Plucky Wimbledon bow out of FA Cup to classy Ipswich

AFC Wimbledon 1 (Reeves (pen) 17)

Ipswich Town 3 (Davison (OG) 8,Tuanzebe 40, Taylor 90)

Att: 8,595

Ten-man AFC Wimbledon gave Championship high-flyers Ipswich a scare before the Tractor Boys' class told to see them through to the fourth round of the FA Cup at Plough Lane today.

Jake Reeves' penalty after 17 minutes cancelled out a Josh Davison own goal which had given Town the lead.

But former Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe nodded in a close range winner five minutes before half-time, and Jack Taylor's tap-in sealed a 3-1 win right at the end.

There are 52 league places between these sides - second in the Championship versus seventh in League Two - but the plucky Dons stayed with their opponents throughout, even if the Suffolk side's superior technical quality was evident.

Ipswich took an early lead on eight minutes and Wimbledon would have been disappointed with the way they failed to defend the opener. A corner from the right was cut back to Nathan Broadhead, who was the best player on the pitch all afternoon.

Broadhead's shot took two deflections, the second off Davison, and bobbled apologetically past Alex Bass in the Dons' goal.

The home side were down but not out. They responded with a couple of promising attacks down the left, one which should have ended in a goal from the head of Ryan Johnson, but he got too much on it and the ball flew over the bar.

But the Dons were level just a couple of minutes later through skipper Reeves' cool penalty. The award was slightly fortuitous, the ball striking the hand of Jack Taylor from a corner as it appeared to be making its way out of play. But Reeves made no mistake with a fine spot-kick high and to the right of Christian Walton in the Ipswich goal.

And they had a chance to take the lead after 25 minutes when the powerful Davison beat his man down the left and crossed back for Harry Pell, who missed his kick at the vital moment.

Ipswich responded. A lovely first-touch piece of skill from Broadhead, with his back to goal, took the ball past his marker, but the ball bobbled up as he bore down on goal and his shot, in the end, looked rather wild.

Broadhead was increasingly causing problems for the Dons. He got free of his marker again five minutes before half-time and forced a good save from Bass.

And Ipswich were ahead again from the resulting corner. The Dons failed to clear the left-hand centre and, when the ball bounced up from the attempted clearance, Tuanzebe had the simple task of nodding past Bass.

But back came the Dons. Connor Evans' shot on the turn could have brought them level at 2-2, but the effort could only find the side netting.

The visitors could have extended their lead immediately after the restart, Cameron Humphreys' shot from the left was deflected on to the post by Ryan Johnson and eventually away to safety from a Wimbledon point of view.

And things got even more difficult for the Dons on the hour when Harry Pell was sent off for a second yellow card when he was adjudged to have used an elbow when jumping for a bouncing ball.

The Ipswich fans were howling for a penalty midway through the second half when substitute Paul Kalamabayi's attempt to control a cross bounced up on to a hand. It was one that may well have been given had we had VAR.

Just seconds later Marcus Harness shot wide when well placed in the centre of the box and, by this stage, Town should have had the tie wrapped up.

But while it stayed 2-1 the Dons were still in it. Armani Little forced a fine flying save from Walton on 70 minutes, while at the other end substitute Jeremy Sarmiento saw a shot saved by Bass.

The 10-man Dons understandably began to tire and Town wrapped it up on 90 minutes. Ales Bass spilled a cross and Taylor had the simplest of tasks in tapping into an empty net.

Wimbledon will be proud, but Town progress.

Teams: Wimbledon: Bass, Biler, Reeves, Johnson, Pell, Davison, Little, Pearce (Kalambayi 35), Evans (Tilley 77), Currie, Sasu

Ipswich: Walton, Edmundson, Morsy, Woolfenden, Ladapo (Sarmiento 57), Harness, Taylor, Hutchinson, Humphreys, Broadhead, Tuanzebe