Southend United 0-1 AFC Wimbledon

Dons inched closer to safety as Jack Midson’s penalty wrecked the hopes of a club he used to play for.

The spot-kick just before the hour left a lot desired as it squirmed under the body of the keeper and trickled over the line, but AFC will almost certainly be over the safety line on Good Friday if they beat Newport.

This was a first win in four and a vital one with both Northampton and Torquay at the bottom collecting maximum points, and one owing much to a stalwart defence and an AFC side showing plenty of heart.

Ross Worner took an early clattering as he bravely came out for a through ball intended for Will Atkinson.

The keeper got the ball but he also Atkinson’s knee before finally getting up two minutes later.

A huge throw saw John Egan on his own at the back of the box, but his misconnection trickled through to Worner with Dons breathing a collective sigh of relief.

Neat interplay demanded a better save from Dan Bentley at the other end when Kwesi Appiah fired in from an angle after he latched on to Jack Midson’s chip inside.

Darren Jones was an inch over with a flying header from George Francomb’s corner, but the recovered Worner was down lightning quick to deny a snap shot from Jamar Loza after 32 minutes.

Harry Pell’s was the body blocking a Loza chance from six yards in time added on at the end of the half.

Southend started the better in the second period as well, and a succession of crosses needed Don heads aplenty to thwart the danger.

When Kwesi Appiah was unceremoniously shoved to one side just before the hour, it fell to Midson to stick the penalty away.

For a heart-stopping second it looked as if Bentley had saved the shot to his left, but it squirmed loose to trickle over the line.

For some reason best known to himself, Appiah hung on to the ball in the net sparking a player scrum and a yellow card for the man in the yellow shirt.

Worner was the hero when he went full length to divert a rocket from Egan on 72 minutes.

The game started a minute later than the required 3.07pm in memory of the Hillsborough victims, but Dons caught up to take three precious points, just as they did last season in a 3-1 win. much to the delight of 664 AFC fans.

Dons, 4-4-2: Worner; Fuller, Francomb, Jones; Richards; Francomb, Pell; Nicholson (Luke Moore 83), Morris, Midson (Antwi 90), Appiah (Hylton 85); subs not used: Fenlon, Brown, Arthur, Sweeney