AFC Wimbledon 2-1 Coventry City: Late goals send Sky Blues out of Carabao Cup

Ryan McLean's winner game as the tie seemed to be heading to penaltiesImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Ryan McLean's winner came as the tie seemed to be heading to penalties

AFC Wimbledon scored two late goals to knock Championship side Coventry City out of the Carabao Cup and will be away to Chelsea in the second round.

Ryan McLean grabbed the winner in the third minute of injury time after Omar Bugiel's 86th-minute equaliser for the League Two team.

The hosts were seemingly heading towards a first-round exit thanks to a 17th-minute penalty scored by Matt Godden.

Wimbledon started the game on the front foot, with James Tilley going close inside the opening couple of minutes, with his shot zipping just wide.

That was as good as it got for the Dons - until the final minutes.

Haji Wright made his full debut for the Sky Blues following his £7.7m move from Turkish club Antalyaspor. He looked bright early on, with his ninth-minute shot being saved by Nik Tzanev.

Wright then drew a foul in the box and Godden converted from the penalty spot to give the Championship side the lead.

Gustavo Hamer went close to making it two in the 34rd minute, only for his free-kick to bend wide.

Wright threatened throughout the game, but the visitors were unable to increase their lead.

With time running out, Wimbledon equalised through Bugiel, who smashed the ball home from 20 yards after Coventry failed to clear a left-wing cross.

A penalty shootout looked likely before McLean clinched his side's place in the second-round draw with a dramatic winner at the far post.

AFC Wimbledon boss Johnnie Jackson:

"It's early days, obviously, but any successful team has that base of solidity and defensive structure and I think we looked like that.

"Coventry had their moments - they've got quality players - but if we want to do anything, you have got to have that base.

"We're trying to build a squad where you've got competition for places and you've got people that are tough to leave out.

"But, when you're looking behind you to make changes, you know they're going to come on and have a positive influence on the game."

Coventry City manager Mark Robins:

"I don't think we deserved anything - we could have won if we'd done things right, but we didn't.

"We didn't pick the right passes out, we went too long at times and it was just unlike us. Really, they should have been a couple of goals up before the penalty, so we're a little bit lucky coming in 1-0 up.

"So we speak about that at half time and how we can be better and we end up looking poor in the second half too.

"It's a new team so I've got to be careful what I say; I'm making substitutions for physical reasons rather than tactical reasons at the moment because I'm trying to get everyone fit."

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