AFC Wimbledon 1 Walsall 3 - Report and pictures

After a blistering start, the Saddlers took the lead when Kieron Morris fired in a thunderbolt from 20-yards.

But from that point Dean Keates’ side came under heavy pressure with the Saddlers having to defend for their lives to keep the home side at bay.

There were towering performances all across the back four and in midfield. And that graft then led the Dons gifting Walsall two goals.

The first - that will be shown on comedy clips for years to come - saw Will Nightingale play a back pass into his own net after not realising where his keeper was.

Then shortly after, Toby Sibbick smashed a clearance against Andy Cook only for the ball to nestle into the back of the net.

Wimbledon grabbed a consolation in the closing stages when Kwesi Appiah bundled the ball in from close range.

But in the end the Saddlers held on with their heroic defending meaning they have won three and drawn one of their opening four games in League One.

In naming his starting line-up, boss Keates kept faith with the team that secured a 2-1 win over Gillinhgam on Saturday.

Despite travelling with the team, Zeli Ismail again missed out due to a minor knock picked up the League Cup victory at Tranmere.

And that meant Kieron Morris continued on the right of midfield with the Saddlers sticking with their familiar 4-4-2 formation.

Wimbledon also opted for a 4-4-2 system with Kwesi Appiah partnering Joe Pigott in attack.

The tempo for a fiery game was set in the first few minutes when Anthony Wordsworth picked up a yellow card for a late and rash challenge on Jon Guthrie.

And the frantic pace continued from there with both teams playing positive, aggressive football as they looked to grab an early advantage.

For Walsall, the movement of Morgan Ferrier was causing all-sorts of problems with the striker playing in both Josh Ginnelly and Nicky Devlin only for the duo to send cross-come-shots wide of goal.

For the Dons, Mitch Pinnock sent a sweet strike inches wide from just outside the box.

It was the Saddlers who were on top though and they took the lead in the 16th minute through a thunderbolt from Morris.

After collecting Andy Cook’s header, the winger hit a dipping and swerving strike that completely deceived the keeper and ended up flying into the middle of the net.

Despite the set-back, Wimbledon responded excellently with the Dons putting Keates’ men under relentless pressure from the 30 minute mark until half-time.

And amidst a raft of chances, they created three that saw them come a whisker away from pulling level.

The first saw Wordsworth ping a superb volley inches wide from the edge of the box.

Appiah then should have pulled his team level when, after a spell of pin-ball, Liam Roberts failed to claim a header that was knocked back into the danger area.

The ball fell kindly for the Ghanaian international but from six-yards he swung and missed when he should have scored.

Walsall were having to defend for their lives but they were bravely winning headers and putting their headers on the line.

The Dons kept piling forward though and Appiah came close again when he headed a cross from Andy Barcham over.

From that point, Ardley’s side continued to press yet the Saddlers held out to half-time with Guthrie and Luke Leahy in particular winning a series of crucial headers while Jack Fitzwater and George Dobson made crucial blocks.

Wimbledon continued on the front foot after the interval with Pigott spinning in the box before firing over.

After surviving another storm, the Saddlers hit back with Morris darting forward before seeing a shot blocked.

On the hour, the home side switched Pigott for James Hanson - a striker who had terrorized the Saddlers over the years.

And just moments later he steered a header over after meeting a corner.

In the 70th minute though, Walsall doubled their advantage in the most bizarre of circumstances.

After referee Tom Nield incorrectly awarded the hosts a throw-in, Toby Sibbick found Nightingale.

But not realising his keeper wasn’t in the middle of his goal, the defender over-hit a back-pass that sailed into the middle of the net to leave the entire ground stunned.

Understandably deflated, the Dons tried to find a way back into the game.

But they went on to concede yet another bizarre goal following a brilliant darting run by substitute Kane Wilson.

The Albion loanee did well to find Ferrier in the box who saw a shot blocked.

But Sibbick then looked to clear only to fire against Cook with the ball then nestling into the corner.

Wimbledon did respond with Appiah bundling in from close range in the 86th minute to ensure his side finally found the target.

The Dons continued to pile forward after that - but Walsall continued to produce heroic defending to keep them at bay.

Teams

AFC Wimbledon: King; Sibbick, Purrington, McDonald, Nightingale, Pinnock, Wordsworth, Trotter, Barcham, Appiah, Pigott (Hanson 60).

Subs not used: McDonnell, Oshilaja, Hartigan, Garratt, Soares, Wagstaff.

Walsall: Roberts, Devlin, Fitzwater, Guthrie, Leahy, Morris (Wilson 76), Dobson, Osbourne, Ginnelly. Cook (Gordon 84), Ferrier.

Subs not used: Dunn, Kinsella, Sangha, Kouhyar, Gordon, Candlin.