Sweeney Sees Red As Dons Suffer Morecambe Defeat

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Morecambe 2 v Wimbledon 1

Wimbledon suffered their second sending off in as many games as their play-off hopes took a dent, losing 2-1 at Morecambe on Saturday 12 March.

Young defender Ryan Sweeney was shown a red card for his foul in the 79th minute that conceded a penalty, converted by Jamie Devitt to put the home side 2-0 ahead.

And although George Francomb pulled one back for the Dons in the final minute, it was the home side that took all the points.

The match started in low-key fashion for the visitors, with the home side threatening through Kevin Ellison and Tom Barkhuizen, the latter forcing a good save from Kelle Roos.

It wasn’t until approaching the break that the Dons started to exert much influence, with a Francomb cross only just missed by Andy Barcham and debutant Rhys Murphy.

Home keeper Barry Roche was then forced to save from Lyle Taylor, and Murphy’s follow-up found the back of the net but was disallowed for offside.

And the half rounded off with Murphy again in the action, running through to latch on to a Jake Reeves through ball but shooting just off target.

The Dons continued to fashion chances in the second period, with Roche again in action to save from first Barry Fuller and then substitute Sean Rigg, but still the breakthrough would not come.

And they were made to pay after 76 minutes when Shaun Miller seemed to have half the Wimbledon team surrounding him but was still able to advance down the left. His deflected cross fell to Andy Fleming and the Morecambe man made no mistake with his finish to put the hosts 1-0 up.

The Dons responded, with Taylor striking the post after being put through by Dannie Bulman, but just minutes later it was 2-0. Barkhuizen latched on to a through ball, charged into the box and rounded Roos, but Sweeney’s intervention prompted a penalty decision and a red card, adding to the Bayo Akinfenwa’s sending off against Bristol Rovers in midweek. Devitt made no mistake from the spot.

Wimbledon pulled one back through Francomb, who was teed up on the edge of the area and made no mistake with an assured finish, and amazingly they almost snatched an equaliser as Taylor again forced Roche into action and substitute Ade Azeez volleyed the rebound wide.

Despite five minutes of added on time, that unlikely equaliser proved elusive and the Dons went down to defeat. 

Morecambe: Roche, Beeley, Edwards, Doyle (Parrish 71), Conlan, Kenyon, Goodall (Fleming 68), Barkhuizen, Devitt, Ellison, Miller (Mullin 83). Subs not used: McGowan, Molyneux, Wilson, O’Hara.

Goalscorers: Fleming 76, Devitt (pen) 80.

Booked: Fleming 77.

Wimbledon: Roos, Fuller, Robinson, Sweeney, Meades, Francomb, Reeves, Bulman, Barcham (Rigg 45), Taylor, Murphy (Azeez 75). Subs not used: Shea, Kennedy, Fitzpatrick, Gallagher, Kalambayi.

Goalscorer: Francomb 90.

Booked: Meades 72, Reeves 83.

Sent off: Sweeney 79.

Att: 1,477.

By Rob Crane

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March 13, 2016