The Lounge

[onyadon]

I suspected Wimbledon don’t do ruthless well….. after the 5-0 FA Cup replay rout and a change of manager that Bury would be tougher to beat in the Dons’ fourth meeting with them in a month. How delightfully wrong I was. 5-1 is ruthless and now the Dons are back in the playoff spots – sixth if you like! – in this remarkable first season in League 1. It doesn’t seem to matter who Ardley plays the Dons keep doing the business. Just two defeats in the last 15 League games and still in the FA Cup and off to non-league Curzon Ashton in the second round. Millwall away on Tuesday will be another good test of the Dons’ resilience, but it’s an away game and Wimbledon haven’t lost an away game since the opening day at Walsall on August 6, so reason to be confident of getting something at The Den. Great time to be a Dons fan and looking forward to getting down to Adelaide this week to see Liam, Paul, Mike and the other WDSA boys while I down covering the cricket Test.

[Singapore Don]

For 25 minutes, this was a fairly even contest – both the Dons and Bury probing and creating chances, but neither showing a killer instinct. And then, wow! Just wow. Three minutes of sheer ecstasy as the Dons went in to turbo drive, and the Bury defence capitulated in suicidal fashion. Delirium for us Dons, devastation for the travelling Bury fans. Game over.

Like Tuesday, we benefitted from a fragile Bury back line, but take nothing away from the raw power and talent we now have in our front line. Poleon and Elliott were outstanding, Poleon breathtakingly good at times. The pace, energy, fight of these two ran the Bury defenders ragged and won the game for us.

And this has become the hallmark of the new look Ardley Dons: a highly charged front line that works for the team as a whole, not only providing the threats and goals up front, but dropping back deep to shore up the defence when needed. The team really has the look of a well oiled machine, purring away in peak condition.

As per Tuesday, it seems wrong to pick out individuals for singular praise: each and every player played their cog like part in the smooth running of this impressive Donsmobile. But mention has to go to a couple. I’ve already mentioned Poleon, but just to reiterate: he was superb – again! Ardley really has uncovered a gem in Dom. I have not seen him have a bad game all season: he is electric and lethal, raw pace with highly polished finishing skill. Ardley traded in brilliantly well, Poleon for Azeez. Poleon is the refined product but still with that raw appeal. He’s a joy to watch because whenever he has the ball, you just know something exciting and positive will happen. His goal was stunning yesterday, but his two assists were equally brilliant. Instead of just lobbing the ball high in to the box from the wings in the hope a Dons head would meet it, the wizard conjured up some real magic by looking up before crossing and delivering two low pinpoint accurate passes to Whelpdale and Elliott, both of whom finished clinically. The boy has real footballing intelligence which makes him such a lethal asset for us.

The second player to single out is Seth Owens. I first saw this young prospect in an U-21s game at Raynes Park Vale in July. So impressive was he that I asked the youth manager who was watching the game then who the left back was, but he didn’t know his name saying he’d just been brought in out of the blue after being touted by an agent. Well what a find and what a decision to keep him and promote him. Yesterday, Owens made his League debut and you will be hard pressed to see a more confident, assured debut by a 19 year old defender. He had a superb game at left back and leaves me feeling less anxious about Meades’ niggling ankle injury. There was one moment where Owens’ maturity and ability shone out, when he charged across to win a really tight 50-50 tackle. He not only showed great strength and determination to win the ball, but rather than scything through the tackle close to the touch line and driving it in to touch and safety, he got up from his sliding tackle in one motion in the one yard between the tackle and the touch line, looked up and played an inch perfect 40 yard pass down the line and in field in to the feet of Barnett to launch a fresh attack. It was brilliant, and very much from the Meades’ school of turning defence in to attack. Owens could well be another gem discovered and polished by Ardley.

So we’re in the play off places, but curiously that’s not as exciting as I thought it would be at this stage of the season. There’s a long way to go and there’ll be bumps in the road ahead. What’s much more exciting and uplifting is that in our squad this season we have a highly efficient, well drilled, skilful and motivated unit that will ensure we remain a League One side. For that bumpy road, I’m confident Ardley will steer and drive this slick but tough Donsmobile of players to cross the finishing line next year in great form. It’s going to be quite a ride. And I’m looking forward to the next part of the journey at Millwall in Tuesday.

A final parting thought: I just hope we can hold on to our gifted young manager to see us through to then – and beyond. Others have to be taking note of the positive times and performances Ardley is inspiring down at the Dons. I’m trying to reassure myself that as a true blue Don with Wimbledon in his blood, Neal will want to stay and lead this great team out for the first match at the new Plough Lane stadium. He has a chance to define a place for himself in the Wimbledon history books by staying in for that historical moment. I hope it’s enough of a temptation for him to resist what will no doubt be lucrative offers coming his way from clubs in loftier places. Come on Neal, see it through with us!

[Singapore Don]

Some 0-0’s are exciting and belie their dull scoreline. Not this one. This was a classic 0-0 bore draw. I can’t recall any real heart in mouth moments, although young James Shea did make a couple of decent saves, living up to his ever more sure Mr Reliable role between the posts. The only real entertainment in this game was the antics of the young seagull that landed in the centre circle during the pre-match warm-up, and was an ever present until the final whistle. I think the gull got the most chants of the night!

Having said this, the Dons looked solid and didn’t look like conceding to a team that had only failed to score in two of their previous 32 league home games (apparently). Jon Meades looked the class act that he is at left back, composed, confident, tough tackling and instinctively determined to drive the play forward. His red card is a real blow, because he really is a reassuring presence on the field and you instantly feel more positive at kick-off knowing he’s there to do his impressive best. It’s all the more galling since his first yellow was outrageous. He clearly and cleanly won the ball yet was adjudged to have done so in a dangerous way. Rubbish. At the time we were saying what a dreadful decision it was and how we hoped it wouldn’t come back to bite Meades later in the game. Well it did. In the 74th minute, Millwall’s fresh young legs in their pacy number 10, Onyedinma, got past Meades and was heading in to the box when our number 3 hauled him back. A blatant foul and no complaints for that yellow. It was just infuriating that the ensuing red was so unwarranted given the lack of offence in Meades’ first “offence”.

Meades’ dismissal did give young Seth Owens another taste of League One action in the hotbed of the impressive New Den stadium – so a good experience for the youngster to help build his confidence and resilience, both of which will be much needed in all probability on Saturday against Fleetwood.

Another absence on Saturday is going to be our hitherto ever present captain, Barry Fuller. Again, a ridiculous yellow card to issue and receive, but being his fifth of the season results in the one match ban for Saturday. I think the card was for Barry objecting to a a very soft tackle being given against him. He had every right to query the punishment of a free kick for an innocuous challenge, but he paid the price for his freedom of expression.

It does mean on Saturday that we’re going to have a makeshift defence, a real shame given how solid it has been in recent games. But the Dons have demonstrated that they are versatile, with Francomb and Owens already having filled in at left back, so no need for doom and gloom for this one match of sticky plaster solutions in the back line. Confidence should be helped anyway by the rock solid showing of our two current central defenders, who have struck up a terrific understanding and combination at the heart of our defence. Chris Robertson has slotted seamlessly into central defence and commanding that zone forcefully alongside his near namesake. Darius Charles is going to be doing a bit of bench warming I think when he returns to fitness, because on his current form there is no way you could drop Robertson. He is “immense” (to use that wonderful Ardley adjective of old). He didn’t put a foot wrong against Millwall last night, and was a thoroughly reassuring huge presence to see off the Millwall attack. Robbo too had a superb game, so hopefully these two will hold the defence together on Saturday when presumably Francomb will fill in at right back and young Owens will get another outing at left back.

In midfield last night, Francomb was a bit non-existent, so doing the team bit and playing in defence on Saturday may be no bad thing. We could really have done with Dean Parrett last night to add that bite and forward momentum that he brings; really useful against a very dynamic Millwall midfield. Bulman did do a decent job, breaking up lots of play, but he just doesn’t have that extra threat of the killer pass or driving run forward to create attacking chances (as Parrett does); rather he wins the tackle, then passes sideways or backwards. Still, Jake Reeves was trying his level best to do the Parrett role, with some success. It was only when Tom Beere came on later in the game that we saw a more attack minded approach to our midfield play. Young Beere really does look the part these days when he comes on. So pleased for him, and hopefully he’ll get more starts before the season is out.

Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of last night’s game was the misfiring front line. Ardley started with a bold 4-3-3 with all the big hitters there in the starting line-up: Taylor, Elliott and Poleon. For the first 15 to 20 minutes, they were threatening, without creating any real killer moments. But when the Millwall midfield got the game by the scruff of its neck midway through the first half, our forward line spent as much time chasing back in defensive duties as they did in trying to poach a goal at the other end. Taylor had a relatively quiet game, and was subbed for Whelpdale when Ardley decided to change to 4-4-2, a good move since we need bolstering in the midfield. For his part, Poleon was a real handful and showed great pace and threat on a number of occasions. But unfortunately he fluffed his lines on the one very rare moment of goal promise for us when he was clean through and decided to pass across to Taylor who would have slotted past the keep as Elliott did on Saturday against Bury. The pass, however, went behind Taylor and the attack came to nought. Frustrating, since it really was a very rare clear goal scoring opportunity. As for Elliott, well the chants of “We’ve got Tom Elliott” are probably the most sung at games now (just shading the LTB and Dom Poleon riffs), a testimony to the fans’ appreciation of the incredible job Tom does for the team: harrying and pressing up front, but also playing a crucial defensive role which includes appearing to head clear from every corner or free kick delivered in to our box. He is gold this season.

Heading home on the packed train out of South Bermondsey, this really felt like a point gained given the Meades red card and our lack of any real goal scoring opportunities. It extended our run of undefeated games in the league to nine, which really is quite an achievement given how we scraped in to this league after a fairly lacklustre campaign last year. We can take heart that the Dons this season, after that difficult run of early games and defeats, have looked calm, confident, and completely together. They play as a team in which every player fights for each other, gives 110 per cent in effort and commitment (Barnett didn’t play last night!), and apart from the game against Sheffield United, we have never looked like being steamrollered and given a good spanking. I just hope I won’t be eating my words after Saturday when our makeshift defence will be facing a Fleetwood side in good form and scoring for fun at the moment. Let’s hope our strikers return to their scoring for fun ways on Saturday to keep this amazing season jogging along in the most satisfactory of ways. Let one of them, rather than a seagull, be the talk of the terraces at the final whistle!

[Colum]

After the Lord Mayor’s Show? Well not quite, but last night’s game was a bit of a stinker. The positives are an away point and a clean sheet. The negatives, both full suspended backs for the Fleetwood game.

My abiding memories of the Millwall game was the excellent away support that silenced the home crowd for large periods of the game. Oh and walking from London Bridge to the ground. I had time and fancied walking through a part of London I rarely venture into.

I know why that is now. Bermondsey is an area of London that time has largely forgot. I lost count of the number of men and women walking around with a single can of cheap lager. A saw what appeared to be “a dealing” taking place not far from the ground, and the dismal street lighting gave the whole area a feel of a Dickensian slum.

Anyway the fact that I’m on a footballing website talking about inner city decay, saws bucket loads about the actual game. Both team’s defences had the upper hand. Neither side had many chances, and when they came, most were squandered. It was edgy and nervous, but without any real fear of anything serious happening.

It was a shame to see Jon Meades get sent off. His first booking seemed harsh, but once you’re booked, you can block off a winger like he did and expect to get away with it. We should be OK though with the likes of Seth Owen. Framcomb can fit in at right back, although he had a bit of a stinker in central a midfield three last night.

[Colum]

You would not believe that I was sober when I wrote that last post. So many typos!

[liamwimbo]

Doesn’t sound like it was much of a game on Tuesday, but a point away at a local rival is not to be sneezed at. Shame about the cards for Barry and Meades, though.
We had our annual WDSA get-together in Adelaide last night, as we always do on the eve of the Test match here and Robert is in town. Really made me think about the huge progess the club have made in the last 12 month. New Plough Lane was still very much a work in progress and promotion from L2 was just a pipedream. And now the Dons are riding high in L1 while a certain other team is down the bottom. The forthcoming film about the club has a lot to live up to. COYDs.

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