Rotherham United 2 AFC Wimbledon 2 – Appiah times for Dons as they secure point at leaders

BY DAVE HUNT-JACKSON

Substitute Kwesi Appiah rescued a deserved point for AFC Wimbledon with an injury time penalty after League One leaders Rotherham looked to have turned a half-time deficit into three points.

Boss Glyn Hodges made three changes to the team that drew with Ipswich on Tuesday with Anthony Hartigan, Mitch Pinnock and Rod McDonald dropping to the bench to make way for Scott Wagstaff, Mads Bech Sorensen and Jack Rudoni.

The Dons started brightly with Scott Wagstaff playing a captain’s role. Having had a goal disallowed for a marginal offside he was then denied a penalty – nothing given after he was shoved over in the box.

With Rotherham looking by far the better side it was very much against the run of play when Max Sanders’ superb 30-yard strike found the top corner of Daniel Iversen’s net.

To the delight of the 248 Dons supporters who had braved the weather and reached Yorkshire despite the travel delays the Dons somehow weathered a storm of their own and took the precious lead into the break.

The second half started as the first had ended with the Dons having to defend for their lives as Rotherham turned the screw in their search for the equaliser.

That equaliser in the end was inevitable although the manner was disappointing as a long ball over the top was gathered by Kyle Vassell and despite the presence of both Sorensen and Luke O’Neill he was able to feed Matt Crooks who gave Joe Day no chance.

With the swirling wind in their sails the Millers were always going to be tough to stop and substitute Freddie Ladapo was the man to eventually profit after a series of near misses as his volley was too powerful for Day.

That looked to be that, but the Dons picked themselves up and following a corner referee Salisbury spotted a foul on Joe Pigott which Appiah gleefully thrashed high into the hosts’ net.

PHOTOS BY SEAN GOSLING