Source: TheGuardian
How does it feel to win the play-offs? AFC Wimbledon boss Neal Ardley explains
Winning a play-offs final is thrilling but it can be stressful – especially if you have a family holiday booked and your taxi to Heathrow is waiting outside WembleyBy Richard Foster for The Agony and the Ecstasy of the Guardian Sport NetworkAnother chapter in the story of AFC Wimbledon’s remarkable rise up the leagues was written last May, when they went to Wembley and secured their sixth promotion in 13 seasons. The club had only played their first competitive match in 2002 – in the tenth-tier Combined Counties League – but here they were competing for a place in League One, where they would meet their nemeses, MK Dons.Their 2-0 victory over Plymouth Argyle in the final was fully deserved, with Lyle Taylor’s accomplished finish setting them on their way before Ade Akinfenwa delivered the perfect swansong to his AFC Wimbledon career with his penalty in the 100th minute. That the match was played out in front of 57,956 fans – a bigger crowd than had watched the League One final the previous day – shows just how much people were invested in AFC Wimbledon’s triumph. Related: Adebayo Akinfenwa: ‘People said I’m too big to play football, but I kept playing’ Related: The Football League play-offs at 30: a quick fix that survived and thrived Continue reading......read full article