AFC Wimbledon 3-2 Bath City

The Dons’ eleventh win from twelve kept the league leaders six points in front after a thriller at Kingsmeadow.

But Wimbledon didn’t do it the easy way after a nerve-jangling ending to a match they should never have been in danger of blowing.

The points though were more important than the performance. This was another hurdle scaled by Terry Brown’s team missing key players against an improving side that seems sure to be in the play-off mix.

Over 3,000 saw the win that keeps the Dons in poll position despite rivals Chelmsford City and Hampton both winning.

It was a low-key first half that ended in a real moment of controversy.

City defender Steve Jones was adjudged to have fouled Jon Main in the dying moments of a timid first 45 minutes. Bath’s angry players surrounded referee Richard Kendall after the linesman flagged.

Main picked himself up to score from the penalty spot. It was his 28th goal of a dream season, and got Wimbledon the breakthrough the match needed.

Then on the hour mark it seemed to be game over. Elliott Godfrey crossed well and forced the visitors’ Chris Holland to turn passed his own keeper.

It seems Wimbledon are getting the breaks at the moment. That is a trademark of champions but their defending in the last ten minutes certainly wasn’t.

Substitute Dave Gilroy, the talented forward who has missed most of the season through injury, capitalised on some slack marking to head passed James Pullen to claw Bath back into the match.

It didn’t take long for the two-goal cushion to be restored. It happened in fine style, with Godfrey lobbing Steve Perrin to make it 3-1 in breathtaking fashion.

The first two Dons goals may have had an element of fortune about them, but this was a real moment of class from the playmaker.

But it wasn’t enough to prevent a heart-stopping final few minutes.

Pullen didn’t deal at all well with Mickey Haswell’s woeful backpass and Darren Edwards swept home from outside the box.

Substitute Tony Finn should have added a fourth in injury time but failed to apply the finish when through one-on-one.

After the match Bath City boss Adie Britton said the match official held his hands up and admitted he got the penalty decision wrong.

“I spoke to the ref at half-time,” the manager said. “He admitted he made a mistake. It’s no consolation to us – it has cost us points.

“He was in the best position, he saw it, but still took his lineman’s advice after he flagged for it. Because you get a few people to watch, you get those decisions.

“Our game plan went out of the window when he made that call. It’s really disappointing.”