REPORT: AFC WIMBLEDON 2, PETERBOROUGH UNITED 1: Miserable run continues as Posh lose to bogey team despite dominating possession

Posh saw plenty of possession and dominated the first-half, but failed to take their chances.

Wimbledon improved after the break and scored twice in eight minutes through forwards Ryan Longman and Joe Pigott. Jonson Clarke-Harris replied direct from a free kick 20 minutes from time, but despite hogging the ball in the latter stages Posh failed to work home goalkeeper Connell Truman.

It completed a miserable few days for Posh after their embarrassing FA Cup exit at the hands of non-league Chorley.

Posh made three changes to the side that started the FA Cup fiasco. Two were heavily signposted before the game as top scorer Clarke-Harris and top defender Nathan Thompson returned from injury in place of Mo Eisa and Dan Butler.

Butler is injured, but Eisa’s absence from the matchday squad was presumably form-related.

Former Posh skipper Alex Woodyard started for the real Dons who were playing their fourth match in eight days.

And Posh looked the sharper side from kick-off. They deployed Ryan Broom very wide one the right and he proved to be a very useful outlet.

He should have scored in the 11th minute though. Siriki Dembele robbed a dithering defender on the right, raced into the area, pulled the ball back to Broom who was unmarked 12 yards out, but his well-struck shot cannoned into the crossbar.

Posh bossed possession for much of the opening half and weaved some pretty patterns. Central midfielders Reed and Jack Taylor played some incisive passes, but Posh failed to test Truman until the 42nd minute when more Dembele brilliance left Sammie Szmodics one on one, but his shot was saved.

Otherwise the ball wouldn’t drop for Posh in the penalty area despite several crosses into the danger zone.

The home side only threatened occasionally usually through the busy Ryan Longman and his interchange with Joe Pigott led to the latter forcing Posh ‘keeper Christy Pym into a save.

But the Dons livened up in the second-half and took the lead in the 54th minute when Cheye Alexander was given too much time to advance to the edge of the area. Pym saved his shot, but Longman was on hand to convert the rebound.

The goal disrupted out of form Posh and a 61st minute corner led to a goal for Pigott, his third in three seasons in this fixture.

Mark Beevers won the corner, but headed it against an opponent, but the ball fell kindly for the home skipper to stab home from close range.

Posh started to dominate possession again, but there was precious little invention unless Dembele was skipping past defenders.

Clarke-Harris provided hope direct from a 20-yard free kick, but clear chances remained elusive.

Dembele accepted a Thompson pass in the area, but saw a fierce shot well blocked and Reed thumped narrowly over the crossbar from 25 yards after more fine work from Dembele.

But the Posh challenge fizzled out. Indeed Wimbledon almost claimed a third goal with Pigott striking the crossbar from a 25 yard free kick.

It’s now four defeats in five competitive matches for Posh with a daunting trip to Portsmouth on Saturday to follow (December 5).

Posh: Christy Pym, Nathan Thompson (sub Idris Kanu, 83 mins), Frazer Blake-Tracy, Frankie Kent, Mark Beevers, Louis Reed, Jack Taylor, Ryan Broom (sub Ethan Hamilton, 68 mins), Siriki Dembele, Sammie Szmodics, Jonson Clarke-Harris.

Unused substitutes: Dan Gyollai, Reece Brown, Harrison Burrows, Niall Mason, Flynn Clarke.

AFC Wimbledon: Connoll Truman, Daniel Cszoka (sub Terrell Thomas, 82 mins), Alex Woodyard, Will Nightingale, Cheye Alexander, Anthony Hartigan, Jack Rudoni (sub Callum Reilly, 90 + 1 mins), Nesta Guinness-Walker, Ben Heneghan, Ryan Longman (sub Ethan Chislett, 86 mins), Joe Pigott.

Unused substitutes: Nick Tzanev, Ollie Palmer,Shaun McLaughlin, Steve Seddon.

GOALS: Posh - Clarke-Harris (71 mins).

Wimbledon - Longman (54 mins), Pigott (61 mins).

CAUTIONS: Posh -

Wimbledon - Woodyard (foul), Nightingale (foul).

REFEREE: Kevin Johnson 7.