Three kings reign supreme

AIDAN O'Neill goes on the outside of the AFC Wimbledon defence

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IT was fitting that even in a rubber as dead-as-a-dodo as this one, between two sides who appear severely stressed whenever in sight of the opposition's goal, that three men stood out prominently.

Athletic's supporters were already in party mood before kick-off, serenading John Sheridan onto the pitch and into the dug-out within spitting distance of them at a jam-packed, cramped Kingsmeadow.

On the way to matching Les Pogliacomi's all-time club record of 18 clean sheets, Connor Ripley had to use his hands, feet and every inch of his sizeable frame to repel Wimbledon's attempts to break their five-game scoring duck. The acrobatic leap to his right to tip away Lyle Taylor's 77th-minute free-kick was the best of the bunch, earning him the post-game applause the Middlesbrough loanee responded to with warmth and typical class.

The 24-year-old is simply too good to be caged in League One and is surely destined for the Championship, the bare minimum reflection of his burgeoning talents.

And the trio of men who have done more than anyone to keep up the club this term is completed by skipper Peter Clarke.

He proved his unbowed dedication to the cause by clearing an Andy Barcham shot off the line quite brilliantly in the first half.

Both Clarke and Ripley played in every minute of the 46 league games and you dread to think what might have been had that contribution been significantly reduced by injury - or rather, injuries that lesser characters would not have played through.

Sheridan put out a team containing seven changes here and frankly, some players proved why they had not been selected of late.

Disjointed in the first half though better after the break, if Dominic Poleon had brought his shooting boots then Wimbledon might have won at a canter.

Ryan Flynn and Josh Law went closest for Athletic and Michael Ngoo wasted a fine opportunity, but a point was pushing hard at the ceiling of what Athletic can claim to have deserved here.

Ripley and Clarke did their bit to keep a clean sheet, though, and worthy of mention, too, are home-grown defensive duo George Edmundson and Jamie Stott. Both went about their business with the minimum off fuss.

Athletic started looking like a side containing players who had not seen too much meaningful action of late.

Sloppiness contributed to Poleon and Barcham enjoying themselves down the flanks and after the impressive Jake Reeves had seen a shot deflect just wide, veteran defender Paul Robinson produced a header Ripley spilled and then flicked away from danger with a left leg.

Clarke produced his terrific clearance; Poleon, in a superb position centrally, wastefully shot too close to Ripley; and Taylor hit a post with a header from a right-wing cross he nodded first into the turf. As it bounced back into play, Poleon was wide with his header from six yards out, albeit under pressure.

Tope Obadeyi had Athletic's only shot in the first half, two minute before the interval from a difficult angle with James Shea able to tip it over.

Athletic got better after that. Flynn brought a long pass down superbly and fired close to the right upright with his left foot and Ngoo should have at least hit the target when unmarked in the middle from a right-flank cross.

Poleon was denied by the outstretched leg of the over-worked Ripley just after the hour and the same man failed to connect properly with the goal gaping after 71 minutes.

Flynn had to stall his run fractionally when meeting a pass from the highly energetic Aiden O'Neill three minutes later and entering the box with only Shea to beat, the check allowed the goalkeeper to smother his effort.

Ripley denied Taylor from a 20-yard free-kick and Law smashed a shot from further out a yard over.

It would have been a high-quality and therefore wholly unfitting denouement had the net rippled.

Next season, Sheridan will look to ensure that Athletic manage to achieve that aim far more often. For now, it was appropriate to salute his sterling work in 2016-17.

IN A NUTSHELL: Athletic's qualities and deficiencies were laid bare.