AFC Wimbledon passed their first big test of pre-season with flying colours against former Manchester United star Jaap Stam’s Reading at the weekend.
New boys Dean Parrett and Dominic Poleon stole the headlines with the goals in an impressive 2-0 win over the Championship side.
Here are five of the talking points from a positive day for the men from Kingsmeadow.
Perfect dress rehearsal
Dons know their comparatively small budget means they are likely to spend plenty of time without the ball in English football’s third tier. In that sense The Royals were a perfect test with their probing possession football.
Neal Ardley’s men proved up to the task despite a shorter summer and pre-season than their rivals, their shape, concentration and physical fitness levels reducing the Championship visitors to just two or three real openings.
Poleon – ready to realise potential
This time last year Ardley took a gamble on Lyle Taylor and the rest as they say is history. Like Taylor, Poleon has arrived at the Wombles as a young man perhaps yet to realise his potential. Well, on this evidence there could be exciting times ahead.
Quick and with a low centre of gravity which makes him elusive to defenders, the former Leeds and Oldham striker scored his second goal in three pre-season outings. He will of course need to reproduce the level week in week out to nail down a starting shirt.
New boys in focus
Parrett, another who has perhaps not yet reached the heights people thought he might as a youngster at Tottenham scored after just 14 seconds and produced an industrious first half before being withdrawn with a slight knock.
Former St Mirren defender Sean Kelly impressed against high-class opposition, claiming an assist for Poleon’s goal and looking defensively sound. He could be the man to fill the void in the squad left by Callum Kennedy’s summer departure.
Sweeney and Nightingale step up
Dons’ two young centre-backs were outstanding in the rear-guard. Ryan Sweeney was our man of the match by some distance, his powerful display belying the fact his tall frame is yet to fill out fully, while one goal-saving challenge by Will Nightingale suggested maturity beyond his tender years.
Darius Charles and Paul Robinson will remain the sitting tenants at the heart of the defence for now, but these two home-grown talents are blossoming well.
All the colours of the rainbow
The footwear choices of the Dons players proved a veritable multi-coloured swap-shop with green, blue, orange, yellow and even luminous pink on offer.
Call me an old fogey, but I prefer black, but that said, if Dons can let their feet do the talking like this when the season starts in earnest fans, myself included, won’t care what colour footwear they sport.
