 6 (Proctor 62, 5), Stockton 6. Subs not used: Lillis.