Wimbledon are back in League One after Myles Hippolyte’s first half goal fired them to promotion against Walsall under the Wembley Arch.
The former Stockport County man struck moments before half time with a stunning half volley to secure Johnnie Jackson a first promotion as a manager and send Wimbledon back to the third tier after a three-year absence.
Defeat for Walsall capped off a truly heartbreaking collapse, which had seen them throw away the 12-point lead they held at the top of table in mid-January, to fall agonisingly short of automatic promotion on the final day of the regular season.
Defeat at a rain swept Wembley this afternoon will only further rub salt into the wound for Matt Sadler’s men, who will spend their summer wondering how things could have gone so badly wrong.
Match Action
It always promised to be a tantalising battle between League Two‘s best defence, Wimbledon, and the division’s best attack, Walsall, but the first half was a decidedly cagey affair.
Wimbledon had most of the ball and a greater share of the opportunities during the opening half, however, until Hippolyte’s deadlock breaker, fierce strikes on goal were scarce.
Hippolyte had the first sighter after 20 minutes when he dragged a speculative long range effort wide, before Marcus Browne stung the palms of keeper Tommy Simkin with a decent drive.
Despite a tepid opening 45 minutes, the game’s decisive moment was a hit of true quality.
Just as the two sides looked destined to go into half-time locked in a stalemate, a Browne strike rebounded back to Hippolyte who angled the bouncing ball superbly, powering a low drive through a mass of bodies and into the bottom left hand corner.
The goal sparked raucous celebrations among the 30,000 Dons fans, who went into the break with more than a spring in their step.
Second Half
The Saddlers needed a reaction in the second half to have any hope of salvaging their season and they immediately started with far more intensity.
Just two minutes after the restart, captain Jamille Matt so nearly pulled the West Midlanders level.
The 35-year-old beat Dons keeper Owen Goodman to a cross and poked the ball goalwards; however just as it rolled towards the line, Riley Harbottle was on hand to hack a last gasp clearance away.
This flash of an opening seemed to spark the Walsall faithful into life and on the hour mark substitute Levi Amantchi bulldozered his way through the Dons defence, only to fire a week shot at Goodman from a decent position.
Amantchi and fellow second half sub, 37-year-old Albert Adomah, added an extra gear to the Saddlers attack but as time ticked by, an elusive equaliser appeared ever more remote.
In the closing moments a tantalising Liam Gordon cross flew just past Amantchi’s outstretched boot, before defender David Okagbue snatched at a bouncing ball in the box and blazed over.
A final minute onslaught towards the Wimbledon goal saw goalkeeper Simkin join the attack but as the rain lashed down in North West London, Wimbledon battened down the hatches to hold on for a result to remember.
READ MORE: Johnnie Jackson praises Myles Hippolyte after AFC Wimbledon win play-off final
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