10 hours Ago
AFC snatched a point with a dramatic stoppage-time equaliser from the penalty spot as they fought back from 2-0 down to earn a 2-2 draw away to promotion hopefuls AFC Wimbledon. County looked to be heading for a ninth defeat of the League Two season after conceding twice in the opening 20 minutes. But Michael Spellman pulled one back for Nelson Jardim’s men before half-time and former Wimbledon man Shane McLoughlin levelled from the spot in the 97th minute.
It leaves the Exiles 16th in the table ahead of Saturday’s return to Rodney Parade against relegation-threatened Carlisle United. Jardim had made three changes to the team that earned a battling point at Notts County back on November 23, with Joe Thomas, Cameron Antwi and Geoffroy Bony replacing Cameron Evans, Oliver Greaves and Kai Whitmore. But any hopes of a third successive clean sheet were ended after just 12 minutes as Alistair Smith gave the hosts a deserved lead.
County had an early warning about the dangers posed by James Tilley’s set-piece delivery when his free-kick was headed wide by Ryan Johnson after just two minutes. They didn’t take the hint, however, and the Dons punished them 10 minutes later when another Tilley free-kick was nodded down by John-Joe O’Toole and hooked in by Smith. The second, after 20 minutes, again came from a Tilley free-kick – but it was poor goalkeeping from Nick Townsend that was the key factor.
Tilley floated the free-kick into the box and it should have been claimed easily by Townsend, but he missed the ball and it hit Matty Stevens before looping almost apologetically into the bottom corner of the net. The travelling fans may well have been fearing the worst at that point. But County had already threatened at the other end, and they hit back quickly to halve the deficit.
McLoughlin had played in Kyle Hudlin early on, but the striker’s long-range effort was saved by Owen Goodman. Spellman also released Hudlin, who took the ball round the goalkeeper but placed his shot across goal and wide of the far post from a tight angle. And Bony raced on to a ball over the top and beat the keeper to it, but could only poke his shot high and wide.
So it was not a total surprise when Spellman fired into the bottom corner on 26 minutes, after Bryn Morris had claimed a loose ball on the edge of the box and teed up his teammate. Kieron Evans then volleyed high and wide from distance as the Exiles threatened to level but the hosts preserved their lead going into the break. Stevens, O’Toole and Omar Bugiel all went close in the opening exchanges of the second half and Wimbledon thought they had restored their two-goal cushion when Isaac Ogundere smashed in a loose ball off the underside of the bar following a corner.
But the goal was mysteriously ruled out by referee Lee Swabey – much to the annoyance of Dons boss Johnnie Jackson. After that big let-off, Jardim made a triple change in an attempt to ignite something in his side as Whitmore, Greaves and Anthony Glennon replaced Antwi, Bony and Spellman. And Luke Jephcott followed them on as he replaced Hudlin with 16 minutes left on the clock.
McLoughlin missed the target with a speculative effort from distance, but it was the home side who looked most likely to trouble the scorers again as the half wore on. Townsend saved well from Riley Harbottle and Smith saw a shot blocked before Townsend denied Josh Kelly. Stevens missed another chance for the hosts and Jephcott headed off target at the other end.
It looked like another night of frustration for County, before Huseyin Biler brought down fellow substitute Kyle Jameson in the box in the fifth and final minute of stoppage time. Jackson was sent to the stands for his protests on the touchline, but McLoughlin kept his head to send Goodman the wrong way from the spot and earn County an unlikely point with the final kick of the game..
