Taylor Goal Not Enough To Earn Wimbledon A Shrewsbury Win


Wimbledon 1 v Shrewsbury Town 1

Lyle Taylor’s first goal of the season wasn’t enough to earn Wimbledon victory against Shrewsbury as the sides drew 1-1 at Kingsmeadow on Saturday (24 September).

Taylor struck with six minutes on the clock, capitalising on a familiar corner routine as Dean Parrett’s set-piece was drilled in low to where Taylor pounced to convert.

Playing with three in attack, the Dons continued to pose problems throughout the first period, with Parrett setting up Tom Elliott for an effort that was blocked.

But their hard work was undone in the first minute after the half-time break. Ian Black tried his luck from distance and was the recipient of good fortune as the ball took a deflection that left James Shea helpless to prevent the equaliser.

The Dons survived a wobbly period before emerging with renewed enthusiasm, Poleon forcing a point-blank save from Jayson Leutwiler in the Shrewsbury goal and Taylor also denied by the visiting goalkeeper after a good through-ball by Dannie Bulman.

Their hopes were boosted with eight minutes remaining on the clock when the visitors’ Ivan Toney received his second booking of the afternoon, for a raking challenge down the shin after Shea had kicked clear.

But although Poleon and Tyrone Barnett both forced Leutwiler into action, the Dons were left to rue their missed chances as the match ended all square.

‘It could and should have been three points,’ manager Neal Ardley told the club’s official website afterwards, ‘but by and large I was really pleased with the performance.

‘We’ve lost just once in six games now and there is a lot of good things with the work-rate and fitness of the boys. I hope the fans could see that we were positive in trying to win the game."

Wimbledon: Shea, Fuller, Charles, Robinson, Meades, Parrett (Barnett 74), Bulman, Reeves, Poleon, Elliott (Barcham 74), Taylor (Whelpdale 80). Subs not used: Fitzpatrick, Kelly, McDonnell, Robertson.

Goalscorer: Taylor 6.

Booked: Poleon 45.

Shrewsbury: Leutwiler, McGivern, Grimmer, El-Abd, Riley (Lancashire 81), Sarcevic, Black, O’Brien (Whalley 45), Brown, Toney, Leitch-Smith (Dodds 45). Subs not used: Mangan, Halstead, Waring, Ebanks-Blake.

Goalscorer: Black 46.

Booked: Toney 28, 82, Black 63, Lancashire 91.

Sent off: Toney 82.

Att: 4,318.

By Rob Crane

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October 8, 2016