AFC Wimbledon boss the League One 'Strugglers derby' as Injuries sum up Bromley woes

It was a buzzy Copperjax Community Stadium ahead of kick off : Picture by @YTJourno

League One

Bromley (0) 0

AFC Wimbledon (1) 2 Stockley 8 Hippolyte 67

It may be too early in the season to be overly significant, but it still felt important.

Bromley did not concede the avalanche of goals that have descended on them in the past week, but they were still very much second best at Hayes Lane against an altogether slicker AFC Wimbledon.

The Dons scored in each half and were less hampered by injuries than the home side. Wimbledon did lose James Tilley after half an hour, but Bromley had keeper Shamal George and debutant Deon Woodman both crocked and forced off at the same time while another defender, Richard Taylor, succumbed to a hamstring strain on the hour.

Jayden Stockley was given too much room to head in a Tilley cross after just eight minutes and Stockley turned provider for the clincher midway through the second half- Myles Hippolyte finishing with a smart low drive past sub keeper Owen Mason.

Bromley, by contrast, did not create nearly enough to trouble Dons stopper Josef Bursik.

The need for a reset could hardly have been more important for Bromley after a terrible week in which they were thrashed twice, shipping 12 goals, and no doubt causing a few doubts about their roadworthiness for football's third tier.

Their first ever venture into these rarified heights were encouraging - a win and a draw - but then came the calamity of a 7-2 drubbing at Sheffield Wednesday, followed by the 5-0 midweek humbling at home to Leyton Orient.

For the first time they have lost three in a tow as a fully fledged EFL outfit.

Andy Woodman built a no-nonsense side with a solid defence in claiming the League Two title last season, so that element of the team's approach seemed sound. But now, they have to regroup and guard against any feelings of imposter syndrome as they try to bed down in this division.

AFC Wimbledon and their boss Johnnie Jackson could have told them from the start that it is far from easy. They flirted with demotion last term and may face another battle just to keep heads above water.

Bromley did the double over the Dons in their only previous league meetings two seasons ago in League Two, and went into Monday night's game at Hayes Lane hopeful that they would be meeting a team very much on their level. Both teams went into this one on four points from four games.

Woodman said before the game: "We have to grow up a bit quicker and make sure we become tougher and more aggressive than we are in everything we do."

There was some sign of improvement but clearly challenging times lie ahead.

The Dons have hardly set the world alight. A solitary 1-0 home win over Wigan was followed by a 4-1 defeat at Burton. Their other two games ended in a draw at home to Reading (0-0) and a 3-0 loss at Huddersfield.

But on today's evidence, at least, they look the better equipped to escape danger.

Read up on Andy Woodman's reaction here

Ravens: (4-1-4-1) George (Mason 29) - Ifill, Sowunmi, Taylor (Miller 59), Woodburn (Grant 29) - Saville - Whitely, Contest Hondermarck (McKkiernan 68), Pinnock - Cheek ( Adeboyejo 68)

Dons: (3-5-2) Bursik - Ogundere, Sweeney, Johnson - Seddon, Harrison, Smith, Hiippolyte Nelson 91), Sessegnon (Yiadom 87) - Tilley (Maycock 28), Stockley (Sasu 87)

Attendance: 5,017