AFC Wimbledon 2-1 Crawley Town

If any Wimbledon fan dreamt last night how this pulsating match would finish, tonight it was played out in oh so perfect high definition.

It's a poorly kept secret that these two do not get on. Little history of course, more a matter of morals.

Newly rich Crawley's failed attempts to lure legend-in-the-making Danny Kedwell to the Broadfield was not well received. Defeat was far from well taken.

Manager Steve Evans, the self-styled 'Special One' of Conference football, went public claiming Wimbledon reneged on a verbal agreement with the player to allow a transfer should a £60,000 bid be lodged. Rubbish, of course.

In the same paper, Evans then suggested Kedwell was “desperate” to join the Crawley revolution. Something to do with an apparent £40,000 signing on fee perhaps.

Wimbledon fans and their wisely tight-lipped hierarchy were fuming at the blatant attempt to unsettle their star and their club days before the start of the season.

Tonight came closure. This was one of AFC Wimbledon's greatest evenings.

Kedwell scored the winning goal to send Wimbledon top of the Blue Square Bet Premier, overtaking the Scot's Red Devils as a sudden gust of irony swept through Kingsmeadow.

They went behind just before half-time when Ed Harris' slip, his only error on an otherwise flawless evening, allowed Matt Tubbs to score from close range.

Sam Hatton levelled things up before time stood still as Kedwell nodded the sweetest of winners ten minutes from time.

If one thing is going to keep this talented Crawley team from the championship, it could be their manager's loose lips.

Predictably this evening, Evans delivered more mind games, offered more of a stick for his critics to beat him with.

“Who played the football tonight, Wimbledon or Crawley? Who?” he demanded. “Who played long ball tonight, Wimbledon or Crawley?

“Is that the benchmark we've got to be up there, we've not got a problem. At 1-0 (Richard) Brodie and Tubbs should score and kill it. They are big signings, that's what they're paid for.

“On the balance of play 3-1 to us would have been fair, it's not justice tonight,” said Evans before storming out of the post match pre-conference after a reporter questioned his defender's performance inside their own box.

Terry Brown, the Wimbledon manager, was on cloud nine as 4,000 fans saw his team return to the top in the south-west London rain.

“It was script perfect,” he said. “For Danny to get the winning goal in front of what is fast becoming the Danny Kedwell End is wonderful, quite brilliant.

“If we would have sold him to Crawley where would we be? Not top of this league let me tell you. It was a magnificent performance with a makeshift teenage defence and I could be prouder.”

The message, like the picture on the TV screens tonight and in the fans' dreams, is crystal clear.