Friday 26 December 2014 16:17, UK
AFC Wimbledon increased the pressure on Portsmouth manager Andy Awford with a comfortable 2-0 win at Fratton Park.
Pompey, who have taken just one point from their last four games, nodded off twice at first-half set pieces to concede goals from Frankie Sutherland and Matt Tubbs, and they ended with 10 men when Dan Butler was dismissed. They backed off on nine minutes to allow Callum Kennedy to tap the ball to Sutherland, who made ground before curling a delicious right-foot shot past Paul Jones from 23 yards. Pompey's slumbering defenders switched off completely on 19 minutes when Tubbs was fouled on the halfway line. But AFC Wimbledon skipper Barry Fuller was alert to the possibilities when he slotted a ball through the inside-right channel for Tubbs to gather and finish from a tight angle. It took Pompey 35 minutes to muster their first shot on target, but Rickie Holmes' tame effort provided no problem for James Shea and in first-half injury-time Ryan Taylor's near-post toe-poke brought a sharp save from Shea. Nigel Atangana's half-time introduction perked Pompey up, but for all their pressure they failed to extend Shea and their hopes of mounting a late rally were dented when Butler's late challenge on George Francomb earned the Pompey defender a second yellow card 21 minutes from time.
