The lowdown on AFC Wimbledon 4 Carlisle 0 – Flawless homecoming for Dons as Stevens nets hat-trick and Tilley’s left foot causes havoc

AFC Wimbledon thrashed Carlisle United 4-0 at home on Saturday afternoon to get back to winning ways in League Two.

Matty Stevens netted a hat-trick as Johnnie Jackson’s side played their first game back at Plough Lane since the flooding caused damage to the pitch before their EFL Cup clash against Newcastle in mid-September.

Here is the lowdown on the match:

THE LINE-UPS

Wimbledon: Goodman, Tilley, Ball, Ogundere [Johnson 89], Harbottle, Neufville [Biler 75], Maycock, Hippolyte [Furlong 89}, Smith, Bugiel [Pigott 71] Stevens [Kelly 71].

Subs: Ward, O’Toole.

Carlisle: Lewis, Davies [Robinson 45], Harper, Lavelle, Wyke [Armstrong 45], Biggins, Vela [Charters 63], Neal, Mellish, Sadi [Guy 63], Barclay.

Subs: Breeze, Ellis, Dudik.

SNAPSHOT OF THE GAME

Wimbledon took the early lead when James Tilley swung in a corner after seven minutes and Matty Stevens was left unmarked to head past Harry Lewis.

The Dons should have doubled their lead when Stevens played through Omar Bugiel in the 27th minute, but after beating the final Carlise defender, the striker blazed his shot wide.

Ex-Forest Green forward Stevens doubled Wimbledon’s lead in the 39th minute – finishing off after Alistair Smith’s shot from distance was pushed straight into his path by Carliise stopper Lewis.

Tilley once again caused chaos with a set-piece just before half-time – his corner in added time being turned home into his own net by Cameron Harper.

Stevens netted his hat-trick just after half-time when Tilley whipped in a tantalising ball to the back post and the striker crept in to head past Lewis.

TACTICAL APPROACH

With Joe Lewis out for up to a month with the injury he picked up at Salford, midfielder by trade James Ball was filling in at central centre-back, with Riley Harbottle and Isaac Ogundere completing the back three.

Jake Reeves’ absence meant that Callum Maycock, who scored a brace in the 3-0 win over Milton Keynes the last time Wimbledon played at home on September 14, was handed a starting spot in the league.

Carlisle boss Mike Williamson likes to play a brand of football where they play out from the back – and Wimbledon continued to punish them at any opportunity in the first half.

The visitors lost possession 11 times in their own half, with Hippolyte and Stevens pressing the life out of their back three.

BEST MOMENT

Stevens’ hat-trick. 

After a few weeks of turbulence at Plough Lane following the River Wanlde bursting its banks and damaging the stadium and pitch – causing games to be postponed and money to be spent on repairs, Stevens’ hat-trick goal in the 50th minute was a fine reward for all the hard work that has gone on to get football back on once again.

The striker has been chased on a handful of transfer windows by Johnnie Jackson – and he is showing why the Dons moved so quickly to snap him up this summer.

STAR MAN

James Tilley. The left wing-back was outstanding in the first half. 

Tilley set up Stevens for his first with a cross from a corner and also whipped in the set piece that saw Cameron Harper turn the ball into his own net.

He carried on being a problem for the Carlisle defence in the second half – setting up Stevens for his hat-trick with a lovely cross that bamboozled the entire Carlisle defence and allowed Stevens to score his hat-trick.

The former Crawley midfielder has not had the easiest of time at Wimbledon since flying in the first part of last season, but he has found a way of fitting into the system at left wing-back.

A TALKING POINT DOWN THE PUB

James Ball at centre-back. 

With Joe Lewis out for the next few weeks and Ryan Johnson only just returning to the matchday squad following a serious hamstring injury, James Ball was handed the starting role as the central centre-back in the back three.

While the Dons defence had a relatively quiet afternoon, the midfielder made an excellent intervention in the 69th to stop Carlisle from getting on the scoresheet – throwing a leg at Ben Barclay’s header over Owen Goodman after the Crystal Palace loanee failed to clear the danger.

Ball made five clearances and two blocks during the 90 minutes.

WHAT THE BOSS HAD TO SAY

“We can’t get too much better than that.

“We maybe could have had a few more goals, but we have scored four and kept a clean sheet.

“The all-round performance – with and without the ball – was outstanding.

“We have made a good opposition look very ordinary today. We’re strong here [at Plough Lane].

“We’re a tough team to play against. We spoke about making this place like that. When we first came back here as a club, we didn’t have that. Now we do.”

PICTURES: KYLE ANDREWS