AFC Wimbledon 1-1 Altrincham

Altrincham made no apologies for their negative style of play as they came away from Kingsmeadow with the point that blunts the Dons play-off hopes.

The visitors rarely attacked with just Blue Square Premier player of the month Chris Senior up front.

He scored from the penalty spot six minutes after half-time. Senior was given the chance after the returning Derek Duncan’s needless challenge on Chris Denham.

Ben Judge levelled things up after Alty made life difficult for the hosts. The defender headed in with 14 minutes left on the clock with Will Hendry twice coming close before they made the breakthrough.

And manager Terry Brown said: “We know what Altrincham are all about – I’ve managed against Graham Heathcote’s side for over ten years!

“They came with a game plan with Senior on his own up top and everyone else behind the ball. They’re extremely tough to break down and make it impossible to create space in the midfield.

“I haven’t seen the stats but I guess they had one or two shots on target at best.

“But to be fair their two central defenders did what you rarely see, and that’s get the better of Danny (Kedwell) and Nathan Elder. Our front boys didn’t have a cutting edge today.

“I couldn’t see them scoring in a million years but we gave them an awful penalty.”

The Chester-less table gives Wimbledon hope still of reaching the play-offs but this was two points surrendered against a side so easily beaten in the FA Trophy at Kingsmeadow in January.

Alty assistant manager Ken McKenna said that match was on their minds heading to London for the second time.

He said: “It was nice to come back to the ground where we went out of the FA Trophy and put in a very good performance. That night two months ago we felt very hard done by and it was a bad result.

“In football you work with what you are given. You can’t come here and chuck man after man forward.

“Wimbledon are a very good side and we came to keep it tight and try to nick one if we could. To have any chance of a result we had to play a certain way I’m afraid. There are no apologies from us!”