Football | AFC Wimbledon 2 - 0 Lincoln City

AFC Wimbledon registered their first three points of the new League One campaign.

The goals came from a Matty Stevens penalty and a well-taken Nathan Asiimwe strike.

Author | Kris Stuart

Stadium | Plough Lane

Players and fans celebrate

A closer look at what happened

AFC Wimbledon returned to competitive action at Plough Lane for the first time since May, greeted by a raucous home crowd eager for the new League One season to begin.

Johnnie Jackson made one change from the side that faced Luton Town in the season opener, with Marcus Browne coming into the starting line-up in place of Josh Kelly. The hosts began brightly, winning three successive corners in the opening exchanges. Myles Hippolyte twice tested Lincoln goalkeeper George Wickens with inswinging deliveries, while a third found the head of Joe Lewis, whose effort was comfortably saved.

Lincoln’s first real chance came when Jack Moylan fired over from distance, but the visitors’ task was made far harder midway through the first half. Adam Jackson was shown a straight red card for a studs-up challenge on Matty Stevens.

Wimbledon pressed with the man advantage, though Lincoln dropped deep to frustrate them. Steve Seddon’s cross from the left found Stevens, but the striker could not direct his header on target. The breakthrough came five minutes before the interval, when Sonny Bradley handled in the box after Nathan Asiimwe’s driving run and low cross. Stevens calmly converted the penalty for his first League One goal.

READ MORE | Latest AFC Wimbledon news and stories 

The striker might have doubled his tally before half-time, only to be denied by a recovering defender after being played through by Browne. After the restart, Wimbledon looked for a second, but a spell of over-commitment almost cost them. Lincoln broke in numbers, only for Isaac Ogundere and Lewis to snuff out the danger with a vital recovery.

AFC Wimbledon have a corner

Both sides made changes around the hour mark, with Antwoine Hackford and Danilo Orsi making their Plough Lane debuts from the bench. Lincoln’s best chance arrived with 20 minutes remaining, but substitute Ethan Hamilton headed wide from close range after Wimbledon failed to deal with a long throw.

The home side’s nerves were eased in the 77th minute. Ryan Johnson’s header dropped to Asiimwe, who swivelled and struck cleanly through a crowded penalty area to double the lead. Plough Lane erupted, and there might have been a third as Aron Sasu curled wide and Asiimwe went close again in stoppage time.

After five added minutes, referee Matthew Russell’s whistle confirmed Wimbledon’s first three points of the campaign, sending the home fans away in high spirits.