AFC Wimbledon 2 Plymouth Argyle 0: Dons reach the third tier

AFC Wimbledon have been promoted to League One after goals from Lyle Taylor and Adebayo Akinfenwa helped them to a 2-0 victory over Plymouth Argyle in the League Two play-off final on Monday.

Just 13 years after the original Wimbledon club was relocated to Milton Keynes, the born-again outfit returned to the third tier and will now meet MK Dons next season.

Plymouth, too, had fought back from the brink of non-existence to reach this stage, but Taylor’s 23rd strike of the campaign and a stoppage-time Akinfenwa penalty won the day.

After a scrappy first half of few chances, the second period began in similarly cagey fashion.

However, after the hour-mark, Plymouth finally exerted some pressure on the Wimbledon goal, as Kelle Roos saved from Graham Carey’s free-kick and then Peter Hartley’s unmarked header.

With 12 minutes remaining, though, Taylor grabbed the opening goal at the other end.

Nipping in front of the stooping Kelvin Mellor, the 26-year-old hooked a right-wing cross into the far corner to send the Dons’ fans into delirium.

And Wimbledon kept the pressure up in the final stages, hunting a second, with Luke McCormick required to make stunning stops from Barry Fuller and substitute Akinfenwa.

In a mammoth spell of stoppage time, Plymouth had a hopeful penalty appeal waved away, before Taylor wasted a chance to put the result beyond doubt.

Finally, however, in the 100th minute, Akinfenwa grabbed the ball following a foul on Ade Azeez in the area, and calmly converted his spot-kick to maintain this incredible tale.