Wimbledon 3-2 East Grinstead
Ben Hawes believes Phil Roper’s form could decide Wimbledon’s fate this season after he scored twice in the club’s first league win of the campaign on Saturday.
The England international was influential throughout the first half against struggling East Grinstead, scoring his team’s first two goals before the Sussex side hit back through Simon Faulkner.
Just before half time, Wimbledon’s new signing Caspar Phijffer made it three, before Grinstead’s Adam Seccull scored early in the second half to create a tense finale.
Wimbledon managed to hold on to move up to fifth in the Premier Division.
Coach Hawes said: “We controlled the first half really well and we created a lot of opportunities. However, we were a bit frantic in the second half.
“I think we showed naivety considering we’ve got plenty of experience in the side, but it’s still a new team.
“Phil is class . There’s no better player in my eyes in this league and on his day, he is both a goal scorer and a creator.
“He will have a big say in what we do but there are a lot of other players, which helped us win the championship last year.”
Wimbledon opened the scoring in the seventh minute through Roper when his early shot on the turn rifled its way past Paddy Smith into the top of the net.
A quarter of an hour later, he doubled the lead via a powerful drag-flick.
However, the visitors pulled a goal back four minutes later when Faulkner’s drag-flick beat James Bailey for pace.
Phijffer restored Wimbledon’s two-goal advantage when he found space to slap the ball into the bottom left-hand corner.
Seccull cut the deficit in half from a penalty corner eight minutes after the restart but Wimbledon held their nerve.
Wimbledon travel to Cannock, who sit one place below them in the league, next Sunday.
The ladies’ first team played away on the same day but were held to a 1-1 draw against winless Chelmsford.
The hosts went ahead through Hayley Heggie early on in the second half from a penalty corner.
A resolute Wimbledon side equalised in the 55th minute through Scotland’s Nicola Lloyd.
The result meant they dropped to fifth in the table with five points and they host third-placed Cambridge City on Saturday.
Feature image of Phil Roper
