League Two quality saw AFC Wimbledon knock out Weymouth and progress through to the FA Cup second round
AFC Wimbledon boss Johnnie Jackson believed that his side’s League Two quality was the difference in their 3-1 FA Cup first-round replay win over National League South outfit Weymouth.
The Dons took the lead in the 48th minute through Ayoub Assal. The former England U20 trainee collected Paris Maghoma’s quick free-kick inside the area and finished past Zaki Oualah with a curling shot.
Jackson’s side doubled their lead through Ethan Chislett in the 61st minute. Assal drove down the right and chipped a ball towards Harry Pell. The former Accrington Stanley man’s header was glanced towards goal, and substitute Chislett buried past Oualah.
Chislett doubled his tally and added a third for Wimbledon three minutes later. The South African slotted a cool finish past Oualah after playing an exchange of passes with Harry Pell and Alfie Bendle.
Brad Ash pulled one back through Brad Ash in the 78th minute. Tom Blair’s teasing ball towards the back post was met by Ash, who looped a header over Broome and into the back of the net.
But the Dons held on to secure a second-round tie against National League side Chesterfield.
Wimbledon are eight unbeaten in all competitions.
“I’m delighted to be through,” said Jackson.
“It was another tough game. Weymouth have been an absolute credit to themselves over the two ties – they have made it really, really difficult with two tough games.
“Our quality showed in the end, but we had to wait a long time for it. Give Weymouth all the credit in the world, but fair play to my players, they stuck in and in the end, we got it done.
“I wasn’t impressed with anyone in the first half. I thought we were poor. We had a chat at half time and made big improvements in the second half.
“We wanted to start fast and get the job done early, but we didn’t manage to do that. In the second half, we put the tie to bed in that 10-15 minute period.
“The response was good, but the first half not so much. In that period after half time, we showed our quality and we scored some really good goals.
“Weymouth made it tough – they caused us a lot of problems in the first half. You could argue that they probably could have deserved to go in leading and we had to hang in there.
“But that quality that we have – and rightly so with the level that we’re at – showed and won us the game.”
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