2025 finished in disappointment for AFC Wimbledon as visitors Exeter City claimed the three points in a tight Sky Bet League One encounter.
Although Exeter started the day in twenty-second place in the table, there were only five points between them and Barnsley in ninth, with the hosts also on twenty-eight points yet down in fourteenth. The Dons’ manager, Johnnie Jackson, changed his front two from their Boxing Day goal-less draw at home to Stevenage Borough and set up with a three-one-four-two formation aiming to end their win-less going back to October.
Both sides started cagily with the hosts having the only real sight of goal in the first twenty minutes when Jake Reeves blasted a free kick into the defensive wall after Callum Maycock had been bundled over on the edge of the penalty area.
Sadly for the hosts’ Aron Sasu, was unable to run off an injury sustained earlier and was replaced by Marcus Browne just shy of the half hour mark. He almost made an immediate impact when catching Luca Woodhouse in possession to bear down on goal but Joe Whitworth got down well to hold his firm shot.
However, it was Exeter who went ahead eight minutes before the break. Ilmari Niskanen found space on the right and Jayden Wareham got in front of his man to meet it with a header that was guided inside the far post.
Wareham looped another header over early in the second period then Reece Cole struck a low free kick that was very well held by Bishop. He had an easier save to make soon after from an Ethan Brierley shot.
Midway through the second half the Dons thought that they levelled when Omar Bugiel’s header was not cleared and it eventually came back to him to head home but the referee spotted an infringement and it was disallowed.
Although the Dons pushed for a leveller, only a Myles Hippolyte shot, that flew well over, threatened the Exeter defence until the last ten minutes. Wimbledon then threw men forward and the Grecians had a chance on the break when Jack Aitchinson’s shot was saved by Bishop.
Joe Lewis headed wide for the Dons before nine additional minutes were signalled.
Browne missed a great chance from fifteen yards before Whitworth got down well to push a misplaced defensive back header round the post.
Five yellow cards were shown in the closing two minutes as the game became fractious before the referee ended proceedings with the hosts again frustrated.
AFC Wimbledon: Bishop, Ogundere, Lewis, Johnson; Reeves; Asiimwe (Hackford 46), Maycock (Hippolyte 64), Smith (Orsi 88), Seddon; Stevens (Bugiel 64), Sasu (Browne 29). Subs not used: McDonnell, Bauer.
