U’s Unbeaten Run ended by AFC Wimbledon
Cambridge United’s unbeaten streak in Sky Bet League Two was brought to an end with a 1-4 defeat to AFC Wimbledon at the Abbey Stadium.
Luke Berry’s first half goal had levelled the game for Shaun Derry’s side after Paul Robinson had initially given the visitors the advantage. However, the Dons struck three times in the second half to resign United to their first defeat in seven Sky Bet League Two matches.
Having signed a one month loan deal with the U’s, West Ham left back Lewis Page made his first appearance for Shaun Derry’s side and was the only change from the starting line-up against Barnet five days earlier.
The Dons took an early lead in the tussle, when centre half Paul Robinson attacked George Francomb’s tenth minute corner at pace, before heading past Sam Beasant in the United goal.
With the U’s looking for a quick response, Conor Newton and Ryan Ledson, who had signed an extended loan deal with Cambridge prior to kick off, skewed efforts from the edge of the area to level the scores.
It took until the 25th minute for the U’s to draw level, when a corner routine straight from the training ground saw Luke Berry rise at the near post to head Dunk’s delivery into the far corner of the net.
United had the opportunity to grasp a lead of their own shortly after, when another set piece delivery from the right by Dunk found Mark Roberts with space in the area, however the U’s captain was unable to guide his header over the goal line.
Dunk himself also came close to scoring for the U’s, when he took on his opposite number Barry Fuller down the left flank with five minutes of the first half remaining, before firing an effort fractionally over the AFC Wimbledon target.
The second half began with a scrappy period of play, with only an attempt on goal from Harrison Dunk and a header from Wimbledon’s Robinson, to show for either side’s efforts.
However, the Dons regained the advantage on the scoreboard when Lyle Taylor, who had threatened the U’s all afternoon, managed to get on the end of Barry Fuller’s cross to finish right footed.
Wimbledon extended the deficit further with 15 minutes to play. Taylor this time the provider, when he rolled the ball back inside for Jon Meades to curl into the far right of the goal from 12 yards out.
With the U’s pushing high up field to find a route back into the fixture, a long ball up from the Wimbledon defence found substitute Adebayo Azeez on the break, who rounded Beasant and completed the score line for the visitors.
Cambridge United: Beasant, Omozusi, Legge, Roberts, Page, Berry, Ledson, Newton (Simpson, 68 mins), Dunk, Williamson, Corr
AFC Wimbledon: Shea, Fuller, Bulman, Robinson, Francomb, Reeves, Akinfenwa (Azeez, 76 mins), Meades, Barcham (Rigg, 87 mins), Osbourne, Taylor (Elliott, 76 mins)
Attendance: 5,754 (669 away)
Vindis Man of the Match – Ben Williamson