Ex-QPR Man Puts AFC Wimbledon Through in FA Cup

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Surrey Herald/Chris Slavin - Ex-QPR defender fires AFC
Wimbledon into FA Cup first round

Basingstoke Town 0-1 AFC Wimbledon

DONS needed a first goal for the club from Ed Harris to secure a spot in Monday's FA Cup draw.[/b

]Harris fired home low in the 71st minute after a Sam Hatton corner was only half cleared by Basingstoke.

It was a timely intervention from the ex-QPR centre-back as Dons were struggling to make an impact against a side one division below them in the non league ladder.

Dons goalkeeper Seb Brown had to be at his best to deny the underdogs from opening the scoring in the third minute as he came out well to deny Greg Draper.

And the hosts made light of the gap in class between the two sides in the first-half with Draper again having another excellent first-half opportunity, but Brown easily saved his weak shot.

Though the visitors dominated the possession, Basingstoke had the best chances and only a superb save by Brown denied the hosts.

The hosts worked a short corner and Ross Adams met a Matt Warner cross with a powerful header that Brown was at full stretch to brilliantly tip over.

Dons started to show their class five minutes before the break when Ricky Wellard and Christian Jolley combined to put the returning Andre Blackman through, but his fierce shot was just too high.

Terry Brown's men failed to make an impact after the break and they should have been behind when Stuart Lake had a great chance from 10 yards, but he shot straight at Brown.

The visitors came close to snatching the lead against the run of play when Danny Kedwell lost his marker, but his shot was turned away by Moore.

However, Dons grabbed the lead in the 71st minute when a Sam Hatton corner was only half cleared and Harris fired a low shot into the bottom corner from 12 yards.

Though Basingstoke pressed for the equaliser, Dons held firm to potentially earn a crack at a league side in the first round proper.

AFC Wimbledon: Brown, Hatton, Blackman (Franks), Gregory, Yakubu, Harris, Wellard (Yussuff), S Moore, Kedwell, Jolley, Jackson

www.surreyherald.co.uk/surrey-sport/afcwimbledon/2010/10/23/ex-qpr-defender-fires-afc-wimbledon-into-fa-cup-first-round-86289-27531799/

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Surrey Herald

AFC Wimbledon boss pays tribute to FA Cup hero Oct 23 2010

By Chris Slavin

DONS boss Terry Brown hailed Ed Harris after he shrugged off illness to be Wimbledon's FA Cup hero at Basingstoke.

Brown considered taking his centre-back off at half-time as he was struggling with the effects of flu, but Harris was determined to battle on and help his side through.

And the manager's decision to keep Harris paid off when the ex-QPR man fired a 71st minute winner that puts Dons into today's live FA Cup draw for the first round.

"Ed was a bit below par physically and he was ill at half-time and during the game," said Brown. "But for him to stay on and get the goal was very good."

Harris could not have picked a better time to score his first Dons goal as Brown's men struggled to make an impact against a side one division below them.

And Brown was far from happy with his side's performance.

"I have to say that I was disappointed with it," he said. "We did not play anywhere near enough of our football and we did not penetrate in attack. "We did not play well and we were carrying four or five players, players that we do not normally carry too.

"Several of my best performers did not perform today, but Basingstoke worked very hard to stop us and you have to give credit to them. It has always been a difficult place to come and I am delighted that we came away with a good cup win."




www.surreyherald.co.uk/surrey-sport/allsport/2010/10/23/afc-wimbledon-boss-pays-tribute-to-fa-cup-hero-86289-27532768/

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FA Cup Draw for First Found Proper made today at UK Lunch(eon) time - 12:30
www.thefa.com/TheFACup/FACompetitions/TheFACup/NewsAndFeatures/2010/4Q-roundup