Page 20 - CHESSINGTON & HOOK UTD vs WESTSIDE - 2019-20 Season

AFC WIMBLEDON JOIN THE LEAGUE

The 2002-3 season wit-
nessed AFC Wimbledon’s
entry into the Combined
Counties League Premier
Division, prompted by the
FA’s decision to sanction the
relocation of Wimbledon
FC to Milton Keynes.

ith former player Terry
WEames taking over the
helm, the Dons’ season got off
to an encouraging start with a
1-2 away win against Sandhurst
Town before stumbling to a 1-2
home defeat against Chipstead
at Kingsmeadow. A further away
defeat; in August, falling 3-2 to
Ash United seemed to confirm
that it wasn’t going to be an
easy return to league football.
Wimbledon’s season gathered
momentum in mid-September,
winning ten games in succession. The The second encounter of the season
season concluded with AFC Wimbledon was a more one-sided affair, 1,485 am-
in third place, all in all, a promising re- bled down Chalky Lane, on the 15th of
turn for the Dons. February, to witness the Dons clean up,
Chessington & Hook United’s first en- a Kevin Cooper hat-trick secured the
counter with AFC Wimbledon; on No- 0-3 win, with the goals coming in the
vember the 2nd, saw a crowd of 3,350 55th, 86th and 90th minute. Cooper fin-
braving the rain at Kingsmeadow and ished the season as Wimbledon’s leading
cheering their side to a 2-1 victory. Goals goalscorer with a total of 38 goals.
from Neil Robson in the 55th minute, Perhaps the only consolation for the
with Chessington & Hook drawing lev- Chessington & Hook supporters was a
el 3 minutes later with a Neil Bailey goal visit to the beer tent, erected specially
following a free-kick, and Kevin Cooper for the match.
scoring the winner in the 63rd min.