AFC Wimbledon 1
Harriers 2

TWO words accruately encapsulated Harriers’ memorable win over former Blue Square Bet Premier leaders AFC Wimbledon on Saturday, perfect and pivotal.

Perfect because this was the Aggborough outfit’s most complete display on their travels, as they put a side to the sword which had up until last week been looking down on the rest of the league.

In every department, Steve Burr’s side was better than the Dons as they wrapped up a league double against Terry Brown’s promotion-chasing outfit.

Impressively, the win completed a tough four-match run against top four teams Wrexham, Luton, Crawley and Wimbledon, where they have taken eight points from a possible 12.

The result was pivotal because fifth-placed Harriers took full advantage of Fleetwood’s 2-1 home loss to Crawley to pile the pressure on the chasing pack just below the play-off spots.

Afterwards, Harriers’ manager praised his team, who overcame the Dons despite missing in-form centreback Mark Albrighton because of an abscess on his tooth, which forced 15-goal top scorer Chris McPhee to play in central defence.

“On a difficult pitch I thought our lads played very well and thoroughly deserved to win,” commented Burr.

“It’s a difficult place to come and win but that’s how we set ourselves out and to a man everybody played very well.”

Harriers could have opened the scoring inside the first minute, when Tom Shaw fired a low effort just wide.

Winger Matty Blair sent in a looping effort which keeper Seb Brown tipped over, while Nick Wright fired wide after a dazzling run into the box.

Wright, so often a Jekyll and Hyde character for Harriers this season, turned on the style and was practically unplayable as he terrified Wimbledon’s defence with his pace and control. That he did not top it off a compelling display with a goal was a shame.

Wright’s impact on the game was massive but before he could weave his magic, Harriers had to survive a testing period when Wimbledon dominated.

Keeper Danny Lewis made two fine saves, reacting smartly when Danny Kedwell’s free-kick clipped the wall and wrong-footed him to parry it away. He also showed extremely strong wrists to punch Kirk Hudson's stinging 25-yard effort away as Wimbledon threatened to take complete control. Left-back Mike Williams also capped another solid performance when he threw himself at Steven Gregory’s firm effort to keep the hosts at bay.

Once Harriers had weathered the storm, they ended the first half the better side, spurred on by fired-up Wright. He thought he had scored when he ran onto Blair’s pass and unleashed a firm right-footed effort which had the beating of Brown but cannoned off the base of the post.

Brown then dived athletically to his right to parry Wright’s firm effort away.

But he had the last laugh when Wimbledon’s defence stopped in their tracks to claim a foul by the striker on Jamie Stuart. Wright cleverly played in Sean Canham, who raced away and hammered a first-time shot past a stunned Brown.

The Dons suffered another setback an hour into the game when defender Sammy Moore was stretchered off with a serious knee injury after competing for the ball with Shaw.

Substitute Jamille Matt, who had been asked to change his underwear because it was the wrong colour by the referee, could have wore it super-hero style in the 74th minute when he pounced on Brett Johnson’s slip to coolly beat Brown with a well-taken goal.

Wimbledon replied when substitute Lee Minshull met Gareth Gwillim’s free-kick to score with a far post header in the 82nd minute.

Despite the setback, and seven minutes of time added on because of Moore’s treatment, Harriers held on to stretch their unbeaten run to 11 games and confirm once again their place as genuine play-off contenders.

Harriers: Lewis 7; Vaughan 7; Williams 8; Briscoe 7; McPhee 8; Briggs 7; Wright 9 (Hankin, 94); Shaw 7; Gittings 7; Blair 7; Canham 7 (Matt, 63). Unused substitutes: Stevens; Morris; Lowe.

Wimbledon: Brown; S Moore (Minshull, 69); Gwillim; Gregory; Johnson; Stuart; Mulley; Yussuff; Kedwell; L Moore (Jackson, 59); Hudson (Broughton, 76). Unused substitutes: Harris; Turner. Referee: John Hopkins. Attendance: 3,517 (204)