Late strike gives AFC Wimbledon 1-0 win.
Jack Rudoni’s late goal saw AFC Wimbledon beat Gills 1-0 at Plough Lane on Tuesday evening.
Rudoni’s goal came in the 89th minute; the forward electing to cut in on his left foot and he directed a shot from 20 yards into the top corner.
Gills had a lot of possession around the AFC Wimbledon penalty area in the second half, and created a couple of good chances, but could not take advantage.
Steve Evans made three changes to the starting XI that beat Bristol Rovers on Saturday. Robbie McKenzie, Tom O’Connor and Vadaine Oliver replaced Callum Slattery, Alex MacDonald and Jordan Graham.
Graham and MacDonald both dropped to the bench, and Tyreke Johnson returned to the squad after missing out at the weekend.
The first shot of the game came in the 10th minute. John Akinde won a flick on, and it sat up for Olly Lee to try a half-volley on the halfway line. With the keeper off his line, he tried his luck, but it went high and wide of the goal.
In the 25th minute, O’Connor came close to giving Gills the lead. He curled a corner towards goal, and it took a Darnell Johnson header off the line to stop it from going in.
Ethan Chislett missed a huge chance in the 30th minute. A cross towards the back post was met by Robbie Cundy, and Chislett was first to meet the loose ball. However, he smashed his effort from six yards well over the crossbar.
AFC Wimbledon came incredibly close to taking the lead on the stroke of half-time. Ryan Longman did well to win the ball off Kyle Dempsey before getting past Ryan Jackson. He got inside the box before aiming a curled shot towards the far post. Jack Bonham got down to it and did well to get a strong hand on it to stop it from going into the back of the net.
HALF-TIME: AFC Wimbledon 0-0 Gillingham
Stuart O’Keefe and Jordan Graham were both half-time substitutes, and Graham tested Sam Walker immediately.
A Jackson throw was headed towards the edge of the penalty area, and a Wimbledon defender missed the clearance. It fell to the winger, and his effort forced a good save by Walker at his front post.
Graham continued to be at the heart of the early second-half action. His dinked cross was met by Cundy, but his flick towards goal went wide of the target.
Cundy came close again in the 59th minute. O’Keefe’s looping ball into the box was met by the centre-back. His header at goal left Walker scrambling, but it went just wide.
Vadaine Oliver had a huge chance in the 72nd minute. Akinde headed it down to Oliver, and his stab at goal from close range went wide of the post.
In the 89th minute, Jack Rudoni gave AFC Wimbledon the lead. Joe Pigott did well to carry the ball towards the edge of the penalty area. He laid it off to Rudoni, who created some space before blasting a shot from the edge of the area into the top corner.
FULL-TIME: AFC Wimbledon 1-0 Gillingham
Gillingham: Bonham, Jackson, Tucker, Cundy, Ogilvie, McKenzie (O’Keefe 46’), O'Connor (Johnson 84’), Lee (Graham 46’), Dempsey, Oliver, Akinde
Unused Substitutes: Bastien, Morton, MacDonald, Willock
AFC Wimbledon: Walker, Woodyard, Nightingale, Chislett (McLoughlin 81’), Rudoni, Guiness-Walker, Heneghan, Dobson, Johnson, Pigott, Longman (Osew 90’)
Unused Substitutes: Tzanev, O’Neill, Csoka, Alexander, Oksanen
Referee: Paul Howard