Wimbledon's Wombles clean up in 3-1 win at York City

Whether the South Londoners’ 3-1 victory means beleaguered Bootham Crescent boss Russ Wilcox will now be asked to tidy his desk remains to be seen.

Wilcox suffered a fourth straight defeat to Neal Ardley’s Wimbledon team and, with the Minstermen having now gone nine games without a Sky Bet League Two win, the familiar calls for his dismissal were repeated at different intervals in the game and following the final whistle.

City’s board of directors must now decide whether his position remains tenable following an afternoon when the hosts were comprehensively defeated.

Even with injured attacking talisman Adebayo Akinfenwa left at home, the visitors managed to get three strikers on their scoresheet with Ade Azeez, Lyle Taylor and substitute Tom Elliott all finding the net.

For City, Vadaine Oliver netted for the fourth time in five games but his second-half equaliser only restored parity for four minutes after another alarming collapse by a ponderous back line sealed the hosts’ fate.

Wilcox started with a 4-4-2 formation for the first time this season but the decision to leave Michael Coulson marooned out wide for the majority of the match was puzzling given his recent significance to the side.

His withdrawal from the thick of the action certainly stunted the team’s creative potential and Oliver’s goal proved the Minstermen’s only on-target attempt of the afternoon.

Eddie Nolan, who looks like a man who has been rushed back into the side following injury, had earlier set the tone for a shoddy first 45 minutes, giving the ball away twice in dangerous areas during the opening exchanges.

In only the second minute, Jon Meades’ downward header had flashed wide of Scott Flinders’ goal from George Francomb’s corner.

Paul Robinson also hooked wide from 15 yards and Taylor hit the roof of the David Longhurst Stand with an edge-of-the-box effort before threading the ball through the left channel and a flat-footed home defence for Azeez to open the scoring on the quarter-hour mark.

His initial shot was saved by Flinders but the ball went on to rebound over the line off the former Charlton forward.

Flinders then smothered an Azeez drive from 20 yards before Michael Collins’ shot from a similar distance curled narrowly wide at the other end, providing City with their first noteworthy attempt on 40 minutes.

After the restart, Wilcox’s men displayed a little more urgency but Anthony Straker headed wide from Rhys Turner’s left-wing cross.

Taylor went close for the Wombles, meanwhile, when he flashed a 15-yard chance off target before the home side drew level a minute past the hour.

A poor high cross from left-back Femi Ilesanmi was dropped by on-loan Cardiff keeper Ben Wilson and, displaying impressive improvisation with his back to goal, Oliver hooked the ball over his right shoulder into the vacated net.

Four minutes later, though, City were experiencing that sinking feeling again when, after the ball glanced off Straker’s head, Taylor ran past Keith Lowe and in behind John McCombe to slot the ball past an advancing Flinders from ten yards.

Having been signed from Sheffield United for Scunthorpe by Wilcox, Taylor had returned to Yorkshire to haunt his former manager a week before Halloween.

In response, Oliver’s header was deflected wide from a Josh Carson cross and Ben Godfrey drove over from distance but an unmarked Elliott put the outcome beyond doubt when his diving header at the near post from Francomb’s perfectly-delivered, right-wing cross beat Flinders from six yards on 85 minutes.

The City keeper, meanwhile, had to be alert to push an ambitious 40-yard attempt by substitute Christian Toonga to safety and Meades also headed over unopposed from the resulting corner.

Turner went on to fire wide for City in stoppage time but the clock must now be ticking on Wilcox’s year-long reign.

City

Scott Flinders: 6 – left exposed for three goals but made a couple of decent stops

Marvin McCoy: 5 – not assertive enough going forward and caught out-of-position at times

Keith Lowe: 5 – made one goal-saving tackle but had problems defensively otherwise

John McCombe: 4 – made to look sluggish by Wimbledon’s lively strikers

Femi Ilesanmi: 5 – ran with purpose on the ball but suspect at other end of pitch

Michael Coulson: 5 – shackled to flank and his invention was missed in middle

Eddie Nolan: 4 – looked off the pace and sloppy in possession before withdrawal

Michael Collins: 6 – tidy with his ball retention but needs a runner to play alongside

Anthony Straker: 4 – threatened very little from the wing, especially when used on right

STAR MAN Vadaine Oliver: 6 – took his goal really well and battled in attack

Rhys Turner: 5 – willing and worked hard without making any real inroads

Substitutes: Ben Godfrey 6 – eager (for Nolan, 46), Josh Carson 5 - labouring (for Straker, 67), Emile Sinclair (for McCoy, 79).

Subs not used: Michael Ingham, David Tutonda, Dave Winfield, Callum Rzonca.

Wimbledon Ben Wilson, Barry Fuller, Karleigh Osborne, Paul Robinson, Jon Meads, George Francomb, Dannie Bulman, Jake Reeves, Sean Rigg (Callum Kennedy, 21), Ade Azeez (Tom Ellliott, 64), Lyle Taylor (Christian Toonga, 87). Subs not used: Tom Beere, Semi Ajayi, Joe McDonnell, Egli Kaja.

Wimbledon star man: Taylor – City could not handle his pace and power

Referee: Nigel Miller rating: 8/10 – neither side could really have cause for complaint

Booked: Godfrey 88.

Attendance: 3,000 (362 from Wimbledon)

Shots on target: City 1, Wimbledon 7

Shots off target: City 6, Wimbledon 6

Corners: City 5, Wimbledon 7

Fouls conceded: City 4, Wimbledon 8

Offsides: City 4, Wimbledon 2