Tonight's reserve team match has been cancelled as Bracknell apparently cannot get a team together

Reserves tonight (<Tue 13 April>)   

The AFC Wimbledon bandwagon rolls inexorably on with the final reserve home match of the season tonight at Hampton & Richmonds Beveree Stadium.

Bracknell are the opposition for a 7.45 kick-off. Lewis Taylor, Simon Bassey and Gareth Graham will all figure, so get down there if you can to enjoy some more flowing football from the boys in yellow and blue.

How was it for you? (<Tue 13 April>) 

After the final whistle at Walton, we grabbed Nicky English in the tunnel to tell us his immediate thoughts:
"I feel absolutely tremendous. It's a great relief that we've done it. It's been a fantastic week we've reached a cup final and won the league. It couldn't have gone any better. Before the game we knew the pressure was on and it was important to keep doing what we have been doing. I know I moan about the grounds a lot, but that was a difficult pitch and Walton were very up for trying to spoil it for us. They battled very hard and they gave it everything, but it didn't work for them.

"The players were brilliant and the crowd were behind them and the two together are very hard to beat. The crowd when they're in a mood like they were in today are worth a goal to us. I've never experienced anything like the moment the final whistle went. I need to take some time to sit down and remember it all gather my thoughts and make sure I don't forget a moment of the day. The support of the crowd was very important to me. That's all I ever wanted when I took on the job on an acting basis and they showed today that they are behind me. They have been fantastic and I can't thank them enough.

"This is as good as it gets. You have to put what we did in perspective. People say we've got a better team than anyone else in the league and so it should be easy, but it's not. We're still going unbeaten and that's an amazing achievement no matter how good your squad just look at Arsenal. It's really not easy because everybody wants to bring you down. And you have to keep changing things and keep working all the time. We have to continue now because we want to keep that unbeaten run and win the cup. So we'll keep going right to the end of the season. I can't praise the players highly enough for their efforts to have brought us this far."

And the morning after the night before, we saw how Matt Everard and Kevin Cooper were feeling and what they made of it all. Matt Everard, who was just getting to work after a morning off, told us:
"I'd like to say the reaction was like that the last time I won the league with Ash, but it wasn't! I think the scenes yesterday were what you might expect for a Division Three side I certainly don't think the CCL will see anything like that again.

"I wasn't that nervous before the game. I was always confident that we'd win it. To be fair, we worried about the pitch, but in the end I thought we were comfortable. I think Walton were affected by the crowd and the occasion more than we were. The early goal settled us down, so it was nice to get that. I always thought we'd need more than one, and once Coops netted both his the day was always going to be ours.

"I think I was one of the more subdued players when the whistle went. I went to shake hands with the ref and the Walton players before going mental afterwards. The whole night was just mental that's not something I've ever experience before. But now we want to put ourselves in the record books and stay unbeaten for the season in the League. With that and people playing for places in the Cup Final, I don't think it'll be a dull end to the season!"

Kevin Cooper, who took his tally for the season to 53 with a brace, was still buzzing by Tuesday lunchtime:
"That was just an unbelievable day from start to finish. As soon as we heard the Wallingford result the pressure was on us not to let everyone down. During the last 20 minutes, I thought it would be a subdued affair really. I didn't expect it to go that mental. Mind you, I suppose I was spraying the crowd with champagne, so I can't talk! Seeing people standing there with tears in their eyes really made you realise just how much this means to people.

"As far as the game went, we did really well against a good side. That first goal I didn't hit properly at all I was aiming for the bottom corner but just mishit it and it came off the defender. That's why the keeper didn't get to it. But they all count. I was chuffed with the second one. At half-time Nicky said that the next goal was crucial. It would either kill them off or bring them right back into the game, and they really came at us at the start of the second half. They really wanted to spoil it for us, but once we had that third we were comfortable and they had nothing left in the last 20 minutes.

"I've never been involved in anything like that before. Without doubt it's the best day of my footballing life. And it makes you want more! I can't wait for the cup final now and the presentation at the end of the season. I've got a sore head and I'm struggling a little at work. I must have been drunk because I was singing. You'd never get me to sing normally, and I was going up and demanding to sing, so I'd like to apologise for that. My girlfriend and I were still talking about the celebrations this morning it was a fantastic night and there's more to come."

Finally, Coops has also become the Dons all-time top league goalscorer in a single season, overtaking Eddie Reynolds' 40 league goal mark. He now has 42 in the league, with 53 overall, and is closing in Reynolds' overall season record of 57. The allegedly ginger striker said:
"The chairman pointed out I'd beat Eddie's league record last night, so that was an added bonus. Hopefully I can get those extra goals and take that record in the last few games. I can't wait to play the last few games, have some fun and hopefully score some more. Roll on Saturday! "

Champions... in pictures here

Walton Casuals 0-3 AFC Wimbledon (Tue 13 April>) 

AFC Wimbledon secured the league championship with an untroubled 3-0 win at Walton Causals, sparking chaotic scenes of celebration. A draw between AFC Wallingford and Reading Town in the morning kick-off meant Nicky English and his side knew a victory would make the title mathematically certain. With Jamie Angell ruled out by suspension, Danny Oakins reverted to centre back and Lee Sidwell filled in at full-back.

The team actually appeared nervous for once as they ran out in the all-white strip, and struggled to dominate the game as much as they would like on a difficult surface.
But nerves were soon calmed by a trademark set piece goal. Ryan Gray swung the ball into the six yard box and Matt Everard (who else?) powered home a header on just four minutes. "Not Everard again," groaned the home officials, as the first tentative bursts of "Champions" rang out prematurely from sections of the crowd.

One goal was never going to be enough to feel secure against a side that have caused the Dons a few problems in previous meetings, but the cushion of a second came on 17 minutes. Kevin Cooper netted his 52nd of the season with a low drive that fortuitously deflected off a defender's leg and bobbled over the keeper's dive. It wasn't the most well struck shot, but no-one was minded to complain about the outcome.

Both sides huffed and puffed for the remainder of the half without creating any real chances of note. Ex-Don Craig Carley fizzed a shot wide for the Casuals and Gray blazed a difficult chance over the bar after an Everard knock-down.

In the second-half, as the volume increased, Cooper put the result beyond doubt with a shimmy and low fizzing shot from the edge of the area on 63 minutes. Thereafter Everard headed a corner over and Jamie Taylor was denied by a near post block after being set up by Gavin Bolger and Shane Small-King. The best remaining chance fell to Taylor, but he took too long on the ball when clean through and allowed Andrews to save.

While not carving out as many chances as in previous games, the Dons looked untroubled at the back and, with Simon Bassey, Gareth Graham and Paul Quinn getting into the action as substitutes, they played out time until the final whistle confirmed that the CCL trophy will be heading for Kingsmeadow on May 8.

Jamie Angell and the injured Andy Sullivan, Joe Sheerin and Steve Gibson joined the management team by the dugout with the first bottles of champagne in their hands. As the whistle went, the whole squad ran to the packed end behind the goal they had been attacking and the celebrations began. After a lap of the pitch, the team congregated in front of the tunnel and were joined by the vast majority of the near-capacity crowd.

The celebrations continued afterwards at Kingsmeadow as fans, players, management and officials marked the momentous achievement of securing the title at Easter and the first league crown for a Wimbledon side since the Division Four championship in 1983. Championes, championes, ole, ole, ole

Walton: Andrews, Ennis, Cayford, Dowling, Osikoya, Carley (D'Rozario 71), Wynne (Keywoood 46), Pearson, Ball, Gale, Harris (Fennell 73).
Not used: Cooksley, Cobden.
Booked: Pearson 21, Wynne 34, Harris 43.

Dons (4-4-2): Standen; Sidwell, Everard, Oakins, Dobinson; Small-King, Favata (Graham 73), Bolger, Gray (Quinn 76); J Taylor, Cooper (Bassey 68).
Not used: L Taylor, Bamfo.
Goals: Everard 4, Cooper 17, 63
Booked: Oakins 21

Att: 1,748

Squad named(<Sun 11April>) 

NICKY English has named the following squad for tomorrow's league encounter against Walton Casuals at Franklyn Road Sports Ground, Walton, kick-off 3pm:

Ross Standen, Danny Oakins, Matt Everard, Darren Dobinson, Lewis Taylor, Paul Quinn, Simon Bassey, Lee Sidwell, Gareth Graham, Seb Favata, Gavin Bolger, Ryan Gray, Jamie Taylor, Kevin Cooper, Jones Bamfo, Shane Small-King.

Jamie Angell is missing through suspension which runs up to and including Sunday 18 April.

Nicky said:
"I was very pleased with the way we won on Thursday. I thought we were excellent in the first half. On Saturday we played well in patches, but it's hard to be unhappy with a 6-0 win. If we can win tomorrow it will have been an excellent few days. If Wallingford don't win and those points mean tomorrow's the day we win the league, then that would be great, but we need to concentrate on our game. Walton are a very good side. They have been on a decent run and will be desperate to be the team to beat us. I've always said we can't walk with a swagger until we win something, so until we actually have that title in the bag, we won't be celebrating anything."

AFC Wimbledon have been drawn away to BAT Sports in the Third Round of the FA Vase.

The match will be played on Saturday 13 December away. This game replaces the match against AFC Wallingford that was due to be played at Kingsmeadow.