Wycombe forward Matt Harrold has developed a liking for the Cherry Red Records Fans’ Stadium. He netted a hat-trick in last season’s FA Cup tie, and he returned to haunt the Dons again in the opening match of their tricky but testing pre-season schedule with the only goal of the game.

In humid, overcast conditions with the odd showery outbreak, a crowd of just over a thousand football-hungry supporters witnessed a typical pre-season encounter and had a chance to see the new recruits pull on the yellow and blue for the first time.

Promising youth team striker Peter Rapson got a start and was looking to impress up front alongside Danny Kedwell, with Luke Moore keen to make his mark behind the Dons front two. Paul Lorraine wore the captain’s armband following Jason Goodliffe’s move to Sutton.

While Brown elected to bark out his orders from the dugout as usual, Wycombe manager Peter Taylor orchestrated matters from the directors’ box in the Paul Strank Stand.

Towards the end of the first half Ian Westlake’s long-range shot was tipped over acrobatically by Sebb Brown, one of two trialist keepers used by the Dons. Brown was quickly called into action again, tipping over a header from Carl Cort, the former Wimbledon FC forward who departed for Newcastle nine years ago. These saves went some way to making up for Brown’s ill-judged attempt to dribble the ball out of trouble with a Wycombe attacker bearing down on him, which nearly gifted the visitors a goal early in the first period.

The second half, as expected, saw mass substitutions from both sides. For the Dons there were first appearances at the back for Brett Johnson and Derek Duncan, the latter given the difficult task of marking Wycombe’s danger man Harrold, now on for the Chairboys. Ricky Wellard and former Wycombe youngster Steven Gregory came into midfield, with trialist Calvin Bossman up front alongside last season’s golden boot winner Jon Main.

Early in the second half Duncan looked lively when breaking from the back, and his pass put in Bossman, whose shot along the ground was easily saved by Jamie Young. On the hour, appeals for a Jon Main penalty after a challenge in the area came to nothing, but it did bring the half to life, and both sides began to create more attacking opportunities.

Elliott Godfrey and Jon Main started to link up well again, and Main was foiled by Young shortly after. However, about 15 minutes from time it was Harrold who found himself in one on one with the Dons second trialist keeper of the afternoon, Kieron Thorp and he rounded Thorp and calmly slotted home, low into the back of the net.

The final chance of the afternoon fell to Ricky Wellard, who found space but sent his shot from long range sailing over the bar and into the Tempest End.

Overall, this was a satisfactory first day back at the office and will have given the management team much to analyse and work on in the days leading up to the club’s weekend on the Isle of Man.

[ --- afcwimbledon.co.uk]