By Mark Doig at Hayes Lane
A goal in either half gave AFC Wimbledon a 2-0 South London derby win at Hayes Lane on Monday to hand Bromley their third consecutive League One defeat.
Jayden Stockley scored the opener and then assisted Myles Hippolyte to help Johnnie Jackson’s side to a second league win in five games this season.
Both teams had players making full debuts with Deon Woodman starting for the first time for the hosts and goalkeeper Joe Bursik making his first appearance for the Dons.
Another Ravens signing, Jodi Jones, who was unveiled the previous Friday, was not in the match-day eighteen.
The visitors went ahead in the ninth minute. James Tilley crossed from the right and Stockley headed home from fifteen yards.
Kamil Conteh fired over for Bromley, then Corey Whitely delivered a delicious cross that nobody was able to tuck home before Bursik was out quickly to save at the feet of Michael Cheek.
Injury substitutions were necessary for both teams just shy of the half-hour mark. The Dons were forced to replace Tilley with Callum Maycock, while Bromley took off goalkeeper Shamal George with debutant Owen Mason coming on, and Woodman was replaced by Kamarl Grant.
Steve Seddon shot high over the bar for Wimbledon before the teams had a chance apiece in first-half stoppage-time. Cheek hit a low first-time shot wide of the near post, then the visitors’ right wing-back Steven Sessegnon shot the wrong side of the upright at the end of their slickest passing move of the half.
After the restart, George Saville looped a header onto the roof of the net for the hosts before Stockley had a free header from a Seddon corner but nodded it straight into the arms of Mason.
It was then Bromley’s turn to put together a swift passing move to give Konteh a sight of goal and his powerful shot was kept out unconventionally Bursik with his left leg.
Midway through the second half, with the hosts starting to exert pressure, Wimbledon countered to score their crucial second. Stockley broke away down the right and sent a brilliant pass over the top to send Hippolyte away. He kept his composure and fired clinically inside the far post giving Mason no chance.
Although there was much endeavour after that, the two defences coped with all that was thrown at them. Hippolyte pulled a shot wide at one end and Saville hooked over at the other but the game petered out after that with the Dons holding on comfortably to claim the bragging rights.
Summer signing from Port Vale Stockley, 32, credited Jackson for restoring his joy of playing.
“It’s been great,” Stockley said. “Over time, you get to know different attributes from the players, the personalities of the group are great.
“Everyone’s slightly different in their own ways. They get motivated in different ways. So the way you speak to different people has to change.
“But I feel like I’m an older player within the group. Not too old, but someone that can speak to everyone and there’s some really great characters in there, whatever age.
“And it feels like a really good place for me to be at the moment. I’m enjoying my football again massively – I’ve got the gaffer to thank for that and the club.”
