We will survive

It's just before 5pm on Saturday 27th April and Gloria Gaynor is blasting out over the PA system at Kingsmeadow the home of AFC Wimbledon. In front of me hundreds of Dons fans are celebrating on the pitch. Players are mobbed and photographed. Jack Midson is chaired across the pitch. Such relief,such jubilation. The Dons are staying up !

I never want to experience another season like this, I never want to go through this last day drama. It might be great for TV neutrals but for devoted fans of a football club its hell. For the past weeks my mind has often flashed back to Southampton 2000 when Wimbledon FC were relegated from the Premiership which in many ways was when the walls of our former existance started to cave in.

Relegation to the Conference would have stalled our dream; yes we would have still have owned our Club but in spite of the Conference being a de facto 5th Division there remains amongst football fans a large gulf between League2 (as it is now known) and the non league world.

The game itself saw the Dons attack from the off nothing but a win would do. However posts, saves and goal line clearances prevented us from taking the lead. Then in happened, a freekick a Gary Alexander header and we were in the lead, joy was shortlived within minutes Fleetwood equalised. The football gods had twisted the knife cruelly and we stared once again at relegation.

Cometh the hour,cometh the unlikely hero. Curtis Oseno, right back, by no means an outstanding success during his first season at the club, finds himself in the penalty area. Time froze as a Fleetwood defender stuck out a leg and in the process tripping Oseno. The referee didn't hesitate in pointing to the spot, and Jack Midson did the rest.

There was still 25 minutes, 25 of the most torturous minutes I have sopent. The 4th official said 5 additional minutes. How did they arrive at that figure ? The ball was constantly repelled from the Dons area only for it to be launched forward yet again as Fleetwood tried to fashion an equaliser. Finally the Dons regained possession and took the ball into the corner of the pitch. The referee blew the whistle and salvation had been achieved.

Neal Ardley, walked round the ground daughter in one arm, beer bottle in the other to receive the applause of Dons supporters. He had taken over back in October when the writing was very much on the wall. That he fashioned a team capable of digging their way out of the bottom two , even if it was on the last day, will undoubtedly have taught him lessons to carry forward into his management career.

Now we can look forward to the fixtures coming out in June and the new season starting in August.