Chesham United 1-4 AFC Wimbledon
by George Jones – AFC Wimbledon Women (5/12/22)
Above: AFC Wimbledon (blue) in possession at Chesham United yesterday. Photo: Glyn Roberts.
Ashlee Hincks celebrated her 34th birthday in style with a well-taken hat trick against Chesham United.
Goals by Ashlee Hincks and Becki Bath guided the Dons to a 4-1 victory at The Meadow against an in-form Chesham United in the FAWNL Division One London and South-East.
After two wins on the bounce in the FA Cup, the Dons did not get off to the start they had imagined, struggling to get into the rhythm that had seen them, play so well in recent weeks.
Despite the slow start, the Dons took the lead inside the opening 20 minutes as Hincks got her first of the afternoon with a long-range effort. Although being 1-0 up, it seemed luck was not in Wimbledon’s hands, hitting the crossbar three times within 25 minutes. However, Becki Bath soon put a stop to this, doubling the lead after scoring a well-deserved goal.
The second half saw the Dons make several changes. After recovering from her injury, Emma Plewa made her anticipated league debut, coming on for Amy Taylor on the hour mark. Shortly afterwards, Impetus sponsored Mia Lockett was swapped on for midfielder Megan Stow, hoping for more pace in the middle of the pitch.
The substitutes changed the flow of the game for the Dons, allowing them to keep the majority of the possession and press higher. As we approached the final 10, forward Becki Bath was taken out inside the Chesham penalty area, gifting Hincks the chance to get her second of the game.
Hincks, keen to make her birthday one to remember, made no mistake from 12 yards to put the Dons 3-0 up.
After a comfortable afternoon for Faye Baker, her first real test came midway through the second half, it was a disappointment to concede in the 84th minute.
Though Chesham were able to get a goal back, their defence gifted Ashlee Hincks the opportunity of a hat-trick deep into injury time. After being taken down in the box, Hincks made no mistake from the penalty spot to notch her 21st goal of the season.
First team coach Andy May said: “We weren’t at the same standards as we had been over the last couple of weeks, but it says a lot about our character that we were able to come here and grind out a result.”
Next up the Dons are back at Plough Lane as we host Gillingham from the league above, the FAWNL Southern Premier in a massive Vitality Women’s FA Cup Third round game. Victory would put Wimbledon into the hat with the FAWSL big guns. Tickets are now available.
AFC WIMBLEDON: Baker, Russell, (Sampson), Brooks, Highman, Newman, Mann, Taylor (Plewa), Donovan, Stow (Lockett), Hincks, Bath.
Attendance: 42.
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