AFC Wimbledon 3-0 MK Dons: FLW report as hosts secure historic win | OneFootball

FLW report live from the Cherry Red Records Stadium

AFC Wimbledon have moved top of League Two with a famous 3-0 victory over MK Dons at the Cherry Red Records Stadium – securing back-to-back wins over their fierce rivals for the first time ever.

Miles Hippolyte's 11th-minute strike gave the hosts a deserved lead at the break and Callum Maycock's late brace secured the points late on after Johnnie Jackson's side had battled hard to hold off MK and protect their lead.

A third win on the bounce in League Two has left Wimbledon top of the table at full time – a position they're likely to lose after Saturday afternoon's fixtures.

As for MK, that's four defeats in six league games and six in all competitions in 2024/25 as Mike Williamson continues to struggle in his first full season at the helm.

AFC Wimbledon 3-0 MK Dons

This game and what it means to both clubs needs to introduction and it took less than three minutes for things to get physical – Hippolyte barreling through the back of Tommy Leigh much to the joy of the home support. The game's first attempt followed a few minutes later, again the hosts moving first though Omar Bugiel's edge-of-the-box effort lacked the pace to trouble Tom McGill.

McGill was called into proper action not long after, going full stretch to tip Hippolyte's low shot onto the post and behind after MK Dons had coughed up possession needlessly.

Next time, the Wimbledon midfielder would not be denied. A passback offered the hosts an opportunity in the form of one of football's wonderful obscurities, an indirect free-kick inside the penalty area, in the 11th minute, which Hippolyte hammered home from 10 years out.

A goal down and with the home support in great voice, the visitors were wobbling and Jackson's side went close to doubling their lead in the 22nd minute when Joe Lewis rose to meet a James Tilley free-kick, a reward for some brilliant work by Omar Bugiel, but the defender's header floated high over the target.

In a half that was mostly one-way traffic, MK Dons' moments were few and far between. Wimbledon's on-loan Crystal Palace goalkeeper Owen Goodman went full stretch to push a dangerous cross wide midway through the half and was there to sweep up after Aaron Nemane drove into the box just before the break.

The key positive for Williamson's side at the half was that the deficit was only one but a gear shift would be needed if they were to make the most of that fact after the restart. A wayward pass from McGill inside the opening 30 seconds, which crashed into the advertising boards, suggested we could be in for more of the same but the visitors grew into the game in the next quarter of an hour.

They were handed a boost just before the hour as Wimbledon captain Jake Reeves, who was outstanding in the first half, was replaced minutes after he'd been down receiving treatment with Callum Maycock on in his place.

With MK Dons controlling possession, the home side had shifted deeper to protect their 1-0 lead, something they've done well in the initial weeks of the 2024/25 campaign, but fired a warning shot as we entered the final 30 minutes of the game as Hippolyte stung McGill's palms with a long-range strike.

It was the visitors that were looking the more likely to supply the game's second goal and Joe Tomlinson came within inches of an equaliser in the 68th minute – rattling the post with a header after ghosting into the box to connect with a curling cross.

The absence of Reeves all too obvious, MK Dons were piling on the pressure, spending long spells camped in their opponent's half, but still they struggled to really test Goodman.

In the end, their pressing for a goal would prove their downfall. A quick Wimbledon break saw Joe Pigott put it on a plate for fellow substitute Josh Kelly, who failed to connect. Luckily Maycock arrived to spare his teammate's blushes and smash home a second in the xth minute.

10 minutes of added time meant all was not lost for Williamson's side but this afternoon belonged to the Dons of South West London as in the seventh minute of stoppage time, Maycock swept home Kelly's cross to make it 3-0.

A victory that will do down in Wimbledon folklore and one that leaves them top of League Two – if only for a few hours.

FULL TIME: AFC WIMBLEDON 3-0 MK DONS

AFC Wimbledon player ratings

Owen Goodman - 7

Riley Harbottle - 8

Joe Lewis - 8

Isaac Ogundere - 7

Josh Neufville - 6

Alistair Smith - 7 (James Ball (79) - 6)

Jake Reeves - 8 (Callum Maycock (56) - 8)

Myles Hippolyte - 9

James Tilley - 7 (James Furlong (80) - 6)

Omar Bugiel - 7 (Joe Pigott (72) - 7)

Mat Stevens - 6 (Josh Kelly (72) - 7)

Unused subs: Lewis Ward, John-Joe O'Toole

MK Dons player ratings

Tom McGill - 7

Laurence Maguire - 6

Luke Offord - 6

Callum Tripp - 6

Aaron Nemane - 6 (Ellis Harrison (83) - 6)

Connor Lemonheigh-Evans - 6

Liam Kelly - 5

Joe Tomlinson - 6

Tommy Leigh - 5 (Stephen Wearne (56) - 6)

Alex Gilbey - 5 (Joe White (72) - 7)

Callum Hendry - 5 Sonny Finch (71) - 5)

Unused subs: Nathan Harness, Jack Tucker, MJ Williams,

Attendance

The attendance at the Cherry Red Records Stadium for AFC Wimbledon v MK Dons was 7,921.

That includes 705 travelling supporters.

Johnnie Jackson post-match reaction

"It felt good," Jackson told the press after the game. "It felt good because of the significance of the game, it felt good because it's another three points.

"Our ultimate objective is bigger than just today, we want to get out of the league and today it's important that we added to our tally. It obviously puts us in a good position. It was just trying to make sure that we turned up and gave supporters a performance that they can be proud of and get behind but also having that focus on it being a game of football that we're trying to win."

"I thought the subs were brilliant today," he added. "The way that they were ready and came on, impacted the game and got us over the line. We had to suffer at times, they're a good team. They built up a lot of pressure and momentum so it was important that we got the subs right and at the right time. You dream they'll have the impact they did."

Mike Williamson post-match reaction

Speaking to the press after the gane, Williamson said: "From the first moment to 65 minutes it was completely unacceptable. We didn't pick up second balls, I don't think we made many first contacts. We played with a lot of fear in us and that was what was the main disappointment.

"The goal is the goal, it's a tackle, it's gone through and the referee has given it. I'm not here to make excuses because for 20-25 minutes we played our football and showed a bit of personality but on the whole, that was unacceptable."

He added: "There's never any excuses. For me, that was unacceptable. The players have said it in there, we feel it, that was unacceptable for the fans. I don't like to apologise to fans, I really don't like it because we don't go out there to not give 100% and the boys did. It starts and ends with me. I take full responsibility for that and I always will.

"The boys were desperate to come here and put a performance in and that's not through a lack of trying or effort. There are other factors that go into that and it's up to me to understand it and make sure that we correct it."