Glyn Hodges’ assessment on AFC Wimbledon’s defeat…..just hours before he left Plough Lane hotseat

BY DANIEL MARSH

Glyn Hodges expressed his disappointment at AFC Wimbledon’s 2-0 loss to Milton Keynes – hours before he departed the club by mutual consent.

The Dons have been on a horrific run in the league. Since beating Peterborough at the start of December, the club are winless in 11 games, picking up just two points from an available 33.

It is a slide which has seen Wimbledon drop into the League One relegation places in recent weeks.

Shortly after the Dons defeat on Saturday, it was announced that Hodges and assistant Nicky Daws had departed the club by mutual consent.

But Hodges gave his assessment of the match before the news was announced.

“I’m really disappointed. Apologies to the fans – we knew this was a big one what it means to them. That’s why the first half was so good – I was so pleased that the boys reacted to it.

“I thought we were good, the way we came out of the blocks in the first half, we looked like the only side who were going to win it. We had a couple of good chances. Shane [McLoughlin] got in and passed to Joe [Pigott] but he should have shot. We had a couple of things flash across and we were bright in our play. But you probably need a bit more than that and we didn’t quite get there.

“We didn’t quite start as we did in the first half, but I think whoever would have scored first today would have won the game. The two quick goals have killed us.

“If someone was to come in after that first half and say we get beat 2-0 today, you’d think they were mad. We controlled it, got off to a great start and played some good football. But football is a game of two halves, and again it’s that second half which has cost us.

“Whatever team scored first would have won it. They’re in a similar position as us, not quite as confident as they were at the start of the season. They score and they get a bit of confidence. If we’d scored it would have been the other way round. The key was scoring first. The goals were two in three minutes – at 1-0 you’re still in, but that second goal really got them going and we didn’t react to it.”

The outgoing Dons boss was asked what was next in an attempt to change the Dons fortunes. Today’s defeat was Wimbledon’s fifth home loss on the spin, with crunch games against relegation rivals Wigan and Rochdale lying ahead.

“We look at different players, different formations. There’s lots of things we can look at, there’s lots of things we need to improve. But this was a big game. We know what it means to the fans, and we’re not making the challenges that need to be made to win any game. It was just a little flick [before the second goal] – I don’t know what it was. We’re not making the challenges we need to make to win any game.

“Their second goal is the first time I’ve seen their actual heads go down. I’ve never sensed that before. They’re feeling sorry for themselves but we don’t need that. We need hard work and rolling your sleeves up.

“It’s the same group of players which got us off to the best start we’ve ever had in this division. We’ve got to look at ourselves and keep going. We don’t give up. If we’d have scored first today we’d have won.”

PHOTOS: KEITH GILLARD