The Lounge

[Windlesham Don]

Hope to see you over in April, Liam, and hope that the team is still hanging on in there for you!

Many thanks to John Marquis on Saturday for shooting himself and Doncaster in the foot! Up until his red card there was little between the sides, but them going down to 10 men was the boost we needed.

In contrast to Charlton in the previous home game, Doncaster were woeful and the red card gave the team the spark of belief that they needed to really go for the 3 points.

My MotM was Paul Kalambayi, who was very strong at the centre of defence. Ramsdale was also very sound and deserved his second consecutive clean sheet.

On to Tuesday, and a Peterborough side who should be closer to Charlton than to Doncaster in performance. We really need another 3 points to keep our hopes up and to get us back in touch with the pack. If we can do it then a real belief and momentum should start building, both on the pitch and in the stands. If we lose then it will be back to square one…

[Windlesham Don]

Real belief and momentum it is then! :o)

[Singapore Don]

Agreed Windlesham, there’s a whole new positivity around the club. An absolutely fantastic atmosphere last night at KM, and such jubilation at the final whistle. Three consecutive clean sheets, wins over two play off contenders, second in the form table – what a turnaround. The players’ belief is beginning to rub off on to the fans. Eight of our nine remaining games are in the bottom half of the table. Maybe, just maybe, Wally’s great escape might happen…Time for us to join the players in believing.

[liamwimbo]

Hi Pete, hi John.
Amazing what two wins can do. We may still be bottom of the table, but we are are back in touch with the other strugglers.
Very relevant that most of our remaining games are against teams in the bottom half of the table. Six wins out of nine would probably be enough, but don’t want to tempt fate, so just let’s get 4 points (or six☺️) from the next two games 🤞.

Still a good chance to come over in April, so fingers crossed the Dons can keep this relegation battle alive until then.

COYDs

[Cape Cod Womble]

I was there on Saturday for the Donny win. I stood on arctic Donny station at 8.15am talking to Rovers fans and said “where are you going” to which they replied “Wimbledon”. They looked at me funny when I said “that’s where I’m going” so we travelled down together to SW London.

On the AFC facebook page, I go by the plural Humberside Dons, when in reality there is only AFC fan in the 2017 City of Culture. However I’m pretty sure that the Polish Don who I stood next to at Wembley in the Cup v Spurs, must live in or around the former mining village of Selby which is a stop along the way from Hull.

I saw Mike Richardson in the car park and had a chat, recalling last season’s pre game ales with Terry Pritchard at Rotherham. Ray and Sharon Armfield were in good form as always too.

That cross wind really played havoc in the first half blowing to the John Green stand end so AFC did well to go in on level terms at half time. Once again Aaron Ramsdale kept us in it but the game did change when Donny had John Marquis send off.

Steve Seddon continued to press and he was by far the best outfielder on the pitch. His goal brought a huge lift to the team and the crowd. I said to a fan I have a strange feeling brewing (and it wasn’t only the lentils I had in Kingston Ancient Market before the match) that there is a home win coming here. Like the time we beat Franchise 2-0, Shane McLoughlin’s goal came in time for the crowd to have a knees up and it was a great atmosphere. Michael Folivi is a lively forward. The pig put in a shift and I was pleased to see James Hanson out there late on. He may still have a role to play in the run in to the season.

The main difference with Wally’s team in the injection of pace. It must have been obvious to him and Hodge when they took over. We all knew that NA’s team was slow and ponderous in midfield highlighted by Liam Trotter and Tom Soares (and last season Jimmy Abdou) but it’s only when you see the new crop of Dylan Connolly, Tyler Burey, Folivi and Seddon do you fully realize it.

Tuesday’s win against Peterborough gives us a glimmer of hope but three points at Southend would be massive. That would be a great present for Super Dawnie’s birthday party. I won’t be there but hope to get along to the Gillingham home game. March 30 away to Scunny is a home fixture for me.

[Windlesham Don]

Off to Roots Hall tomorrow for my first away trip for a while. If anyone is going along (Pete?) then I plan to pop in the Blue Boar for a drink and then across the road for local fish & chips before going to the ground!

Tuesday illustrated once again the confidence that a settled team, a set method of play and some decent results can bring. Peterborough have some talented players, but they seemed curiously disinterested for the most part.

An entertaining first half with few chances ended 0-0. As the second half began word came back that Darren Ferguson had given his players the ‘Junior hairdryer’ treatment during the interval. For 15 minutes or so it seemed to do the trick as Posh looked ominous – a couple of goalmouth scrambles and a disallowed goal had us twitching nervously in our seats. However, whereas a few weeks ago we would have cracked and lost comfortably, we now seem to have more steel and backbone about us. Wally introduced the Irish whippet Dylan Connolly and this seemed to unsettle the Posh. Hanson and McLoughlin were also introduced and made a difference.

The tide had turned. Connolly hit the bar with a viciously dipping shot and Hanson had a header cleared off the line. The crowd were up for it now and another quicksilver break from Connolly saw him hauled down in the area.

I’ve watched every penalty we’ve ever been given, but even I was almost too nervous to watch as the Pig stepped up. There was no need to worry, he sent the keeper the wrong way and the ground erupted!

On to tomorrow and a Southend side who’s home form is almost as bad as ours. IMO we should stick to the same starting XI and same tactics, if necessary bringing the subs on slightly earlier. If we can pick up 4 points from our next two games then we will really be in business…

COYD!!

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