AFC Wimbledon 0-0 Blackpool: Seasiders rue poor finishing once again as long wait for away win continues

The managerless Seasiders squandered a number of gilt-edged chances once again, Nathan Delfouneso the main guilty party.

But Taylor Moore and James Husband also missed golden opportunities to claim a first victory for Pool on the road since September.

But scoreless it remained, for the third game running at Kingsmeadow in this fixture, meaning the men in tangerine have still only won one game in 14.

They were, however, able to boast a first clean sheet in 18 games, the Seasiders managing to deny their opponents for the first time since beating the Dons at Bloomfield Road in November.

Dunn opted to make two changes to the Pool side, both of them enforced with Ben Heneghan serving the first of his three-game suspension and top scorer Armand Gnanduillet missing out with a hamstring injury.

In came Ollie Turton to the back three, while Nathan Delfouneso was the man tasked with partnering Gary Madine in attack.

Jay Spearing returned to the squad, named among the substitutes after missing last week’s 2-1 defeat at Bristol Rovers through concussion.

Jak Alnwick (arm) and Sullay Kaikai (groin/abductor) remain sidelined with injuries, while the likes of Mark Howard, Jordan Thorniley, Ben Garrity and Sean Scannell weren’t involved.

With Gnanduillet missing, that meant Pool only had 15 goals among those players named in the starting XI, Delfouneso the standout with seven, Matty Virtue next with three.

The Dons, stung by their midweek 5-0 defeat at Oxford United, made a strong start to the game, piling the pressure on the Seasiders with dangerous balls into the channels.

Chris Maxwell was forced into action early on, getting down to his right to save from Anthony Hartigan’s low effort.

With Heneghan and Gnanduillet missing, the Seasiders were lacking height from set pieces, with only Nathan Delfouneso and Gary Madine able to tower above their opponents.

Delfouneso, back in the team for his first start since the end of January, broke well on nine minutes but - with options either side of him - the forward held onto the ball for too long before seeing his eventual through-ball cleared with ease.

The Dons came within a whisker of breaking the deadlock on 14 minutes when the game suddenly sprung into life.

Kwesi Appiah was the man to head narrowly over Maxwell’s crossbar after meeting Luke O’Neill’s right-wing centre.

The Seasiders returned with an immediate chance of their own, Delfouneso seeing his low effort saved by the legs of keeper Joe Day before looping the rebound narrowly wide of the far post.

Pool remained a threat on the break, Delfouneso finding himself in behind Wimbledon’s backline for a second time after latching onto a hopeful long ball from Taylor Moore.

Once again the forward opted to delay, rather than take his shot first time, eventually seeing his lob deflect narrowly over the bar.

At the other end, Maxwell had to make sure he was alert to rush off his line to beat Appiah to a dangerous ball in behind.

Liam Feeney posed plenty of problems for Wimbledon’s young left back Paul Osew, the winger delivering a dangerous ball into the six-yard box that a home defender nicked away just as Delfouneso was ready to pounce.

Pool began to grow more and more into proceedings, Virtue seeing a low shot blocked from inside the six-yard box after the hosts had failed to clear their lines.

Dons were offering very little other than set pieces, which is why it was so important not to concede any needless corners or free kicks.

That’s exactly what they did seven minutes before the break, conceding a corner which Maxwell had to tip over his own bar at full stretch after back-pedalling.

Despite a big graphic saying ‘GOAL’ flashing on the big screen on the stroke of half time, the first period did in fact end goalless.

Pool wasted the chance to hit Wimbledon on the break at the start of the second half, squandering a three-on-two situation.

Madine broke down the right channel only to see his crossfield ball to Connor Ronan safely head back to the goalkeeper by a home defender.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall attempted to use the wind to his advantage on 53 minutes, the on-loan Leicester City man seeing his corner almost deceive Day at the near post - only for the keeper to punch clear at the last moment.

The Seasiders began to turn the screw, both Madine and Dewsbury-Hall having shots blocked before Taylor Moore missed a gilt-edged chance to make the breakthrough.

The defender was set up by a delightful lay-off from Madine, but the defender couldn’t control his first-time volley which flew narrowly over.

The game finally threatened to spark into life, with Pool’s desperation to break the deadlock opening up spaces behind their backline.

Thankfully Ollie Turton did superbly to halt one quick counter in particular, the defender tackling Joe Piggott just as the striker threatened to go clear through on goal.

Another huge chance went begging for Blackpool on 68 minutes when Ronan was allowed to surge through on goal despite appearing offside.

The midfielder laid it onto a plate for Delfouneso, who opted to take a touch instead of shooting first time and eventually being crowded out. On the rebound, Ronan then saw his low, drilled effort cleared away from goal.

The longer the game went on without Pool making that breakthrough, the more Wimbledon began to threaten.

With just eight minutes left on the clock, Maxwell was called into action to make a diving save to his right to deny substitute Alan Roscrow.

The Dons, now growing in confidence after being under the cosh for so long, came even closer two minutes later when Maxwell superbly tipped over Shane McLoughlin’s effort.

Just as the clock ticked into stoppage time, Pool squandered yet another golden chance to win it.

Dewsbury-Hall delivered a promising deep free kick that fell to the unmarked James Husband at the back post, yet the defender failed to hit the target.

It meant the Seasiders were left to rue their wastefulness in front of goal yet again, the issue being one that has plagued their League One campaign.

TEAMS

Wimbledon: Day, O’Neill, Thomas (McDonald), Hartigan, Rudoni, Sorensen, Reilly (McLoughlin), Osew, Wagstaff, Appiah (Roscrow), Piggott

Subs not used: Trott, Pinnock, Lamy, Guiness-Walker

Blackpool: Maxwell, Turton, Moore, Husband, Macdonald, Feeney, Virtue, Ronan, Dewsbury-Hall, Delfouneso, Madine (Nuttall)

Subs not used: Sims, Edwards, Howe, Bola, Spearing, Ward

Referee: Neil Hair

Attendance: 4,593 (540 Blackpool)