AFC Wimbledon 4 Raging Fever 1

George Dugdale

Raging Fever ended the year with a disappointing defeat to AFC Wimbledon on an increasingly damp Saturday morning in Surrey.

As any weekend footballer will tell you, the first game after the Christmas break is a difficult one. Too much food has found its way into the system, your slumped outline is now a permanent feature of the sofa and the only time your heart-rate rose was during a particularly gripping Eastenders plot-line.

Fever's Christmas puddings arrived at the pitch to several sights that quickly brought the festive cheer to an end. A sloping pitch, a strong wind, a black cloud that was about to burst and the sight of AFC Wimbledon's players warming up with cones.

The referee was very keen to get the game underway so without the slightest hint of a warm-up, Fever were thrown into the action. With the wind at their backs, Fever started relatively brightly. Dan Pear and Thom Airs combined well in the midfield and Twere looking to release the quick Theo Dominian at every opportunity.

Injured striker John Matthews had made the journey in a goalkeeping capacity but was well protected in the opening stages by Pat Wehmeier and Nick Holloway.

It is Fever tradition that changes are made at the 30 and 60 minute stage. To the bemusement of everybody, the referee informed the players that it was time for the first set of substitutions before anybody had broken sweat. That's not long in Fever terms, but the changes were made and the game continued.

One of Wimbledon's strikers began to drop between the midfield and attack to good effect and it was through him that the hosts took the lead before the break. His clever pass released a team-mate and he took one touch before firing into the roof of Matthews' net.

Again, there was much surprise when the whistle went for half-time minutes later. It turned out that the referee was in a hurry, deemed Fever to have been later than he would have liked and had played a 35 minute first half to compensate. I would say you don't get such incompetency in the Football League, but that would be a dangerous game.

Having failed to create clear cut opportunities in the opening period, Fever were much improved as an attacking force after the break. Pear fired over the bar from range before the luck of the bounce favoured Wimbledon after the goalkeeper had flapped at a corner.

Pear was on a mission to beat the goalkeeper and tried his luck from range after finding space in front of the Dons' back four on a number of occasions. Unfortunately, the midfielder's radar was slightly out after missing most of the season travelling the Southern Hemisphere. If we had been playing in Auckland, the shots would almost certainly have flown in.

Fever's dominance proved to be their undoing as they were caught on the break after their brightest spell. A through-ball released Wimbledon's main striker and he made no mistake tucking the ball inside the post.

The game quickly moved out of Fever's reach as the same man scored with a powerful volley from a corner. Only a combination of George Dugdale and goalkeeper Matthews prevented another goal moments later.

Dugdale fired over from the angle (and pulled a groin in the process) and Dominion scuffed an effort towards goal before Wimbledon made it four. A long clearance isolated the two-goal striker with one Fever defender. It looked like a job well done as he fired in an effort from a tight angle. There wasn't much to do other than applaud when the ball flew into the top corner of the net.

Fever's second half performance had deserved a goal and this arrived in the final minute after good work from Airs. The midfielder charged down a clearance and teed up Rob Muskett. The striker opened his body to slot the ball home off the inside of the post.

It wasn't the ideal end to 2012 for Fever, but the annual fixture with Aston Tirrold will provide an opportunity to return to winning ways in the New Year.

Fever: Matthews, Clyde, Holloway, P Wehmeier, Carter, Dugdale, Airs, Pear, Longshaw, Muskett, Dominian, N Wehmeier, Hill.

Goals:Muskett