AFC Wimbledon 2 Walsall 0 - Report

The Dons scored both goals in the second half which they dominated at times, the same as the first half, with the Saddlers making five substitutions to try and find a much-needed goal.

There was certainly no lack of effort from Michael Flynn’s men as they tried to get attacks going, but Wimbledon always looked comfortable in defence and dangerous on the break.

Indeed they could have took the lead early on in a start similar to the one Walsall endured at Grimsby on Saturday, but were prepared to wait for their goals and they even had one chalked off for offside.

Wimbledon were slightly looking over their shoulders, though 12 points clear of the relegation zone.

They were coming into the game on the back of a 2-1 defeat at Barrow on Saturday where they had taken the lead early on and managed to retain it for the first half

Walsall had only won one game in 14, although there were plenty of draws in there – including at Grimsby on Saturday – and between them the teams had scored just 39 goals each this season

Hayden White and Andy Williams came in for starts for the Saddlers after impressing at Grimsby in the 3-5-2 second-half formation, which Michael Flynn adopted from the start here. Joe Low returned from international duty, starting on the bench.

The opening of the game followed the same pattern as at Grimsby for Walsall, with them having to soak up considerable pressure from the hosts early on and rely on counter-attacks for their threat on goal.

On six minutes Wimbledon should have taken the lead when a neat passing move between Ethan Chislett and captain Alex Woodyard put Kasey McAteer through, but he could only side foot wide.

Just a few minutes later, Owen Evans produced a great save from a header by Woodyard after Chislett had found him in the box with a cross from the left. And on 14 minutes Armani Little found himself in space on the edge of the box but put his shot over the bar when again he should have done better.

A trademark Tom Knowles curler on 22 minutes for Walsall also went over the bar, the first chance of the game for the Saddlers who were finding it hard to get anything telling going.

The game became scrappy but Walsall did try to impose themselves on it and on 35 minutes Donervon Daniels put a high ball into the box, which found Conor Wilkinson – and Nathan Broome was called into action for pretty much the first time in the half, parrying the ball away.

But it was generally a frustrating first half for Walsall, who also saw Wilkinson and Hayden White booked.

They started the brighter in the opening exchanges of the second half, though, Tom Knowles having a long throw cleared and the defence moving forward to try and create chances which were few and far between for the 6,809 crowd so far.

Wimbledon, though, started to come into the game again and took the lead on 58 minutes when a corner from Little found Nightingale on the edge of the area and his header went past Evans into the net to give Walsall plenty to do.

Boss Michael Flynn made a triple substitution on 67 minutes with Matty Stevens coming on, along with Taylor Allen and Yann Songo’o.

Knowles tried to find a way through in the box, but was denied by a foot in from a defender – the ball coming out to Songo’o whose effort went well over the bar.

But if it made little difference to the outcome of the game, at the same time Wimbledon manager John Jackson’s introduction of Ali Al Hamdi paid dividends when he got the second goal on 73 minutes. Again it was from a corner, but this time more of a scrambled effort.

Al Hamdi almost made it three when he had the ball in the net shortly after a good break and cross down the left, but the effort was ruled out for offside.

The home fans didn’t mind though and McAteer brushed the top of the crossbar with a long-range effort.

In the eight minutes of added on time, Walsall substitute Matty Stevens came closest to getting a goal for Walsall when his header was tipped over by Broome, but again it wasn’t the Saddlers’ night.