League Two: Wimbledon win on return to Plough Lane
AFC Wimbledon 4 - 0 Carlisle United
Matty Stevens’ hat-trick marked a triumphant return for AFC Wimbledon to Plough Lane as they cruised past Carlisle in League Two.
The Dons were back at home for the first time since last month’s flooding caused significant damage to their pitch and stadium.
Stevens’ two early goals, followed by a Cameron Harper own goal, gave Wimbledon a commanding 3-0 lead by half-time.
Shortly after the break, Stevens completed his hat-trick, sealing a dominant win for the home side – their sixth consecutive victory on home turf in all competitions this season.
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Carlisle, meanwhile, have now gone four matches without scoring and sit at the bottom of the league on goal difference.
Less than three weeks ago, Plough Lane was underwater, the pitch looking more like a golf course than a football field.
Home fixtures had to be postponed as over 100,000 litres of water were pumped from the site, with doubts over when the Dons could return as the extent of the damage and costs were assessed.
But from the moment Stevens headed Wimbledon in front from a corner near the penalty spot, the outcome never seemed in doubt.
The 26-year-old doubled his tally by capitalising on a rebound from Alistair Smith’s long-range effort, slotting the ball past Carlisle goalkeeper Harry Lewis after he had parried it into his path.
Carlisle struggled to cope with James Tilley’s brilliant delivery and Wimbledon’s set pieces, leaving Lewis repeatedly overwhelmed by a sea of defenders and Dons players.
The pressure paid off just before half-time, when Harper turned the ball into his own net after failing to clear a corner.
Stevens completed his hat-trick with another header from a corner, latching onto Tilley’s second cross after Carlisle initially cleared the ball.
Wimbledon are now just two points off the play-off spots, with three games in hand on some of their rivals.
If they win those games, they could sit four points clear at the top of the table, while Carlisle’s defeat dropped them to the foot of the standings following Morecambe’s win over Barrow.
