AFC Wimbledon 2-0 Notts County (EFL League Two) 08.03.2025)

An abject performance from Stuart Maynard’s promotion-chasing Notts County would see them fall to defeat on Saturday afternoon, and stretch their current run to one win in their last six outings.

Travelling to another of the promotion-chasing sides, Johnnie Jackson’s AFC Wimbledon, the two sides went into this on the back of some poor form of late, the Dons having not won in their previous four outings themselves.

However, it was to be a laboured showing from County, they mustering very little attacking threat throughout the ninety minutes as home shot-stopper, Owen Goodman, a revelation for most of the season in the Dons goal, was rarely troubled.

At the other end meanwhile, County ‘keeper, Alex Bass, spent last season on-loan at the Cherry Red Records Stadium, before heading to the Magpies in the summer when he signed from parent club, Sunderland.

Bass would find himself twice in the first half picking the ball out of the back of his net, and called into action on numerous occasions, the hosts looking to return themselves to their earlier season, promotion form.

James Tilley swung in a deep cross from the left which evaded the Stags defence, and found Joe Lewis lurking at the back post, the Welsh defender heading home at the back-post to give the hosts a deserved lead, after twenty-one minutes.

That lead was doubled ten minutes before the break when Alistair Smith, on-loan from League One side Lincoln City, let fly from the edge of the box, his right-footed thunderbolt sailing past Bass and into the top corner.

The hosts had numerous chances in which to extend their lead, fortunately for the visitors that failed to materialise as their best chance, and only chance, fell to Alassana Jatta with ten minutes remaining.

A blocked effort from George Abbott fell kindly to Jatta who took aim from close-range, smashing a left-footed effort towards goal which, somehow, caught Goodman in the Dons net, and flew back out off the home crossbar, he wrapping up another clean-sheet in style.

For County however, the loss saw them slip to fifth in the table, their hosts leapfrogging them into fourth place, whilst Port Vale moved level on points (see below); Maynard’s side travel to Grimsby Town on Tuesday (11 March) night, before back-to-back home games against Chesterfield (15 March) and Crewe Alexandra (22 March).

Magpies: Alex Bass, Zak Johnson (Rodney McDonald 46), Matty Platt, Jacob Bedeau, Jack Hinchy (Lewis Macari 46), Nick Tsaroulla (Kellan Gordon 91), George Abbott, Matthew Palmer, Conor Grant (Curtis Edwards 91), Alassana Jatta, Charlie Whitaker (Will Jarvis 67).

*Article provided by Peter Mann (Senior Correspondent).

*Main image @DanWestwell a bad day at the office for Notts in South London.