A difficult week for Sutton ended with three goals conceded in the last half hour as Wimbledon continued their unbeaten start to the Sky Bet League Two season and moved in to the top three. For three quarters of the game it was a tighter game than the scoreline suggests, and had Josh Coley’s shot early in the second half gone in rather than hitting the post, and Ben Goodliffe’s header not been superbly saved by Alex Bass just after Wimbledon took the lead there might have been a different outcome, but Dons added two goals in the last ten minutes and were ultimately well worth their victory.

The visitors were the quicker out of the blocks despite playing in to a strong breeze, and could have gone ahead when Josh Neufville, one of two members of Sutton’s squad last season to be in the Dons’ starting eleven, crossed low and the ball ran through to James Tilley, whose low shot was well saved by Jack Rose with his legs. Omar Bugiel, the other former U in the line-up, had a shot saved, and U’s survived a couple of goalmouth skirmishes, but Sutton came more in to the game as the half progressed, and Harry Beautyman headed over before Coley knocked back a deep Rob Milsom free kick only for Wimbledon to clear inside the six yard box.

There was a blow for Sutton as Omar Sowunmi was forced off through illness just before half time, but U’s started the second half brightly and came very close when Bass could only push Milsom’s cross as far as Coley on the edge of the penalty area and his shot rebounded back off the post. Omari Patrick’s shot was saved as the attack continued, and Scott Kashket later just failed to get on the end of a long pass from Goodliffe, but having failed to make the most of their best spell of the game, Sutton were on the back foot again and extremely lucky to survive when Tilley’s deflected shot looped against the underside of the bar and came down, with Ali Al-Hamadi heading against the bar from close range from the rebound when it looked easier to score. It was only a brief reprieve, though, as Lee Angol was penalised for a foul on Isaac Ogundere after Sutton had cleared from Al-Hamadi’s header, and Tilley’s superb inswinging free kick was headed in by Ryan Johnson.

Sutton almost levelled immediately when Angol was fouled on the left, and an equally good free kick from Coley found Goodliffe diving in with a firm header which Bass managed to keep out, but it was as close to scoring as U’s were going to come. Ten minutes from time Wimbledon boss Johnnie Jackson made a double change at a corner with Harry Pell, one of the players brought on, going straight in to the penalty area and heading in Jake Reeves’ corner at the far post with his first touch. That just about clinched things, and six minutes later the final blow was struck as U’s gave the ball away in midfield, Reeves sprayed a long pass out to the right to Tilley, and the former Crawley struck cut in past Milsom and drove his shot beyond Rose in to the far corner of the net.

Sutton: J Rose, J Kizzi, R Milsom, O Sowunmi(sub L John 42), B Goodliffe, C Eastmond(sub C N’Guessan 84), J Coley(sub R Jackson 84), S Kashket(sub H Kasimu 72), L Angol, H Beautyman, O Patrick(sub D Mellor 84). Subs n/u B House, C Clay. Booked: Beautyman, Goodliffe

AFC Wimbledon: A Bass, i Ogundere, L Brown, J Reeves, J Lewis, R Johnson, J Tilley, A Little (sub J Ball 86), O Bugiel (sub H Pell 79), A Al-Hamadi(sub J Davison 79), J Neufville. Subs n/u N Tzanev, A Pearce, R McLean, A Sasu. Booked: Al Hamadi

Referee: David Rock

Attendance: 4,719(1,296 away)