AFC Wimbledon 0–2 Gateshead
The Wombles had a dream…and now it’s over.
There’s something about the FA Cup that makes Wimbledon fans forget recent history. We tell ourselves this tim it’ll be different. That we’ll turn up against non-league opposition. Maybe make the 3rd round and even draw someone glamorous.
Instead, we got a not-unpredictable Saturday Stinker at Plough Lane. Gateshead came down south and politely escorted us out of the competition.
It wasn’t the plucky, giant-killing kind of loss. It was the slow, sensible kind the one where you realise halfway through that the opposition are better organised, more confident, and probably enjoyed their coach trip more than we enjoyed the match.
The Team
Johnnie Jackson shuffled the deck. Joe Lewis returned from injury, which is always good news until he tries an overhead kick and loses another rib. Aron Sasu earned a start after a promising cameo last week. Asiimwe given a rest, or maybe a sabbatical to contemplate why the football gods hate the FA Cup.
We heard McCoy-Splatt was due a start to give Reeves © a rest but arrived late after being delayed at Tesco buying his meal deal because he lost his club card. So he was benched. We hope the chicken caesar wrap was worth it.
The Match
The script started well. A few early half-chances. A Harbottle charge through midfield that ended somewhere near Wandsworth. Smith pinged one from distance. Bugiel wrestled with the laws of physics and came second.
Then came the inevitable plot twist: Gateshead’s first real attack, a crisp counter, a calm finish. The kind of goal that makes you wonder if our defensive line had gone for a tea break.
Wimbledon’s response was decent but toothless. Sasu darted and crossed, Smith lurked and shot, Brooks saved.
The second half was more of the same with slightly worse body language. Within minutes, Bishop palmed away a shot only for them to tap in the rebound.
From there, we huffed, puffed, and watched Myles Hippolyte curl one so wide it nearly hit a bloke queuing for churros in the fan park.
The whistle came, the stadium emptied, and the dream was over for another year.
What the Fans Are Saying
On Discord, a poster claimed “there were two Cup exits at Plough Lane.” The first was the FA Cup. The second came when the poster witnessed a DTB member dropping his beer cup at the kiosk. Apparently too distracted by the matchday programme to notice.
Both were described as “avoidable, if only they’d focused on the job at hand and shown a bit more effort.”
The Facebook group had a debate and decided we wouldn’t have wanted a trip to Fleetwood in Round Two anyway.
We overheard a kid asking a steward for his quid back.
Womble of the Week: Aron Sasu
The only one who looked like he fancied it. Quick, fearless, and apparently allergic to staying still. His crosses caused panic, his running caused envy, unfortunately his teammates caused sighs.
If this was an audition for regular starts, he passed it, even if the rest of the cast forgot their lines. The only problem is that he is not at Asiimwe levels yet, so league starts will likely continue to be rare.
Closing Thoughts
A cup run would’ve been nice. Some prize money, a bit of hope, maybe a headline about “the magic of the cup.” Instead, it’s back to League One life, with the vague hum of discontent that always follows a first-round exit.
We’ve lost two in a row and fans are very quickly forgetting the unbeaten run of a week ago. Next weeks game against Peterborough feels significant.
Still, perspective is needed: we’re not the first Wimbledon side to fall flat in November. We just looked particularly efficient doing it.
WombleWorld
Terry Skiverton was last seen chasing the match ball out of the stadium and hasn’t been heard from since.