AFC Wimbledon extended their unbeaten stretch to five games and progressed to the 3rd Qualifying round of the FA Cup with a professional 5-1 victory over Suffolk opponents Debenham LC. A lukewarm first half display was fired up during 13 minutes spanning either side of the break, as Antony Howard’s header and Tony Finn’s brace gave the Dons an unassailable advantage. Steve Ferguson and Daniel Webb provided additional gloss to the score line, before the Hornets’ top marksman Stuart Jopling converted a late consolation from the penalty spot.

Terry Brown once again decided to go with his ‘FA Cup formation’, a robust 4-3-3 that reinforced the central areas and allowed Finn and Ferguson freer roles to push on and pressurize the Hornets’ backline. Antony Howard (right back) and Jake Leberl (centre half) returned to the defence, pushing Robert Quinn and Luke Garrard into a narrow midfield, together with new signing Mark Beard.

Debenham set out their stall early, giving the Dons little time on the ball and trying to engineer something on the break through strike pairing, Jopling and Ian Gedney. Nevertheless the Dons had the better of the early chances with Ferguson shooting wide on three minutes and Antony Howard’s header forcing Craig Ellis to tip over, after good work from Tony Finn down the left.

At the other end Jopling split the Dons’ defence with a measured ball that sent Gedney on his way, but the lively forward drove well wide of the target.

The Wombles’ hard-working three-man midfield eventually got on top and Terry Brown’s men were able to create some good chances before half time. Luke Garrard hit the foot of the post on 20 minutes and Daniel Webb’s header thumped back off the same upright with the keeper flat footed. Craig Ellis was soon in action again, parrying a Finn drive from 30 yards.

The visitors took the lead four minutes before the break. Finn’s corner found Howard at the near post and the full back guided his header past Ellis for a half time lead.

Eighteen seconds after the restart AFC Wimbledon went 2-0 up. A long ball out of defence was flicked on by Daniel Webb into the path of Finn who slotted under Ellis from the edge of the box.

It was three, eight minutes later. Ferguson made a dash for the byline and his low cross was volleyed in by Finn six yards out.

Mel Aldis made a double substitution to shake things up, but to no avail, with the Dons looking relaxed and confident. Haswell and Finn both went close with direct free-kick attempts and a Steve Ferguson effort clipped the cross bar before Terry Brown made some changes of his own, replacing Mark Beard with young midfielder Sam Hatton.

Hatton’s first contribution was to hit a defence-splitting forty yard pass that sent Ferguson on his way to score the Dons’ fourth, the Scot slamming the ball past Ellis into the bottom right hand corner.

The fifth goal arrived eleven minutes from full time. Garrard and Ferguson engineered a cross from the right and Daniel Webb powered his header past Ellis from eight yards.

There was still time for the hosts to grab a consolation. The referee adjudged that Jopling had his shirt pulled in the area. The Debenham marksman got to his feet and dispatched the spot kick with aplomb to claim his tenth goal of the season, and give the home support something to cheer about.

Ryman League Premier rivals, Horsham, await the Dons in the third qualifying round.

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