Walsall 3-1 AFC Wimbledon
Neal Ardley’s AFC Wimbledon were given a tough introduction to League One football at Walsall on the opening day of the season.
The Dons, formed in 2002 as a phoenix club, are playing in the third tier for the first time in their history and were unable to take any points from game one in the West Midlands.
Summer signings Ryan Clarke, Chris Whelpdale and Sean Kelly made their competitive debuts for the Dons at the Bescot Stadium.
The one surprising omission from the starting line-up was that of Jon Meades with the Welshman not fit enough to even take his place on the bench.
Erhun Oztumer broke the deadlock with a goal of the kind of quality that Wimbledon can expect to see more of now they are stepping up a level this season.
The 25-year-old curled in a free-kick from nearly 25 yards out that flew past Clarke and went in off the post.
Wimbledon tried to work their way back into the game and began to get a share of the possession midway through the first period.
Lyle Taylor and Andy Barcham both saw efforts cleared off the line as the Dons started to threaten before disaster struck in the closing stages of the half.
With the visitors failing to clear their lines from a free-kick, Simeon Jackson bundled home the loose ball to give Walsall a commanding lead at the interval.
Big Tom Elliott really should have pulled one back shortly after the restart when he snuck in at the back post and could only direct his header wide of the upright.
Skipper Barry Fuller and the travelling Dons fans were furious with some of the tactics being employed by the Saddlers as they started to try and eek out the second-half minutes.
New front pairing Dominic Poleon and Tyrone Barnett were both chucked into the fray to try and inject some life into the Wimbledon attack.
Elliott departed but Ardley now had three strikers on the pitch and hoped to cause the home side a few problems as the game entered its final third.
However, it was Walsall who wrapped up the points when Jackson claimed his third of the afternoon to compound to really hammer home the size of the task the Dons face this term.
Taylor, Wimbledon's talisman last season, got off the mark with a late penalty to open his account but it was too little too late for the Dons.
There were some positives for Ardley to take despite the scoreline and the Wimbledon supporters were superb but the ruthlessness of the finishing at this level will be a worry.
AFC Wimbledon: Clarke, Fuller, Robinson, Charles, Kelly, Whelpdale (Parrett, 71), Bulman, Reeves, Barcham (Barnett, 67), Elliott (Poleon, 67), Taylor.
Subs (not used): Shea, Nightingale, Beere, Fitzpatrick.
Att: 5,845 (1,049 away).
