WEYMOUTH 1
Rose 70
AFC WIMBLEDON 1
Assal 5
WEYMOUTH were desperately unlucky not to cause an FA Cup first round shock in a pulsating 1-1 draw with AFC Wimbledon at the Bob Lucas Stadium.
Ayoub Assal had put the visitors into a fifth-minute lead but Weymouth took a firm grip of the tie thereafter against League Two opposition.
Ahkeem Rose fired home a free-kick in the second half as the vociferous home support erupted behind the goal.
And the hosts stormed forward late on, creating numerous chances without earning a winner that few could have argued they merited.
READ MORE: Weymouth 1-1 AFC Wimbledon - how it happened
They have instead earned a replay at Plough Lane in mid-November.
Weymouth boss Bobby Wilkinson made two changes to the side that began the 3-0 loss to Dartford last Saturday.
Ben Gerring (cup-tied) and Cam Murray (bench) made way, with Tom Blair and Nathan Carlyle returning to the starting XI.
On the bench, Murray was joined by under-23 stars Matty Burrows and Frankie Monk, plus attacking options in Tyler Forbes and Josh Oyinsan.
There was also a return to the club for ex-player/manager Jason Matthews, listed among the substitutes.
Weymouth had new signing Hari McCoy, a right winger by trade, in the dugout but Exeter City loanee centre-back Ed James was not in the squad.
Prior to kick-off, players and fans observed an immaculate minute’s applause for Terras’ fans Sam Carter, Gerald Mabb and Will Mitchell, who recently passed away.
However, in the first meeting of the sides since AFC Wimbledon formed in 2002, it took the visitors less than five minutes to score.
Playing the ball into driving rain, Harry Pell’s simple ball over the top unhinged Weymouth’s defence and Assal held off the attentions of Dan Matsuzaka before lifting the ball over ex-Dons keeper Zaki Oualah and into the bottom-right corner.
Weymouth responded by getting into good positions in wide areas, Keelan O’Connell crossing too close to Dons’ keeper Nikola Tzanev and the ex-Torquay man then not clearing the first man with a free-kick.
As they searched for a leveller, Weymouth had their first big chance on 14 minutes when Teddy Howe’s swirling cross picked out Harry Kyprianou, only for the left-back to slice horribly.
Weymouth’s first shot on target came courtesy of Ahkeem Rose in the 19th minute, the Jamaican supplied after strong work from Brad Ash, before firing a near-post shot at Tzanev.
Oualah survived a nervy moment with Assal nearly catching him out and Wales international Chris Gunter blazed over as the Dons had their best moments since the goal.
Arguably Weymouth’s biggest chance of the half fell to Howe, the right-back allowed to drift in from the right into the box before losing his balance and aiming a tame shot at Tzanev, Ash also getting a toe to it.
AFC Wimbledon wasted two corners but the next big moment came on the stroke of half-time as O’Connell’s corner appeared to strike Josh Davison on the arm, referee Sam Allison waving play on despite deafening penalty appeals from the Weymouth faithful.
Moments after the second half began, Carlyle’s clearance was charged down by Assal with Oualah falling on the loose ball just in time.
But Weymouth soon began to regain the initiative as O’Connell blazed over, Matsuzaka headed at Tzanev and Rose had a shot blocked by Gunter.
Wimbledon could only offer an overhit Paris Maghoma free-kick, gobbled up by Oualah, while Carlyle guided a decent chance wide under pressure.
Weymouth had the visitors rattled as Kyprianou won a cheap free-kick, only half-cleared to Blair whose cross found O’Connell and his header forced Tzanev into a full-length diving catch.
AFC Wimbledon introduced 17-year-old Alfie Bendle and David Fisher for Maghoma and Courtney Senior with 29 minutes to go in a sign of Weymouth’s dominance.
And on 70 minutes the hosts got the goal their positive play deserved when Kyprianou was felled cheaply and Rose drilled the free-kick underneath the wall and in via the fingertips of Tzanev to ignite the raucous fans behind the goal.
The Dons, showing signs of becoming overwhelmed by Weymouth’s play, staged a rare attack 16 minutes from time, ending with Davison curling just wide of the far post.
Weymouth continued to pour forward after the equaliser, Blair curling a free-kick at Tzanev and Howe wildly blasting over a loose ball.
The Terras piled in on the Dons late on as O’Connell tested Tzanev with a dipper and Tom Bearwish’s volley took a wicked deflection through a crowded box.
However, Weymouth could not earn the winner they so richly deserved, but must take enormous credit for taking the tie to a replay at Plough Lane.
Terras: Oualah, Howe, Kyprianou, Carlyle, Matsuzaka, McBurnie, Bearwish, Blair, Ash, O'Connell, Rose (Murray 78). Subs not used: Oyinsan, McCoy, Burrows, Matthews, Forbes, Monk.
AFC Wimbledon: Tzanev, Gunter, Woodyard, Pell, Davison (Bartley 90+1), Assal, Towler, Maghoma (Bendle 61), Senior (Fisher 61), Currie, Kalambayi. Subs not used: Broome, Marsh, Biler, Ogundere, Lahan, Sasu.
Referee: Sam Allison
Attendance: 2,934
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