Staines Town 1 AFC Wimbledon 2 - full play-off final match report

A sell-out crowd, filling the ground to a 2,460 capacity, saw two goals in the last seven minutes give Dons promotion.

The pace of the game was electric from the very start, with James Courtnage in the home goal called into action as early as the third minute to deny Anthony Finn who had pounced on a Staines error.

Soon afterwards, play was waved on when Adrian Toppin and Jake Leberl suffered a painful, accidental clash of heads.

Howard and Jake Newton combined to win Staines a corne.

Adrian Toppin met Dave Sargent's flag kick, only to be penalised.

The visitors countered quickly winning a string of three quick corners. Staines seemed to have cleared, but Robert Quinn showed great tenacity in winning the ball back and feeding Luis Cumbers, whose shot on the turn was superbly saved by James Courtnage, diving and sending the ball over the bar with a strong hand.

Four minutes later, Gareth Risbridger played a neat ball through to Butler, who held off a challenge, and forcing keeper James Pullen into a brave save at his feet. The rebound just span away from the arriving Mark Nwokeji.

As play immediately switched to the other end, a clearance from the Staines goalkeeper was intercepted, presenting Cumbers with another great chance, but Courtnage made a tremendous one-on-one save.

A minute later, and it was Pullen who pulled off a very similar save, this time denying Mark Nwokeji after a cutting ball from André Scarlett.

Within seconds, the prolific Jon Main found himself well placed in attack for Wimbledon, but was challenged by Matt Flitter five yards outside the box.

Staines protested that it had been a fair challenge, the visitors wanted the Swans skipper sent-off, but the referee steered a compromise by awarding a free kick and invoking the covering presence of Danny Gordon to show only a yellow.

After the furore had died down, Marcus Gayle struck the free-kick tamely over the bar.

Not surprisingly, the pace then steadied down somewhat, although both sets of forwards looked very lively, and Staines endeavoured to play the ball through to theirs, whilst Wimbledon employed a more direct approach.

This almost paid dividends on 31 minutes, when Staines were exposed with just one defender covering three attackers.

Steve Ferguson's ball to Finn was not perfect, but Staines were still glad of a great block by Jake Newton.

The deadlock was broken on 36 minutes following a foul by Jason Goodliffe on Nwokeji near the left touch-line.

The ball was pumped in by Sargent, and cleared by a defender for a corner, which Scarlett sent over from the right, deceiving the first defender, and allowing a loosely marked Matt Flitter to net with a stooping header.

Staines then enjoyed a rampant last 10 minutes of the half, in which they tried hard to secure what could have been a killer second goal.

Howard Newton's pass to Nwokeji was fired goalwards at pace on the turn, but a defender managed to boot it out for a corner.

The visiting keeper was lucky to escape without censure for a violent off-the-ball shove in the chest on Butler.

Then, a two-pronged attack by Howard Newton and ex-Dons man Richard Butler was expertly kept at bay by great defending from Gayle.

During the added minute of stoppage time, Scarlett was a hair's breadth away from rounding the keeper. Some light relief had been provided by a long clearance by Gordon, which somehow dislodged the flag of assistant referee Breakspear!

After Wimbledon had brought on Mark De Bolla at the interval, the second half started in almost as lively fashion as the first, with both Nwokeji and Main shooting just off target in the opening minute.

Then Nwokeji again found himself in space, but his chip over Pullen faded just wide.

At the other end, sub Nic McDonnell wriggled free in the box, but Gordon's covering was again first class, and he forced him wide.

Leberl had his name taken on the hour for a flying challenge on Howard Newton, but the visitors were now enjoying their best spell of the game so far: Main's clever touch in a long Luke Garrard free kick went just past the post, and Courtnage's handling was spot-on when Main again made space for a shot from the left.

Unfortunately, Nwokeji was still not 100 per cent fit following his recent hamstring problem, and - having run himself into the ground - was replaced by Elliot Onochie, while Wimbledon also made a change. Dons also made a change.

For a while, it seemed that Staines might come through that difficult period the stronger: Scarlett swivelled on the edge of the box but saw is shot go just wide, but then Mark De Bolla was fouled by Scarlett, and himself tested Courtnage with the free-kick.

The Staines keeper was cautioned for fussing over a goal kick with 19 minutes remaining, but was then relieved that the referee overruled - or failed to spot - his assistant flagging for a foul in the box, for Gordon's challenge on Main, who perhaps went down too easily.

At the other end, Onochie seemed to have made himself a good opening for a charge on goal, and no action was taken against Garrard for his messy holding of the Staines player.

After another substitution by each manager, Staines had their last real chance of extending their lead when Howard Newton's great run ended with a cross which fell between two forwards.

The game turned against the home side in controversial circumstances on 82 minutes, when the ball was played in fro the left by-line, and as Courtnage went up to claim it, he fell awkwardly under Main's challenge and spilled the ball.

Referee Mr McLaughlin saw no foul, and Main tapped the ball across goal for Luis Cumber to bundle it over the line for an equaliser.

Courtnage, usually the most laid-back of all players, was incensed, and was fortunate that other players intervened before he got to the referee.

Risbridger was booked for a foul, but worse was to come for Staines, when the same player was rather harshly penalised again for a challenge a few yards outside the box.

The free kick came to nothing, but a retake was ordered as the ref had not blown his whistle, and De Bolla this time spanked his shot through the wall and into the bottom corner.

There was a mini pitch invasion, whilst De Bolla went in the other direction and was booked for going into the crowd.

In desperation, Staines threw on Cook for Risbridger, and during the three added minutes, even sent Courtnage up front, where he had the first shot of his Staines career after a long Dean Thomas throw.

However, there was not enough time for Staines to rescue the promotion that they had so recently almost had within their grasp. Hundreds of visiting fans surrendered the moral high ground they had assumed after the ticket allocations had been finalised, by invading the pitch and stealing corner flags, disregarding games still to be played.

Most of them were simply exuberant at their side's success, and when things had calmed down, league secretary Nick Robinson was able to present medals to the victorious AFC Wimbledon players.

Delighted Dons manager Terry Brown, was gracious enough to admit his side had been a little fortunate, but it was scant consolation to Steve Cordery and his heroic Staines team.

Staines Town: Courtnage, J Newton, Sargent, Gordon, Flitter , Risbridger (Cook 87), Scarlett (Thomas 78), Toppin, Butler, Nwokeji (Onochie 66), H Newton; unused McDonald, Ifura.

AFC Wimbledon: Pullen, Garrard, Haswell, Leberl, Goodliffe , Gayle, Ferguson (De Bolla 66), Quinn (Hatton 78), Cumbers, Main, Finn (McDonnell HT); unused (gk).Ref: Matt McLaughlin (Luton); ARs C Breakspear (Walton), I Kitchen (Chertsey); 4th Off D Rock (Hatfield). Attendance: 2,460.