The Lounge

[Windlesham Don]

A fine result on Saturday, although not a fantastic performance. This squad seems to possess a togetherness and a confidence that was missing a few months ago. Wally and Glyn must take the praise for the change.

My tickets for Saturday arrived today, so all set for the denouement of the season! I echo Singapore’s sentiment that this squad seems to inspire the confidence that next season will also be spent in League 1. Even a defeat could see us safe, but I do not see it coming down to that nail biting conclusion. I fully expect a draw at least.

It would be great to meet up with Onyadon, Singapore before the match and we will be arriving in good time for a pre-match refreshment. If you know where you are going to be then please post on here and we can meet up.

With probably 1500-2000 Wombles making the 4 hour journey up north it should be a fantastic atmosphere – altogether now “Wally’s at the wheel…”.

[Singapore Don]

Too many emotions and reflections still after Saturday to do justice to them in words. But for now, just two suffice; Wow! Phew.

[onyadon]

After 189 days in the bottom four, and extricating themselves in the penultimate game, Wimbledon saved their season on goal difference: three goals separated the Dons and Plymouth Argyle from the fourth and last relegation spot. That’s how close it was. The Dons scraped over the line after being marooned in last spot and 10 points from safety in February.

Together as one #AFCWimbledon held their nerve and survived in the Great Escape, a story to be told down the Dons years pic.twitter.com/VSBzSmZjsr

— wombles downunder (@WDownunder) May 5, 2019

To celebrate that final day in Bradford after a 0-0 draw was a remarkable Great Escape act engineered by Wally Downes and his sidekick Glyn Hodges. It is an achievement that will go down in Wimbledon folklore. Wally squeezed every last drop out of a struggling squad inherited from Neal Ardley in December.

Wally Downes has not only saved #AFCWimbledon’s apparently doomed season but unified the club, players and fans, bringing optimism for next season with the right recruitment pic.twitter.com/dfxuoPzo0y

— wombles downunder (@WDownunder) May 5, 2019

It was an emotional final game. On the full-time whistle many of the 2,000 travelling Dons converged around the players and there were joyous scenes as supporters celebrated staying up with the players. It was hard to take in that the Wombles had actually defied the odds to beat the drop and stay in League 1 next season.

https://twitter.com/vaughanwryan1/status/1124794172769284096?s=21

Now Wally and Glyn have the task of rebuilding the squad, cutting loose the underperformers and recruiting players to give the Dons a fighting chance of being more competitive next season ahead of the emotional homecoming to Plough Lane. I am expecting high earners Tom Sanchez, Kwesi Appiah, Deji Oshilaja and Andy Barcham, anonymous in the final months, to be released, maybe sometime this week. Wally will finally get the chance to make thus team his own with the right summer recruitment.
I have been likened by some to a lucky omen. I never saw the Dons lose in my five games over here and I was delighted to have long time Wombles Downunder stalwart David Kenwery sitting alongside me at Valley Parade.

These two Aussies sat together at a Dons match for the first time and basked in what a wonderful club we support for all these years pic.twitter.com/rvDDcuBJQg

— wombles downunder (@WDownunder) May 4, 2019

In a postscript to the season, Neal Ardley’s team Notts County was relegated from League Two to the Conference. It has been one helluva nightmare season for our former manager.

[onyadon]

** Tom Soares (not Sanchez)

[Colum]

Never in doubt? Even the born optimist would have looked at the team 10 points adrift in February and with an inferior goal difference to all around them and thought, they’re a gonna.

You have to admire the squad and management team for getting us out of this mess. To survive on goal difference when our own goal difference is so bad, speaks volumes for the luck we’ve endured in the last two months. We drew games we should have easily lost. We won games we should have drawn. But our “never say die” attitude, instilled with more than a bit of the old crazy gang mentality by Wally and Gyln, just about did enough.

You have to feel sorry for poor old Plymouth. Sacking their manager with a game to go was a remarkable decision brought upon by complete and utter desperation. It defied logic, but goes to show that prevaricating before making difficult decisions in football can have dire consequences. Our dire run of defeats took place at a good time. Had we been in Plymouth’s position, would we have done the same?

So life and our blood pressure slowly returns to normal. Expect a lot of P45s being handed out in the coming days, before the incessant transfer chatter. I for one can’t wait.

[Windlesham Don]

Never has an eight hour round trip for a skill-less borefest been so enjoyable…

“Two times out of non-league,
We’re never going to stop…”

We had one or two clear chances, as did Bradford, but that was it. As much time was spent looking at the scores from Southend and Plymouth as it was on the pitch. The final whistle was greeted with euphoria and a pitch invasion (encouraged by the stewards).

“From Franchise to the FA,
We’ve beat the f**king lot…”

Fortunately, it never got to the state where we needed to win the game – just as well, as our attack was more toothless than normal.

“From Batsford to Dave Basset,
At Plough Lane we belong…”

Once again we relied on the youthful determination of our back five (six if you include the largely untroubled Rambo) to shut out the opposition, and they did so with relative ease.

“We are loyal supporters,
And we come from Wimbledon…”

Sitting in the pub afterwards having a celebratory beer, we witnessed the surreal sight of Anthony Wordsworth coming in for a drink. When asked whether he wanted another he declined, as the players’ coach was waiting for him to join him! Such is life at the greatest football club in the world!

“Ole, ole, ole,
Ole, ole, ole,
Ole, ole, ole,
Ole, ole, ole.”

[Author]

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