Republic of Ireland international Ronan Curtis made himself a cult hero at new club AFC Wimbledon on Saturday as he scored a dramatic injury time winner to beat their most bitter rivals MK Dons.
Curtis, who has seven caps for Ireland since making his debut in 2018, joined The Dons in January after being out for almost a year after a cruciate ligament injury in March of last year. That injury saw his time at Portsmouth come to an end and he was without a club from June until signing with the south London club at the start of the year.
He's hit the ground running at Wimbledon scoring 2 goals and grabbing an assist from the flank before today. However his winner today will be a goal Dons fans will remember for a long time. The home fans at Plough Lane went berserk as Curtis the goal that would seal the three points. The win was AFC Wimbledon's second-ever league victory over MK Dons. (Wimbledon FC famously relocated to Milton Keynes in the early 2000s, and MK Dons was formed.)
The goal sparked utter bedlam and breathless shouty commentary.
Appreciate not everyone is as into football as me, but this is worth 20 seconds of your time with the sound up. A last minute winner against rivals so bitter we don’t even name them. #AFCW pic.twitter.com/tgSQUJnUgw
— Tim Smith (@timsmithyorks) March 2, 2024
A class angle of the celebrations following Wimbledon’s 94th minute winner against MK Dons…🤪#afcw #mkdons
— FanHub (@FanHub) March 2, 2024
There were limbs everywhere.
Curtis's goal celebration will also be remembered for a long as he gave a young steward a very big hug.
In proper League Two fashion after the match Ronan Curtis was filmed celebrating with the fans, still in the club tracksuit. He won't have to buy a pint in Wimbledon for a long time.
Update: @RonanCurtis1 is in the boozer! 😂🍻 #AFCW 🟡🔵 pic.twitter.com/Rk9fAv3AD8
— AFC Wimbledon (@AFCWimbledon) March 2, 2024
For those not acquainted with why Wimbledon and MK Dons are rivals, back in 2004 businessman and Wimbledon Chairman Pete Winkleman moved the 1988 FA Cup winners 50 miles north to Milton Keynes to form MK Dons.
AFC Wimbledon were subsequently founded and they built their way up from the bottom of the English footballing pyramid. After today's result, they sit tenth in League Two, eight points off MK Dons, who are in 5th place.
It's a brilliant moment for Curtis, who has become something of a forgotten man in Irish football circles. His last cap for Ireland came in 2021 in a 4-1 win over Andorra and he hasn't made a squad since that same year. Things might not have gone the way many have hoped for Ronan Curtis so far but moments like today are a footballer's dream and are a step in the right direction for the former Derry City man.
SEE ALSO: Steven Reid Sent Off After Nottingham Forest Rage Over Late Decision Vs Liverpool
