Football | Notts County 0 - 1 AFC Wimbledon

How important will a one goal lead prove to be

AFC Wimbledon will take a narrow lead into the second leg of their League Two play-off semi-final after Riley Harbottle scored the only goal of an absorbing contest against Notts County at Meadow Lane.

Author - Kris Stuart

The defender rose to head home in a frenetic second half, giving the Dons something to defend at Plough Lane. The match ended on a sour note for the hosts as Alassana Jatta was shown a straight red card for a reckless challenge on Alistair Smith in stoppage time.

Notts had earlier seen a strong penalty appeal waved away when Conor Grant’s shot appeared to strike the hand of Joe Lewis. The incident came in a first half that saw both goalkeepers make impressive saves to keep the scores level.

Alex Bass denied Ryan Johnson with a sharp stop to his left, while Owen Goodman produced an equally fine save to thwart Grant. Grant had another clear chance when left unmarked in the box, but Goodman again kept him out before Harbottle swept the rebound clear as Jatta closed in.

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Harbottle later made the difference at the other end, nodding in from a Jake Reeves cross. Notts had their chances to respond. Jodi Jones struck the post and Grant saw a late effort cleared off the line by Josh Neufville, before Jatta’s dismissal capped a frustrating evening for the home side.

The result deepens a difficult spell for Notts, who have now lost five of their last seven matches. They had already ended the regular season to a chorus of boos following defeat to champions Doncaster Rovers, and head coach Stuart Maynard had urged his players to draw a line under the past 46 games ahead of the play-offs.

Meadow Lane only came alive in the 29th minute, when Grant’s volley brought appeals for a penalty after appearing to strike Lewis’s hand. Referee Thomas Kirk was unmoved, another in a series of officiating decisions that have stirred debate in this season’s play-offs.

The denied penalty seemed to ignite the contest. Wimbledon went close through Johnson’s header soon after, while Grant once again tested Goodman with a fierce low strike from a Matt Palmer pass.

Goodman’s save early in the second half to deny Grant again was arguably the best of the match, and Harbottle’s defensive instincts to cut out a cross bound for Jatta proved just as vital.

The Dons defender then made his mark in the opposite box, heading in what proved to be the winner. Jones clipped the woodwork in response and Goodman saved well once more as Grant’s close-range chance fell kindly for him.

Notts continued to press for a leveller. Veteran forward David McGoldrick worked tirelessly before limping off late on, and Grant remained central to the action. He went down under a challenge from Reeves before his goalbound strike was cleared off the line by Neufville in the 88th minute.

The final act came in the 95th minute, when Jatta flew into a challenge on Smith and was immediately dismissed. The striker will now miss Saturday’s second leg at Plough Lane, a crucial blow to Notts’ hopes of reaching the Wembley final on 26 May.