AFC Wimbledon head coach Robbo: Northampton deserve credit for our flat second-half display

Mark Robinson reckoned Northampton played a major part in AFC Wimbledon failing to get their passing game going on Saturday.

The Dons picked up a 1-0 victory at Plough Lane with Joe Pigott striking from close range.

But while Wimbledon were the superior side in the opening 45 minutes, the second half was attritional with neither team really fashioning much of note until late drama.

The hosts also needed Nik Tzanev to save Sam Hoskins’ stoppage-time penalty to win for the first time since late February.

Head coach Robinson said: “We were a lot better first half. I didn’t think they offered any real threat. Although we didn’t offer enough threat, we looked very in control. I expected us to kick on from that and the players expected us to.

“You’ve got to give Northampton credit. I watched Oxford last night and they played some excellent football. If you watch their game against Northampton, they didn’t. So there is a lot Northampton do which restricts you. It makes it hard for you to find the passes you want at times.

“You’ve got to have the belief to impose your identity back on them. But if you don’t pick up enough second balls and find your first passes away from their pressure then you’re not going to do that at all. We didn’t do that at all in the second half.

“Every team offers a slightly different challenge. I’d have liked us to play better football and there were signs of that first half. But second half it didn’t come to fruition.

“They were better than us in the second half. On the balance of play maybe we have nicked three points. But there have been five draws previously where I’ve felt we possibly could have had three.

“I haven’t thought [about the points total for safety]. All we think about is there were 33 points to play for and now there are 30.”

PHOTOS: KEITH GILLARD