AFC Wimbledon vs Plymouth Argyle. Sky Bet League Two.
Wembley.
Tuesday 31 May 2016 06:17, UK
Lyle Taylor and Adebayo Akinfenwa fired AFC Wimbledon into Sky Bet League One for the first time as they beat Plymouth 2-0 in the League Two play-off final at Wembley.
Fourteen years after the original Wimbledon was moved to Milton Keynes, Neal Ardley's men booked their place in England's third highest league, setting up a meeting with rivals MK Dons and completing a remarkable rise from their ninth-tier start in 2002.
In a game that produced few chances, it took until the 78th minute for Taylor to make the breakthrough as he slotted the ball past Argyle goalkeeper Luke McCormick.
With several minutes of injury time added on, Wimbledon were awarded a penalty with almost the final kick of the game which Akinfenwa powered home after a heated discussion with regular penalty taker Callum Kennedy.
It was Wimbledon who went closest in the opening exchanges, and it came from a free-kick as the ball was lofted into the back post with Taylor waiting eight yards out, but he couldn't get the touch to take it past McCormick.
And while Plymouth had seen the better of the ball, it was the Dons who continued to create the better chances and did so twice in quick succession with McCormick again smothering the danger from Taylor before Paul Robinson just hit wide after Tom Elliott headed into his path.
The Pilgrims could only muster half-chances during the first 45 minutes as Jake Jervis tried to get a shot away but could only see it blocked by Darius Charles. The defender was there again to keep out a fine cross from Gregg Wylde that was seeking out the quiet Jamille Matt.
McCormick was certainly the busier of the two goalkeepers and was called into action again six minutes before the break as Kennedy found some space around 30 yards out and rifled an effort towards goal - but the goalkeeper held strongly.
Wimbledon came racing out of the traps in the second half and could have had a fortuitous early goal as Plymouth defender Carl McHugh sent a looping pass back to his goalkeeper that nearly went into the bottom corner, before Elliott twice headed wide as the Dons searched to break the deadlock.
Plymouth's best chances of the game came just after the hour mark and both from free-kicks. Graham Carey delivered the set-pieces, seeing his first saved by Kelle Roos before Peter Harley nodded the second into the ground and ultimately into the safe hands of the Dons stopper.
Wimbledon made the breakthrough 12 minutes from time and it was semi-final extra-time goalscorer Taylor who got onto the end of a delightful Kennedy cross, flicking it into the bottom corner and sending the Dons fans into raptures, whipping off his shirt in the celebrations.
It could have been an instant second as Jake Reeves powered down the right flank and squared the ball to Barry Fuller. The captain took on the shot but McCormick was instantly down to make the save with his legs.
Fan favourite Akinfenwa also went close as he rose to meet Taylor's cross, but the Plymouth goalkeeper was there to make a fine one-handed save before Taylor chipped a one-on-one shot straight into McCormick's arms.
Plymouth had a penalty appeal turned down in the dying minutes as Craig Tanner went down in the box under pressure from Dannie Bulman, but the referee waved away the claims.
However, Wimbledon were awarded a spot kick in the dying seconds as Ade Azeez went down in the box, with Akinfenwa stepping up after a heated discussion with Kennedy as to who should take it.
Akinfenwa prevailed and it proved to be a good choice as he fired past McCormick in the 11th minute of stoppage time to seal promotion to the third tier.
