"Blame Me" Says Dons Boss Brown


Wimbledon 0 v Accrington Stanley 2

Dons boss Terry Brown said "blame me" after his side meekly capitulated at home to Accrington Stanley on Saturday (10 December).

Accrington - without an away league win all season prior to this game - barely broke sweat as they strolled to a comfortable win against a Dons side that put in possibly their most lethargic display of the season.

Brown has already come in for criticism from some sections of the Dons faithful for not switching to a flat four midfield to offer his defence protection, but for this game he also chose to play Sammy Moore - one of recent weeks' few bright points in a defensive midfield role - as an attacking midfielder.

"I do not think that I got the best out of them today," Brown told the Hounslow Chronicle, "And I did not pick the best formation to win the game.

"If we play [like that] every week then we will be relegated."

The Dons' afternoon got off to the worst possible start as they gifted a goal to the visitors after just three minutes. Luke Moore and Gareth Gwillim were caught napping, allowing Bryan Hughes to cross low to the near post where Padraig Amond got the better of Jamie Stuart to slot home at the near post.

Accrington had two further opportunities to extend their lead before they capitalised on the third after 24 minutes. Luke Moore was again exposed down the left and from Dean Winnard's cross Craig Lindfield bundled the ball home.

Lindfield and Kevin Long were next to spurn chances for the visitors before Seb Brown pulled off a good save following a scramble in his box.

And the visitors continued to fashion chances with Hughes firing wide from 18 yards.

In contrast, the Dons looked devoid of creativity,  with their most notable moment of the first period being when Stuart avoided a red card for an elbow-first challenge.

The withdrawal of Max Porter at half-time, replaced by Charles Ademeno, failed to spark any improvement in the Dons' play. Substitute Brendan Kiernan showed a willingness to run at the opposition after coming on just after the hour but, after one initial run, saw little of the ball.

And it was predictably the visitors who came closest to the next goal as it took some brave goalkeeping by Seb Brown and resolute defending by Sam Hatton to deny Jayden Stockley.

The Dons finally achieved a shot on target with four minutes remaining but Kiernan's effort was comfortably saved by Ian Dunbavin.

This defeat means it is now eight league games without a win for the Dons who have slumped from third to seventeenth in the table. Even with 13 points separating them from a relegation place, the Dons will be hoping to pick up some points over the Christmas period to ease anxieties.

But with tough games at Rotherham (17 December) and at home to Oxford (26 December) and Southend (31 December), it could be anything but a festive season.

Attendance: 4,053

Wimbledon: Brown, Hatton, Gwillim, S. Moore, Stuart, McNaughton, Wellard (Jackson 78), Porter (Ademeno 46), Midson, Mulley, L. Moore (Kiernan 64). Subs not used: Turner, Mitchel-King.

Booked: Stuart 13, S. Moore 74.

Accrington Stanley: Dunbavin, Winnard, Hessey, Proctor, Lindfield, Joyce, McIntyre, Long, Stockley (Barnett 79), Amond, Hughes. Subs not used: Coid, Murdoch, Murphy, Dobie.

Goalscorers: Amond 3, Lindfield 24.

Booked: Lindfield 18, Hessey 60.

By Rob Crane

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December 11, 2011