Substitute Darren Grieves snatched a hard-fought win for AFC Wimbledon within minutes of the final whistle in this closely contested affair between two evenly-matched sides. The Dons will feel somewhat fortunate to have grabbed a victory from what had seemed destined to end with a replay and a tricky return to Queen's Road, having provided their opponents with a variety of opportunities to get on the scoresheet. However, in humid conditions, this cagey cup-tie was never likely to produce too many goals.

Wimbledon started well, with Byron Bubb and Richard Butler linking well down the left and posing problems on the edge of the Horsham box. With Butler displaying his combative skills, and a great deal of energy in the early part of the game, he created plenty of options which his team-mates, on the whole, failed to capitalise upon. Possession was scrappy across the midfield and the hosts failed to carve out any real sight of goal in spite of Bubb's impressive passing and movement, perhaps failing to utilise the wings and stretch the Horsham defence.

Nonetheless, the visitors showed little respect for Wimbledon's impressive recent form and frequently pushed up the pitch in an attempt to assert their authority on the game. Little more than quarter of an hour in, some sloppy marking from a Horsham free kick saw Jamie Taylor glance a firm header just wide of the post. The ex-Wimbledon player was showing some lively touches and good interplay, dropping deep and pulling the centre-back pairing of Steve Butler and Anthony Howard further out of the box. Taylor again come close with the ball breaking loose in the box after a Butler mistake gave him a snapshot at Little's goal on the half hour mark, but the Wimbledon stopper was equal to it and the ball was parried away to safety.

Ultimately, the first half was characterised by little in the way of chances for either side despite the hard work of Taylor and Butler,, a good deal of time being spent with the ball flying high and wide of goal, or bouncing without much direction in and around the centre circle. Showing greater balance and better organisation with four across the middle, Wimbledon generally got the better of Horsham, but a niggly and insipid first half produced little in the way of clear openings, on account of the visitors' close marshalling of Butler and a quiet but pacey Roscoe Dsane.

Heading into the break, some neat interplay between Bubb and Butler produced a brief opening for Steve Wales, but his low shot was parried out by Williams. The resulting corner had 1,966 fans pining for a half-time tea break, the ball spinning out wide left and bouncing forlornly into the stands.

Horsham clearly came out with real intentions to break the deadlock after half-time and produced some early chances through Taylor and Charman, who looked much more effective breaking wide on the left and giving his opposite number, Luke Garrard, a sterner test than in much of the first half. At one stage, the Wimbledon full-back was stripped for pace, and, cutting back well to Taylor from the dead-ball line, the striker may well have opened his account had the loose ball not stuck awkwardly under his feet. Nonetheless, Horsham had shown that they had the wherewithal to challenge their hosts on the break and some sloppy defending in their own six yard box raised the tempo of the game, as well as the concentration of the home side.

A good clearance from Haswell and a saving tackle from Rooney restricted Horsham to few opportunities after their early openings and the game seemed destined to head for a draw with Wimbledon creating little and conceding too much possession in the middle of the park. Niggling fouls began to dominate the agenda for both sides and, with so many set pieces squandered, it looked almost certain to disappear off the wrong end of the scale of disappointing fixtures.

However, with minutes left on the clock and Bubb now nursing an injury on the bench, his replacement Sobihy combined well with Dsane on the left who produced an accurate looping ball into the box which Grieves, on for the tireless Butler, converted well. Grieves arched back and beat his man with a towering header while the slumbering crowd were finally awakened with the ripple of Williams' net, the ball looping over his head into the far corner. This was an unfortunate outcome for the Horsham 'keeper, who had shown strong hands under frequent aerial assault and good reactions to prevent Dsane and Daly.

So Wimbledon will have been pleased to overcome this challenge from a side placed well in the Ryman league after a good start and are beginning to nurture a talent for snatching victory despite playing well below their capabilities. Ultimately a draw would have proved better justice for Horsham, who will be aggrieved that poor marking and a lack of concentration at the end had cost them a good chance of a replay. Were it not for more general profligacy in front of goal, and a dependency on direct football, both sides could perhaps have fared better on the scoresheet.

A classic it was not, but AFC Wimbledon push on to the next qualifying round with greater confidence and an all important break from a busy schedule.