Media hype for the FA Cup is normally at fever pitch but for Sunday's affair at stadium:mk the hype stretched to more than the chance to progress one stage towards Wembley.
Coverage of the third round tie the winners got - a trip to face Championship strugglers Sheffield Wednesday - is likely to be minimal in comparison to the circus accompanying this one. But then MK Dons vs AFC Wimbledon was never going to pass by under the radar.
The history of the teams in the tie always ensured baggage. Many people will never recognise MK Dons as anything more than a bastardised version of the old Wimbledon - something Pete Winkleman seems set to accept. In contrast AFC Wimbledon have dominated coverage, with endless articles about their progression and their feelings of being wronged by the FA among others.
Their progression is certainly remarkable, with the team taking nine years to progress from the Combined Counties League to the Football League. While this doesn't exactly fit with their narrative of "starting from the bottom" - they would have started 15 tiers lower if they had - it is still exemplary progress and a testament to their supporters' determination to get back to where they were.
The formation came when they red an FA report that re-establishing a team in Wimbledon would be "not in the wider interests in football". While it has been hinted this phrase was about having a Milton Keynes team put in the same tier as a new Wimbledon team from the off, this was nevertheless a banner adopted for their rise.
No matter who's right the old Wimbledon FC was on it's knees - by the time the broken husk of a team eventually moved to Milton Keynes in 2003 it had been homeless since 1991, been deserted by fans angry at the proposals to move north and was a dead club noone wanted to be associated with.
Little has changed for MK Dons since they rebranded, who remain football's most hated and are still in League One, albeit challenging for promotion rather than the relegation struggle they had in 2004-05. AFC Wimbledon are adjusting to life in League Two but in contrast are finding league life a struggle, with some fans arguably more interested in an upcoming relegation six pointer against fellow Londoners Barnet the week after.
This match, then, was an oddity - a game between a team most people would rather not existed against a team that wouldn't have existed but for an FA panel's report goading them to do so.
In the stadium, the atmosphere was buzzing - words not normally associated with MK Dons matches. But despite the hype, the bulk of the first half was as much about the crowd as the action. A handful of home chances that didn't really bother Wombles keeper Neil Sullivan and a few fruitless away attacks was the only football of note for the bulk of the first half.
The crowd was more atmospheric, with chants - some vulgar, like "You franchise bastards, you know what you are", some pilfered, like "Always the victims, it's never your fault", some amusing if a tad inaudible, like "Where were you when you were us?" - batted to and fro like a badminton rally.
Particularly impressive was the plane flown overhead with a larger version of the "We Are Wimbledon" banners that the away fans had bought comically small versions of. This sent the away end into raptures and the home end into a few sarcastic retorts of "Who are ya".
But despite the crowd providing a spark, the play failed to as much. MK Dons were impressive passing the ball around but, like Arsenal, lacked a cutting edge beyond the rigidly organised AFC Wimbledon defenders.
This was basically a game between two lower league sides, which are at times hardly known for their artistry. However a strike of impressive craft did fly in just moments before half-time. The ball was worked into MK's highly rated defensive midfielder Stephen Gleeson, who opted to take a crack from 35 yards. His strike flew from his boot into the top corner, with the devilish swerve that Sullivan would have required elasticated arms to keep out.
"You're getting beat by a franchise" sung the home fans with gusto, as Wimbledon heads begun to drop a little. The second half, in contrast, begun with a bit more chances. Dean Lewington saw a free-kick expertly tipped over by Sullivan, while Ryan Lowe and Dean Bowditch hit the side netting with efforts as MK threatened a second.
The home side had threatened to get the killer second and bury the match as a contest. But then, Wimbledon crept up the pitch and levelled. A well engineered move saw Jack Midson release loan signing Tom Ajala, before the striker dived in to meet the cross and level the tie.
Wimbledon fans' excitement threatened to boil over as they invaded the pitch, to a chorus of boos from the home side. But they had the moment they had come - a goal at the home of the franchise.
This stunted MK's rhythm, although it almost came back when the impressive sub Zeli Ismael crossed for Lowe to bundle home. However the home fans' joy was instantly cancelled by the offside flag, much to the delight of the away end.
A replay soon enough seemed the likely probability, but Wimbledon thought they had won it when a mistake in the MK defence let in Steven Gregory. The loan signing from Bournemouth let fly with an effort on goal but by the narrowest of margins ex-Wimbledon FC goalkeeper David Martin got a finger on it to tip it round the post and prevent what would've been a winner for the visitors.
This proved even more decisive just moments later. MK burst up the field to win a corner, which AFC had cleared. Ismael struck it in to a crowded area where two players were squabbling on the edge of the six yard box. Just outside this box stood full back Jon Otsemembor, who nonchalantly stuck out his right foot. The ball hit the back of the foot, looped up and into the net to decide the game.
Once again spectators were on the pitch, if a tad half-heartedly and still receiving the boos. But this had no bearing on the result as MK held on to secure a victory in this match.
On the pitch, the best team arguably won and Milton Keynes will point to this. In contrast, Wimbledon will see a moral victory and the fact their opponents required a brilliant strike and a slightly fortunate one to get the victory.
The hype for trouble was minimal, although the game wasn't all clean - reports of damage to seats and vendors in the away end, and the arrest of three AFC fans reflected badly on them. But the game struggled as much with the hype - articles about boycotts quickly became obsolete when it was revealed they bought more fans than they usually get at home games.
Neutrals were quick to paint the result as a "victory for all that is wrong with football" but the first meeting of the two sides was nevertheless a reasonable match. Wimbledon certainly did themselves proud with a good performance and came within a fraction of a replay, but with the game out the way it feels like a relief.
How long it is until they meet again is anyone's guess. It's unlikely the game will lead to an actual rivalry in the same way derbies or mutual hatreds do but a second meeting will be an interesting comparison the hysteria that accompanied this one. But until then dwelling on the result will be unhealthy for both clubs and their supporters - MK have a promotion battle and AFC's attention must turn to avoiding a first ever relegation.
So in the meantime, the game has happened and the history, hype and opinions have been pontificated on. Now it's all over, it's time to move on... until the next time.
No comments:
Post a Comment