AFC Wimbledon 4 York City 3 (aet): Phoenix club close in on grudge tie with MK Dons

They seemed to do their best to avoid it, but AFC Wimbledon finally overcame York City on Monday night to set up a potential FA Cup second-round tie against MK Dons.



It took a replay and extra-time to do it, but now all that is required for a historic first meeting is for MK Dons to overcome non-league Cambridge City on Tuesday night.

Grudge match: Jack Midson (centre) celebrates scoring the winner on Monday night

MATCH FACTS

AFC Wimbledon: Brown, Fenlon (Osano 62), Mambo, Mitchel-King, Cummings, Jolley, Gregory, Johnson (Harrison 61), Yussuff (Long 42), Midson, Strutton.

Subs Not Used: Jaimez-Ruiz, McNaughton, Antwi, Harris.

Booked: Gregory, Strutton.

Goals: Strutton 34, 78, Harrison 97, Midson 99.

York: Ingham, Oyebanjo, Carlisle, Smith, Fyfield, Chambers, Kerr, Parslow (Reed 89), Kearns, Blair, Walker (Johnson 84).

Subs Not Used: Musselwhite, McGurk, Potts, Challinor, Doig.

Sent Off: Kerr (35).

Booked: Kerr, Johnson.

Goals: Brown 22 og, Reed 90, 119.

Attendance: 1,954

Referee: Keith Stroud (Hampshire).

This televised match earned Wimbledon around £50,000 of extra profit, but the fans’ thoughts were certainly elsewhere. Not them, surely. Not MK Dons, the club for which there is such raw feeling since the decision to allow Wimbledon FC to relocate to Milton Keynes in 2002. Some Wimbledon fans are advocating donating the price of their tickets for the possible second round fixture to their club, rather than help to line Milton Keynes’ pockets.



There is little magic in this potential Cup tie, but the match itself was a cracker. Two goals from Charlie Strutton looked to have sealed the tie for Wimbledon after York had Scott Kerr sent off, but substitute Jamie Reed scored a last-minute equaliser only for Wimbledon to go 4-2 up in the first half of extra-time. Reed made it 4-3 just before the end.



York were dominant before going ahead in the 22nd minute. Seb Brown palmed away a curving shot from Lanre Oyebanjo but then fumbled Danny Kearns’ corner and punched the ball into his own net.



Wimbledon were level after 34 minutes. Referee Keith Stroud played advantage after Kerr’s lunging challenge on Rashid Yussuff and Strutton drove the ball into the net. Kerr was shown a second yellow card and trudged off - with ESPN cameras following him into the dressing room - but York’s dominance continued, with Jason Walker hitting the bar.

Thriller: York had led after dominating the opening stages

Wimbledon’s one-man advantage showed in the second half, but York wasted a string of chances before Strutton scored his second in the 78th minute.



Reed’s thrilling equaliser sent the game into extra-time but Warren Cummings’ cross was diverted into the net by substitute Byron Harrison before Jack Midson scored two minutes later.

