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Notts County 0-1 Wimbledon: Remarkable saves, last-ditch clearances, late red card, heated scenes

Notts County 0-1 Wimbledon: This playoff semi final 1st leg saw remarkable saves, last-ditch clearances, a late red card, and heated scenes.

Riley Harbottle’s header just before the hour mark proved the difference, giving Wimbledon a slender lead to take into the second leg of this League Two clash.

Notts County were left frustrated as goalkeeper Owen Goodman made a string of remarkable saves, earning his 23rd clean sheet of the season, while Josh Neufville’s crucial goalline clearance denied Conor Grant a potential equaliser.

The match took a dramatic turn in stoppage time when Notts’ Alassana Jatta received a straight red card for a two-footed tackle on Alistair Smith, sparking heated scenes.

Notts County also lost David McGoldrick to injury, compounding their challenges ahead of the second leg on May 17th.

Despite the loss, Notts showed fight, with Jodi Jones hitting the post and Grant being thwarted multiple times, making the tie far from decided.

Riley Harbottle told Sky Sports: “It’s nice against my home own club. We’re delighted but nothing is done yet, We’ll stay focused.

“A lot of my friends and family will be upset but it’s a job and a game and I have loved every minute.

“Nothing changes, we wanted to win the game tonight and we’ll go home and want to win the game there as well.”

Notts County head coach Stuart Maynard speaking to BBC Radio Nottingham:

“When we’ve had adversity and bumps in the road I knew that this group would bounce back and tonight is one of our best performances at home this season. I’m not sure how we’ve not won.

“I think we deserved to win comfortably, their goalkeeper got man of the match. We probably should have had a penalty in the first and second but I need to watch them back.”

On the red card to Alassana Jatta:

“Everyone’s seen the performance of the officials. It happened so fast, there was a shirt pull around the neck and makes him lunge. I need to watch it back and we’ll make a decision and a call [to appeal].”

More on the his side’s performance and the second leg:

“I thought we performed to an unbelievable level.

“We kept getting into those areas and we have to take that positivity in the second leg and I believe we can go though. But we have to make sure we put in that level of performance if we’re to go to Wembley.

“I’m confident, I don’t think you’ve seen a team open them up as we have done tonight.”

AFC Wimbledon boss Johnnie Jackson told Sky Sports: “I loved my team’s performance, it was very, very good. We had to suffer a bit, they are a good team, with good players and it was a bit of a cauldron.

“The attitude of my players was the most pleasing.

“We need to be ready to do what we have done tonight one more time.”

Jackson praised Owen Goodman and his former keeper Alex Bass for their heroics in goal but added: “Owen pulled out a save in the first half that was especially unbelievable. He’s playing behind statistically the best defence in the league, he deserved the plaudits tonight but it was a real strong defensive display from everyone.”

As for the game plan for the second leg with a slender lead, he said: “We have to try and win, we can’t sit back on the lead and defend what we have got. We’ll have the same mindset. Go and approach it in the right way.”

He also admitted it was ‘a cruel twist of fate’ the game was scheduled for the evening meaning he missed his wife’s 40th birthday party but added: “It was definitely worth it.”

Luke Williams, former Notts County boss on Sky Sports: “I think it was a harsh red card. His emotion probably made the referee’s mind up for him.

“It hampers their chances if he and David McGoldrick can’t play in the second leg, but it’s a chance for other players. I still believe.”

Wimbledon keeper Owen Goodman, man of the match, told Sky Sports: “It’s been a good night for us, we wanted to win, now we have to go back and do the same thing again at home. We’ll put the work in.

“Josh’s block on the line was probably my favourite one of the lot.

“We’ll enjoy the night and move on to next week.

“I’ve loved every minute of the season, I’m playing with a smile on my face and will keep going.”

Aaron McLean, Sky Sports pundit, on the Alassana Jatta red card: “When you lunge into a challenge like that you give the referee a tough decision to make

“Having seen it back seven, eight, nine times do I think it’s a red card? No. But once you lunge into a challenge like that, I know as a player if I leave the ground and dive into a challenge like that I’m running the risk of getting a red card.”

Here’s how fans reacted to Notts County 0-1 Wimbledon with remarkable saves, last-ditch clearances, a late red card, and heated scenes…

@LEGS223 (Replying to @Official_NCFC): And how will you describe this? Jatta politely attempts an eyeball examination?

@CodeUnknownYT: I dont get how people are saying this isnt a red lol. Jatta dives in two footed, leaves the ground and has zero control at full speed. Its the very deffinition of reckless lol

@Footy_Tipster: EFL referees are so bad, it needs sorting out. Awful decisions and that’s just today.

@murphystanacc:
“It ain’t a red”
Shut up

@achandler2409: Yep. Ref called that right. Two footed lunge. Stupid boy.

@ShaunHoughton9: if they ref did his job in the first place that challenge wouldn’t have been made( not a red card challenge) foul blown for the pull, officiating in the @EFL is shocking and has been for the past few years

@joshtidyy: Looking at that he’d be lucky to get a 3 match ban, nevermind have the red card overturned 🤣🤣

@JacobWSmith10: That’s an abysmal decision. He doesn’t even touch smith. Deserves a red for what happened after the card but the tackle isn’t even close to a red. Refs had a shocker.

@RyanEvans29: Should not be a red on Jatta. Especially after he damn near got his shirt ripped off and no call was made. Unfortunate to see at the end of the game. I’m wondering after what he was doing after the red card if he will face additional punishment. #NCOWIM #SkyBetPlayoffs

@nickhucks: People trying to claim this wasn’t a sending off is absolutely hilarious

@zw_notts: The fuck was he thinking doing this the absolute pleb

@Alexanderlarter: got the ball. good tackle. the leaving the ground nonsense is so so so bad. It’s all about control and intent. He got the ball, 100% the ball. Simulation by the AFCW player made is look like he caught him. He didn’t. Should be overturned and the diving guy suspended.

@JRGills2000: This is equivalent to 3 red cards but they’ll happily defend him, remember that clean tackle when we beat them 1-0 and they acted as if the bloke nearly died majority of their fan base have got to be the biggest cry babies

@Conpne03: Two footed someone, hit someone in the face and pulled someone’s hair and you lot are claiming never a red 🤣🤣

@stevierobatkins: The ref has had an absolute shocker and made a situation for himself. Not only does Jatta get the ball, he makes no contact with the Wimbledon man at all. But that said, he can’t react the way he did.

@chriskew_1: Notts getting schooled there by AFC bullying a weak Ref.

@craigyjones17: Hardly touched the Wimbledon player but it doesn’t make any difference. If you jump into a tackle with your feet off the floor at speed, referee’s are always going to send you off. Like it or not, it’s a red in today’s game.

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